The verdict on Levanto
- Who it suitsFamilies who want a proper sandy beach day with calm shallows and shade, plus an easy base for visiting the Cinque Terre without sleeping in the crush.
- Best spotA bagno umbrella on the main beach for a settled morning with children, or the free public sand early in the day before the summer crowd arrives.
- One thing to knowLevanto is the sand the famous villages do not have. For a family beach day near the Cinque Terre, base here rather than in the rocky coves down the line.
Published 13 January 2026. Last reviewed 11 May 2026
Levanto is the answer to a question every family asks after a hot day in the Cinque Terre, where is there actual sand near here. The five famous villages are glorious to look at, but their swimming spots are mostly tiny rocky coves and ladders into deep water, which is hard work with young children. Levanto, one short train stop north of Monterosso, has the thing they lack, a long, broad bay of sand and fine gravel where children can paddle, dig and settle while you keep an easy eye on them.
The shape of a day here is gentle and forgiving. The beach runs the length of the town, the seafront is flat, and the train station, shops and gelato are all a short, level walk from the sand, so you are never far from a toilet, a snack or a shady break. The free public stretches cost nothing, and the bagni offer hired umbrellas, loungers and showers when you want a fixed base with guaranteed shade. Mornings tend to be the calmest, with the water typically still and gently shelving, which is the easiest window for small swimmers.
Levanto has a second life as a surf town, one of the few on this coast, and that tells you something useful as a parent. The same open aspect that brings a little surf on windier days means the sea can build in the afternoon, so the mornings are the kinder swimming window and it pays to check conditions and watch younger children when a breeze gets up. It is rarely rough, but it is more exposed than a closed cove like Bonassola, so read the day rather than assume.
The honest caution is the summer crush. Levanto is no secret, and in peak July and August the free sand fills early and the town is busy, though it still feels calmer and more spread out than the villages. The smart play is to arrive in the morning, take a bagno umbrella if you want certainty, and use the easy train to dip into the Cinque Terre for an hour rather than fighting for a cove there. For a sandy family base on this coast, Levanto is the one we point families to first. For the bagni and clubs we can confirm along the coast, see our Liguria beach clubs directory.
Bagni on and near Levanto beach
Levanto has a run of bagni, the hired umbrellas and loungers, alongside generous free public sand. We never invent venues, prices or status, so named operators and any day rates are marked to be confirmed until verified. For the bagni and clubs we have checked along the Liguria coast, use the Liguria beach clubs directory.
Levanto bagni
The bagni along the main beach offer hired umbrellas, loungers and showers, the comfortable base for a family day with guaranteed shade. Operator names and day rates are to be confirmed, so we list them only once verified with the operator.
Spiaggia libera
The free public sections give you space of your own and reward an early arrival before the summer crowd settles in. Bring your own shade and water, since the free sand has no service and fills fast on the hottest days.
Levanto, the Cinque Terre gateway, Liguria
Levanto sits on the main coastal train line one stop north of Monterosso, and the station is a short, flat walk from the beach, so arriving and getting around car free is genuinely easy. From here the Cinque Terre villages are minutes away by train, which is the smart way to dip in for an hour and return to the sand, rather than driving narrow roads and chasing scarce parking. A flat tunnel walking and cycling path also links Levanto to Bonassola and Framura, gentle and pushchair friendly.
Bring water shoes for the coarser gravel near the waterline, sun cover and water, and arrive in the morning in summer to claim space on the free sand and catch the calmest swimming. Take a bagno umbrella if you want guaranteed shade, watch the depth and any afternoon swell, and read seasonal flags. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
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Levanto FAQ
Is Levanto good for families with young children?
Yes. Levanto is one of the easiest family beaches on this coast. It has a long stretch of sand and fine gravel, typically calm and gently shelving water in a wide bay, a flat seafront promenade and plenty of bagni for shade and showers. The town is genuinely set up for families, with the train station and shops a short walk back from the sand, so a day here works without much fuss.
Does Levanto have a sandy beach?
Yes. Levanto has a broad beach of sand mixed with fine dark gravel, far more comfortable than the rocky coves of the Cinque Terre villages next door. It is one of the few proper sandy beaches on this part of the Riviera, which is exactly why families base here. Water shoes still help on the coarser patches near the waterline.
Is Levanto beach free?
Partly. Levanto mixes free public sand, the spiaggia libera, with paid bagni where you hire an umbrella and loungers for the day. The free stretches cost nothing but fill early in July and August, so arrive in the morning or take a bagno when you want guaranteed shade and a base for children. Day rates vary by operator and are to be confirmed.
Can you swim and surf at Levanto?
Levanto is one of the better known swimming and surfing beaches in Liguria. Swimming is typically calm and easy in the sheltered bay, especially in the mornings, which suits families. The same open aspect that brings small surf on windier days means the sea can pick up, so check conditions, watch younger swimmers and read any seasonal flags. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Is Levanto a good base for the Cinque Terre?
It is one of the best. Levanto sits one stop north of Monterosso on the same train line, so the five villages are minutes away, yet you return each evening to a real sandy beach, a flat town and calmer crowds. For families it beats sleeping inside the Cinque Terre, where the coves are tiny and rocky and the lanes are steep and packed.