Loop trail Nozarego - Costasecca - Bocche

Loop hiking trail in the Portofino Park on the hills above Santa Margherita Ligure.

The best season to enjoy this route, which partly follows less frequented trails, is spring, when nature is at its finest.
Once you reach the village of Nozarego, by car, bus or on foot from Santa Margherita Ligure, the trail begins behind the church, near the cemetery, following a path that crosses cultivated terraces and elegant houses with gardens.

After passing a restaurant, continue downhill along the paved road until the junction where a steep climb on the left leads to the small hamlet of Busseto (or Busseo); along the road there is a drinking water fountain.
After the last house, follow the narrow trail marked with , connecting the village to Via Costasecca, the trail that climbs from Santa Margherita Ligure.

The route continues uphill past a stone house and the Portofino Park information panel before climbing uneven stone steps to Costa d’Aria. The trail, initially pleasant, becomes progressively steeper and rougher until reaching the wide route crossing the Portofino Promontory from Portofino Vetta to Portofino Mare. Here turn left (towards the sea) for about 300 metres until reaching Bocche, a rest area equipped with benches, picnic tables and drinking water.

From Bocche, continue left following the signs for Il Monte. At the first junction keep left (the right trail leads to Monte Pollone) and continue downhill ignoring the paths branching off to the right. At the next fork keep left again (the right trail descends to Portofino) until reaching Il Monte.
Here the route joins the Animal Trail, where children can enjoy spotting wooden animal silhouettes placed along the path.

Near the wooden hut turn left onto the trail leaving the forest with a steep descent before crossing a more open area. After about one hundred metres, keep left at the fork, continuing between cultivated terraces on one side and woodland on the other.

Passing below a house where a wild boar deterrent has been installed, the trail enters the most scenic section of the itinerary: flowering meadows, olive groves and beautiful sea views create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

The route then reaches Il Frate, where a short detour to the left is recommended to reach a flat viewpoint overlooking Santa Margherita Ligure. Back on the main trail, continue along the narrow path skirting private properties bordered by pittosporum hedges: in this section a wild boar deterrent may also create difficulties for dogs passing through.

The trail then descends into the woods along stone steps covered with leaves, which may become slippery when wet, eventually reaching Cappelletta delle Gave, a crossroads of trails where the small chapel of the same name stands alongside a drinking water fountain.

Continue left along the mostly level trail with pleasant views over the Gulf of Tigullio, the Covo di Nord Est and the Cervara.
After a short downhill section through terraced fields, the route finally returns to the village of Nozarego, the starting and ending point of the itinerary.