I'm Ponente - Albisole

Arriving in Albissola Marina, you sense the shift in the Ligurian landscape as the coastal road drops toward the sea. The drive reveals the distinct character of the Riviera, where the rugged hills finally surrender to the Mediterranean horizon. On race day, the water acts as a mirror to this history; as you push off from the shore, the boundary between Albissola Marina and Albisola Superiore vanishes beneath you. This natural divide, marked by the Sansobbia stream, was the site of a 17th-century administrative split, yet the two towns remain tethered by a shared heritage of ceramic production that local legend attributes to the monks of the vanished San Benedetto abbey. Demolished in 1932 to make way for modern infrastructure, the monastery is now a phantom, much like the ancient Roman port of Alba Docilia that once thrived nearby, its presence still whispered by the remnants near the church of San Pietro.

A swim through history

As you navigate the course, the shoreline transforms into an open-air gallery. You are swimming parallel to the Lungomare degli Artisti, a kilometer-long mosaic promenade inaugurated in 1963 that features the works of artists like Lucio Fontana. The grandeur of the 18th-century Villa Faraggiana, built by the noble Durazzo family, looms above the beach, reminding you of the Genoese influence that once dictated the fate of these shores. While the Priamar Fortress in nearby Savona remains a silent sentinel on the western horizon, your focus stays on the rhythm of the stroke and the clarity of the Ligurian Sea. If you are looking to test your endurance further along this coastline, you might consider the shorter, distinct challenge of the Bergeggi-Spotorno crossing held in June. Whether you are tackling the 400m sprint or the full 1852m mile, the water here is shaped by centuries of maritime trade and local devotion to the sea.