Cimento Invernale - Winter Bay Swim

Across Liguria the arrival of winter does not empty the sea: in the natural cove of Baia del Silenzio, swimmers step into clear waters protected from open-sea swells to take on the traditional winter cimento. The Cimento Invernale - Winter Bay Swim is an open water sea swimming gathering in the bay of Sestri Levante, located along the Ligurian coast. The Italian term 'cimento' traces back to the Latin word 'caementum', referring to both a dangerous test of risk and a demanding trial of moral resolve. Organized by ASD AQUAMANARA 1968 in partnership with the Cutter Cucca bar, the winter event brings swimmers together directly on the beach. The swim takes place in the Baia del Silenzio, also known as the Bay of Portobello, a sheltered cove described as a natural pool that provides calm conditions and sea temperatures suitable for swimming even in the colder months.

To welcome swimmers throughout the autumn and winter, a dedicated 182-metre swimming lane marked by buoys is laid out in the bay, available for safe open water swimming from the start of October through mid-May. Because of the natural protection of the cove, the water remains remarkably mild for a winter swim, offering surprisingly gentle conditions during the event. The gathering brings together open water enthusiasts regardless of the forecast. In past editions, the swim went ahead despite cold weather and driving rain.

Winter Bay Swim: past editions, water and swimmers

The Winter Bay Swim of 8 December 2025 in the Baia del Silenzio officially opened the 2025/26 season of winter cimenti. The 2025 Winter Bay Swim was the fifth consecutive edition, and photographs show earlier editions held as far back as 1985. On the day of the 2025 swim the air was around 15 degrees and the sea between 16 and 17, well above the usual averages for November and December. The 2025 swim drew 110 swimmers, from a four-year-old to eighty-year-olds, coming from all over Italy and from France, Germany and Venezuela. In the days before the 2025 swim many swimmers took a dip or a swim in the bay, most of them in wetsuits and some in swimsuits only. The Nuoto in Baia project offers swimming on a course inside the Baia del Silenzio until May, with monthly sea sessions that vary with the season and the weather.

The twin bays and the sandy isthmus of Sestri

The promontory of Sestri Levante was originally an offshore island, surrounded by water before alluvial sediment carried down by the Petronio and Gromolo streams gradually filled the gap to the mainland. The town sits along the eastern curve of the Gulf of Tigullio, an expansive marine basin on the Riviera di Levante that takes its name from the ancient Ligurian tribe of the Tigullii. The gulf is framed by Punta di Portofino to the northwest and Punta Manara to the southeast, and is also called the Gulf of Marconi after the pioneering radio experiments conducted across its waters by Guglielmo Marconi. Along its shoreline, the Entella river reaches the sea between Chiavari and Lavagna after an eight-kilometre course.

The western portion of the gulf features the inlet of Paraggi, the roadstead of Santa Margherita, the inlet of Pagana with the small bays of Prelo, Trelo, and Pomaro, and the Gulf of Rapallo. Across the gulf about fourteen kilometres away, on the western headland, the Portofino Lighthouse has stood since 1917, its lantern perched forty metres above sea level and casting a white flash every five seconds visible for sixteen nautical miles. About twelve kilometres away, Sem Benelli Castle commands a high rocky spur overlooking the gulf. Turning around in the water to look inland, swimmers take in a dramatic alpine skyline, with the high Apennine peaks of Mount Maggiorasca at 1,804 metres, Mount Penna at 1,735 metres, and Mount Aiona at 1,702 metres rising above the coast.

Medieval raids and coastal fortresses around Portobello

Overlooking the water on three sides at the extreme tip of the peninsula stands the Convento dell'Annunziata, which was converted into a marine colony in 1867 and welcomed visitors until 1982. The ancient abbey of San Colombano was acquired by the Republic of Genoa in 1145 and subsequently transformed into a stone fortress. In 1170, an armed naval flotilla sent from Pisa attacked the town, but the local inhabitants successfully repelled the invaders and defended their harbour.

Punta Manara: watchtowers and protected coastal headlands

Punta Manara forms the southern headland enclosing the Gulf of Tigullio. The promontory covers around 190 hectares and has been preserved under environmental protection since 1977, culminating at Monte Castello at an elevation of 265 metres. Perched 140 metres above sea level stands a stone watchtower built centuries ago for defense against Saracen pirates, while ancient fortress ruins and World War II military buildings sit among the trees, and the Rio Ravino stream collects freshwater off the northern slopes. About six kilometres down the coast, between Riva Trigoso and Moneglia, lies the marine Site of Community Importance encompassing Punta Baffe, Punta Moneglia, and Val Petronio. Rising from the sea up to 520 metres at Monte Moneglia, this rugged sanctuary features sheer headlands, pocket beaches, and deep valleys covered with Mediterranean scrub, garrigue, and pine forests, while riparian vegetation grows along the Petronio stream.

Post-swim traditions and beach life in Portobello

Stepping out of the sea onto the sand, swimmers are met with a hearty culinary tradition. Organizers serve participants warm drinks and authentic panigacci brought from the village of Podenzana. The Baia del Silenzio, where winter swimmers train along their marked buoyed lane, hosts the Barcarolata, where a parade of brightly decorated boats drifts across the quiet water.