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Travel | Andiamo, ragazzi! – Kicking off the season in Finale Ligure
Finale Ligure does not really need an introduction. Having evolved over the last decade into a biking hotspot, this location on the Ligurian coast is recognised all over the world for enduro riding. Fabrizio D’Aloisio is a guide at the Bike School Engadin and the start of March marked the beginning of his season in Finale. His black-and-white images document this stop-off of the Enduro World Series from a unique perspective.
Early March 2015. It’s snowing in Switzerland. The winter shows no sign of abating. My new enduro bike is in the garage, impatient to be ridden. I long to escape, flee to the sea.
Four and a half hours later, Finale Ligure welcomes us with its balmy 16 degrees and endless trails. But there’s more than just trails on offer here. As cyclists are one of the region’s biggest year-round sources of income, opportunities and offers for riders abound. Benvenuti!
Simply bring your bike into the restaurant with you – part of the great vibes in Finale.
Finale Ligure is a picture-book Italian town: stunning old town, beach, sea, gelati, wonderful little shops, friendly and fun-loving people, olive groves, incredible wine, pesto alla Genovese and ravioli. What more can you want?
Liguria’s capital is Genoa. Other known cities in the region are San Remo, La Spezia and Ventimigla.
Amazing trails, of course. And there are more than enough of those here. But as a newbie to Finale they’re not always easy to find. That’s why it’s definitely wise to book a guide for your first visit to Finale.
Our bike guide for today: Lorenzo. Local, technically adept, friendly. Perfect match!
On the first climb we meet Marco and Sergio, two not-quite-so-young freeriders and proof that even as a 60-year-old you don’t have to resort to cross-country.
Ageless freeriders: Local pensioners Marco and Sergio only ride downhill these days – preferring to do the climbs with the aid of their cars.Bravi, ragazzi!
Once you reach the top the freedom is endless – and that cliché finally make sense to us. But now we’ve got some incredible trails to go down. Action!
Kill Bill, Rollercoaster. A few trail treats await.Depending on the area and its local history, the character of the trails in Finale Ligure can be really varied. Higher up, around 1,000 metres, it can be really forest-like.The trails designed with riders in mind are super flowy. But quite a lot of them are rutty and therefore not the easiest to ride.The historical trails are usually pretty boulder-strewn and partially blocked.Perhaps because of the technical nature of the trails, Finale Ligure is more suited to advanced enduro riders rather than beginners.Many of the trails have incredible panoramic seaviews.Surrounding the bay of Finale Ligure are the rugged foothills of the 1,300 metre-high mountains, which head straight down to the sea.Stunning trails with panoramic views that lead all the way down to the inviting sea. A combination that draws riders from central Europe to Finale no matter what time of the year. That – and the unique climate of the Ligurian coast, of course. Even in winter the thermometer rarely drops below 10 degrees.A classic: the descent to Varigotti gives a new perspective to riders suffering from those winter blues.You should definitely give shuttling a go at least once in Finale – life’s hard enough after all. And once you hit the top, well, you know the drill: let’s go!Enduro bikes with 160mm travel and 27.5″ wheels are often the best choice for Liguria’s trails.If you choose to shuttle for the climbs then you can take your freeride or downhill bike instead.In any case, fat is good here as there are plenty of technical sections and pointy rocks.Take a detour through one of the picture-perfect villages on your descent towards the sea. What impressed us most was that the locals even told us where the coolest steps were to ride down! Amazing.For those who spend winter surrounded by concrete: the trees in the background are lemon trees, and they’ve got at least a million yellow, vitamin-rich lemons on them. Even looking at them makes you feel healthy and detoxed.Straight to the beach or the gelateria once you hit sea level.
Directly from the trail to the piazza – typical Liguria!
Besides all the Mediterranean (trail) beauty that Finale Ligure offers, it’s the locals that we met during our 48 hours that made all the difference. From the hotel staff to the other riders on the trail, and even the gelato sellers in the old town; for once, the words passion, openness and a genuine friendliness to riders are not just empty phrases. Grazie Finale!
