The Bergeggi Island Regional Park is just in front of Bergeggi village and is enclosing also a small area just over the cave of the same name along the coast. It was populated since the Neolithic period and in the Roman era was probably the lantern of the port of Vada sabatia. In 992 a monastery built on the island by the bishops of Savona and thanks to the built fortification was a front line aginst Saracens. The island was under Genoa domination in 1385 and became a colony of deportees. The towers dates from the Middle and medieval ages. In the origins of Christianity there was a community of hermits and the vestiges of a monastery built by the Lerino monks dating probably around the fourth century are still visible.

The typical Mediterranean flora concerns mostly this island and it is a particular habitat for many species of birds and also the underwater world surrounding the island is regionally protected. The island is a private property and so the entrance is forbidden but you can enjoy the place by walking, boating and swimming around. Many beaches along the main road are well organized with facilities and restaurants. Remember that in summertime it's a lottery to find a parking place, although some are the possibilities, therefore go early in the morning.

Enrico Pelos, Liguria editor, Osinga.com, Genoa, Italy.

pelos@tn.village.it

http://www.global.village.it/~pelos/index.htm