The sea, the village, the boats, the romantic and characteristic views. Here is a brief guide to the secret places of Camogli, to discover the Liguria of simple and good things
When there is "sea", the waves reach the Dragonara and touch the Assunta bell tower. The castle, or what remains of it, and the church protect the small port, full of goiters and other boats. One of these is the Dragun, launched May 1, 1969, created by the artisan Ido Battistone. It is a boat with characteristics of the fable and the galley, derived from the transformation of a lifeboat of a ship of the early twentieth century. The Dragun has sailed all the seas and rivers of Europe and many of the world, with its 12 oars and its two Latin sails. It is one of the symbols of Camogli, with the fishermen's cooperative and the Cenobio dei dogi, on the other side of the bay from the church and the castle. The seafront, built in 1913, joins them. First the houses grew, one on top of the other, starting from the beach, now one on the other starting from the seafront. The other local pride is, precisely, the Fishermen's Cooperative, 30 members, 30 boats and a tonnarella, that is a fixed network with a traditional and highly sustainable fishing system. The fish, only medium to large in size, remains trapped in the chamber mechanism and concentrated between the boats. Thus the fishermen can control the catch and free the undersized fish, which cannot be sold or whose fishing is prohibited.
The fish ends up in the kitchens of the restaurants in the area, or in the two fishmongers of the cooperative, one in Camogli and one in Recco and, on the second Sunday in May, in the four-meter-wide padellona, protagonist of the fish festival and the patron saint of the town, San Fortunato. There is a particular predilection for anchovy, poor but noble fish, sold fresh or salted, preserved in the glass “arbanelle” to be taken away.
The specialties
In the village there are several restaurants, including Paolo, which offer classic cuisine, with local specialties: from anchovies with lemon to those with tomato and oregano, from gianchetti to spaghetti with sea sauces, from trenette to pesto, to fries and grilled. In Liguria, with the fish that arrives in front of the house, the imagination in the preparations lacks a bit, but the product is exceptional. Moreover, in the morning, when you buy Revello's warm and fragrant focaccia, even on Sundays (it was the first to open, a fight), you don't want anything else. In addition to the classic, there are those with anchovies, fresh tomatoes, olives and oregano; the one with onions, zucchini and oregano; and then the focaccia di Recco PGI, the sailor's biscuit with which the capponadda is prepared, once a poor salad, but rich in ingredients. And then we went by sea.
To sleep there is the famous Cenobio dei dogi with private beach and breathtaking view, or the elegant tranquility of Villa Rosmarino, going up towards the Boschetto. A beautiful Ligurian villa renovated with six rooms without number and with a motto: "This house is not a hotel". In San Rocco, on the slopes of Monte di Portofino, there is a restaurant much loved by the public, the Kitchen of Nonna Nina, with its traditional dishes: from minestrone to corzetti (medallions of fresh pasta) with artichoke sauce with thin cappon , up to the accommodated stockfish, "stokes accomodou".
For lovers, and not only, aperitif at Muagetti, on the road that leads to Punta Chiappa. The bar is in the rock, but the tables offer a view of the Gulf of Paradise to sing along. Muagetti means low walls. I went down to Punta Chiappa, where you can also arrive by boat, there are other restaurants and the Stella Maris hotel which has a table with a view dedicated to Lord Byron, one of the many travelers who stayed in this magical place.
Our advice
To eat
From Paolo
Via San Fortunato, 14 Camogli (Ge)
Tel. 0185-773595
Nonna Nina's Kitchen
Viale Franco Molfino, 126 San Rocco di Camogli (Ge)
Tel. 0185-773835
To make purchases
Revello Patisserie-Bakery
Via Garibaldi, 183 Camogli (Ge)
Tel. 0185-770777
Fishermen's cooperative
Via della Repubblica, 174 Camogli (Ge)
Tel. 0185-772600
To sleep
Cenobio of the Doges
Via Niccolò Cuneo, 34 Camogli (Ge)
Tel. 0185-7241
Villa Rosmarino
Via Enrico Figari, 38 Camogli (Ge)
Tel. 0185-771580
For an aperitif
The Muagetti
Via Mortola, 2 San Rocco di Camogli (Ge)
Tel. 346-5126655
For a romantic moment
Hotel Resort Stella Maris
Via S. Nicolò, 68 Camogli (Ge)
Tel. 0185-770285
Text by Roberto Perrone
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