Beigua

Beigua is a challenging but rewarding thermal launch at 998 m inside the protected Parco del Beigua in Liguria, reached by a 20-minute walk from the parking area via the road from Varazze through Alpicella. Good flying days here are genuinely hard to catch — the mix of altitude and closeness to the sea means take-off is often clouded in, so patience matters more than persistence. When conditions do work, a top-landing back at launch is the suggested option; the alternative is the last western beach at Cogoleto, though landing there is banned outright from 1 May to 30 September, and it's worth double-checking the beach is actually usable in the shoulder months of April and October too, since conditions there can shift. This is a site for pilots willing to wait for the right window rather than one that delivers flyable days on demand.

Launch & conditions

20-minute walk from the parking area. Take-off is inside the protected Parco del Beigua. Good conditions are genuinely hard to catch here — altitude and closeness to the sea mean take-off is often clouded in.

Getting there & local rules

From Varazze, take the road via Alpicella up to Monte Beigua. A top-landing back at launch is suggested; the alternative, the last western beach at Cogoleto, is banned for landing from 1 May to 30 September — check it's actually usable even in April and October before relying on it.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Beigua, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Beigua with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.