Sestri Levante (4m/13ft; pop. 20,000) is a seaside and winter resort in a picturesque setting on the saddle of the Isola promontory (70m/231ft), between two small bays. From the beautiful seafront promenade in the flat bay to the west there are extensive views of the Gulf of Rapallo, also called Golfo Tigullio. From the square beside the harbor,
at the south end of the bay, there is a road to the tip of the promontory, which is crowned by the Castelli Gualino, imitations of medieval castles. There is also a pleasant walk (1 hour) southeast to the Telegrafo, a signal station on the southern spur of the pine-clad Monte Castello (265m/875ft; views).
Beyond Sestri Levante the Via Aurelia runs inland bypassing a stretch of rocky coast more than 60km/37mi long, some of the places on which - such as the picturesque fishing villages of the Cinqueterre - can be reached only by the railroad, running through tunnels for much of its course.