San Remo Cycling — Salita dei Vignai Loop

I had never heard of Salita dei Vignai before riding it, and that turned out to be part of its appeal. From San Remo the route follows the coast east for about 10 km -- flat riding at sea level, nothing more than a warm-up. Then the road turns inland and the climbing begins.

The lower slopes pass through terraced vineyards -- the name means Climb of the Vineyards, and the landscape earns it completely. Stone walls, olive groves, ancient villages clinging to the hillside. The gradient builds gradually as you gain height, and by the time I was above 500 metres the terrain had changed entirely -- pine forest replaced the vineyards, the road narrowed, and the villages disappeared.

The summit at 1,025 metres felt genuinely remote. The views over the Ligurian Alps and back toward the coast were spectacular, and the silence was striking -- no cars, no noise, just the mountain. This is not a climb you will find in any guidebook or on any pro race route, and that is exactly what makes it special.

The descent loops through the hinterland on quiet mountain roads, losing height in long sweeping curves before eventually dropping back toward the coast. The final kilometres into San Remo brought the sea back into view and the temperature rose noticeably. At 63 km with nearly 1,200 metres of climbing, this is a shorter day than Colle d'Oggia but equally demanding in terms of elevation per kilometre.