Up the coast a bit and just a short train ride from Santa Margherita Ligure is the colorful fishing village of Camogli. (Click here for the Italian pronunciation). With a lovely seaside promenade and a large beach area (although rocky, not sandy), this is a popular spot for vacationing Italians.
“Lore has it that Camogli, shortened from case delle mogli (“house of wives”), got its name from the women who watched over the town while their fishermen husbands were away,” writes Conde Naste Traveler.
Even though we visited on a weekday, the beach was busy and streets were full, as it was Italian Liberation Day, a national holiday.
As I discovered in Santa Margherita Ligure, the buildings in Camogli are decorated in trompe l’oeil, which adds unique charm.
Of course, I cannot resist a libreria….
Making our way back to the train station, I was thrilled to find this oversized padella, which was actually used in past years during Camogli’s annual Sagra del Pesce — fish festival. Click on the links to read more in Italian or English, or find some details in the second photo below.
A day exploring an Italian village is never complete without a delicious meal, and Husband found us a great restaurant — Ristorante da Paolo — tucked into town, away from the day’s crowd.
Although we had our first travel mis-step of the trip (as, in my excitement/language gap I scooted us onto the wrong train), we ended up in the right spot eventually due to the kindness of a local mom and the station workers who all came to our rescue.
I’m thrilled to have experienced the beauty of Camogli in person.
In the background, Camogli’s Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta.
Prayers & Piazzas 
Aren’t people so helpful when you get lost! I asked for help one day on a tram only to have half the train all discussing the best way for me to get to my destination… 🙂
Love that legend…must have been strong women! X
Love this! That beach is lovely. Food for thought for a future trip!!
Very nice! And if you weren’t in the photo of the padella, I would never have believed how big it was!
Right? I couldn’t believe it myself, and I wanted to give everyone some scale!
Gorgeous! I’m happy you are enjoying 😍😍
We were there the same day!
Oh my goodness, so sorry we missed each other! Wasn’t the weather just perfect?
It was a gorgeous day.
Totally bodacious, having you on the scene full time. (My limited Italian gives me no equivalent for “bodacious”).
Ahahaha, my translation apps are giving me nothing either! Happy to be a beat reporter here!