By Kayak Around the Island of Bergeggi

Guided canoe excursion with the Pro Loco of Bergeggi in the Regional Nature Reserve

(From the water storytelling portal

At the sight of a small island not far from the coast, it's natural to rediscover the explorer's instinct that lurks within us. The island becomes a bit like the Moon; we wonder what its side hidden from the coast looks like, how long it will take to reach it, and whether some distant relative of Robinson Crusoe ever lived there. In the case of the island of Bergeggi, situated in front of the municipality of the same name, these curiosities grow even more thanks to the local legend. It's said, in fact, that the inhabitants of the village on the slopes of Monte Elena were left utterly open-mouthed when one fine day, towards the beginning of the 6th century, they saw another mountain, a little over fifty metres high, approaching the coast, sliding slowly over the sea to stop a short distance from the mainland.

It was a rocky islet covered in Mediterranean scrub, with "aboard" two saints: Eugenio and Vendemiale, fleeing the persecutions of the Vandals. According to popular tradition, these are the origins of the Island of Bergeggi (Berzezzi in Ligurian, a Germanic word that comes from "berg", meaning mountain), today a Regional Nature Reserve. Saint Eugenio, bishop of Carthage from 481 to 505, stayed to live on the island that had miraculously "ferried" him in front of the Ligurian coast, while Vendemiale set off again for Corsica. After the death of Saint Eugenio, his remains were transferred to nearby Noli, but legend has it that some years later the body returned to the Island on its own... A few hundred years later, in 992, the bishops of Savona built a monastery on the Island where the monks of Lerino settled.

If the two saints were capable of "surfing" aboard the island, anyone staying around Bergeggi on holiday can instead experience its circumnavigation thanks to the canoe excursions organised by the Pro Loco of Bergeggi. The excursion is suitable for practically everyone; you just need to be in good health and able to swim, but it's not important to be familiar with a canoe: the basics needed to safely steer these easy boats can be learned in a few minutes from the guide, who explains everything on the beach before setting off. The meeting point is at the wooden Iat hut on the Aurelia, easy to find thanks to the map sent by email to those who book the trip. After registering, we move from the hut to the nearby beach where we find a convenient changing room with toilets and showers next to it.

After changing, we can leave our valuables in the changing room, which stays carefully locked for the entire duration of the excursion. We're handed our paddles, and those who wish are also lent a snorkelling mask. At this point we're ready to choose our canoes and learn what we need before getting in the water. The canoes are of the sit-on-top type, very comfortable, stable and safe even when there's wind and a bit of swell. The choice of canoe is sometimes based on colour (we girls especially tend to favour the aesthetic), but also on whether you prefer to be alone or perhaps in a pair: there are in fact also double canoes, ideal for carrying a child too. The guide and the girls of the Pro Loco help everyone get on board and so, after getting familiar with the craft, we set off on our aquatic trip in the Regional Nature Reserve of Bergeggi.

First milestone: the Sea Cave, of considerable archaeological and naturalistic interest, as well as great charm. We enter the main cavity of the cave one at a time, going in just far enough to admire the rocky walls that probably once gave shelter to prehistoric humans. After the cave, the excursion continues along the cliffs and with a visit to other stunning inlets, passing among the rocks under the watchful eyes of beautiful seagulls that observe us, curious and calm. The bow of our canoe now points towards the island, which at first still seems distant, but we soon reach it, rewarding ourselves for the small effort with a lovely swim in the crystal-clear water, ideal for snorkelling too. Here, as at the previous stops, the guide tells us the history and curiosities tied to the places we visit, in both Italian and English.

After this break we can choose whether to go around the island by canoe or rest a little longer and head back to base. In the end, curiosity wins over tiredness even for the beginners in the group, and so we venture upwind into the circumnavigation of the islet. In reality, since the immediate perimeter of the island is Zone A, that is off-limits both for swimming and canoeing, we pass outside the yellow buoys that mark the protected area, making a fairly wide loop around the island, which adds to the charm of the adventure. On the way back we have the wind at our backs, making paddling easier, but even though we can now easily speed up, we don't do so too much, so as not to end the trip too soon: it's lovely to savour once more that sense of freedom and direct contact with the sea that only a canoe can give.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Guided canoe excursions

August: every day Morning: 9.30 Afternoon: 15.30 Bookings: 019/859777 or iat@prolocobergeggi.it

Would you like to read a story set near the island of Bergeggi? Here it is:

Gandhi, the Seagull

A long tale available in paper and ebook format at all the best-known online bookstores.

At the Osteria Picasso, a historic establishment on the Ligurian riviera, life has moved slowly for generations. When the owner's son gets married, things change. The future will take shape amid the absurdity of certain dreamlike experiences, the reassuring taste of stuffed anchovies and with the help of a sincere friend partial to focaccia: the only one who will understand why the people, invited to a funeral where the deceased was missing, hadn't cried fraud.