Toirano to Ca' dei Prati

The trail from Toirano to Ca' dei Prati climbs from the medieval village famous for its prehistoric caves — where 12,000-year-old human footprints are preserved — towards the western hinterland heights. Starting from the village square, the path rises steeply through terraced olive groves and mastic scrub, gaining over 450 metres of elevation in a short distance. Holm oak and downy oak forest on the slope is home to jays, whose hoarse calls accompany the ascent. Ca' dei Prati is an abandoned alpine pasture at around 524 metres where the walls of a pastoral hamlet with fountain still stand. From here views open to the Albenga plain and the coast as far as Capo Mele. Return via the same route or an alternative trail down the opposite slope. Short but steep, ideal from March to November in the cool morning hours.