Spotorno to Monte Mao loop

Start from Via La Spezia near the castle

Follow the path round to the left, looking for the red painted signs on the wall

Right at the fork, following 3 red dots shaped to form a triangle

At the junction with Via Laiolo, go straight on Via La Spezia

Fork right, and soon after, you'll see those 3 red dots again

Pass the house with Sancio Areddia on the gate

Panorama

Fork left, following the 3 red dots (or 2 horizontal yellow dots)

Panorama

Intersection

Fork right

Finally a signpost! Passo del Trevo is ahead, and Spotorno (Via Laiolo) behind

Spotorno and coast now visible below. Fork right.

The left fork would take you back down to Via La Spezia, but we will fork right, uphill.

Waypoint

The 3 red dots on the rock again

The 2 horizontal yellow dots again

3 red dots, and finally a tree for some shade

Waypoint

Fantastic panoramic view of Spotorno

Intersection

Picnic tables, shade and excellent views at the top. Turn right for Monte Mao.

A blue sign points to Spotorno on the road you have just come up. A map to the left tells you about another walking track, the Alta Via Golfo dell'isola, which you will now join as far as Monte Mao.

New marks on the tree truck (see detail in description of this waypoint)

The blue stripe over a green stripe marks the Alta Via Golfo dell'Isola, and the two red squares are the trail from Bergeggi to Rocca dei Corvi Sud

Fork right

Red arrows painted on the road point to the right fork. A sign by Spotorno Outdoor A.s.d. on the tree gives coordinates 44°14'41.7"N 8°24'45.8"E, and bears an arrow pointing right for Mao Crest and Spotorno.

Red arrows on the ground

Another great view of Spotorno from here, and if you turn around, you can see the path you came up before you got to the intersection with the picnic tables

Fork left for the paragliding take off or right to continue

No signs at this intersection. Just before this, I passed another sign saying this forest is a dog training area, this time along with a sign saying it's a firing zone! (Both in Italian.)

Picnic table at the top (the 'takeoff point')

A path the other side of the picnic table leads down to the road, where there is an information board, but it is blank except for another Spotorno Outdoor sign pointing you back to Mao Crest and Spotorno behind you. You can catch a glimpse of the coast beyond Bergeggi in the direction of Genoa.

Up the hill to the left of the picnic table is another signpost with the blue and green stripes

So we must have veered off the Alta Via Golfo dell'Isola at a previous intersection

Red arrows with a red cross on the ground and the blue and green stripes on a tree point the way

Waypoint

TA (Terre Alte) sign, marking the way, but a bit hidden behind another tree

Waypoint

Panorama

Red cross and two red squares, shortly before the summit

Monte Mao

Finally at the top!

Bit of a scramble down but there is a red cross on the rock, in the direction of Spotorno

Waypoint

Waypoint

Waypoint

Fork right for Spotorno (the AVGI goes left towards Bergeggi here)

Red X on the rocks marks the way down

Red and yellow TA (Terre Alte) marking, alongside the red X and the sideways H. This path is a bit of a scramble.

Really quite a scramble here. (Might have been better to stay on the AVGI from Mt Mao, to join a lower path to Spotorno later?)

Still scrambling

Intersection where the TA/direct route to Mt Mao meets other paths

Straight at the crossroads, following the red X, not the sideways H (though that also goes to Spotorno)

Waypoint

Waypoint

Turn right

Right again, back on a tarmac road

Waypoint

Waypoint

Via Antica Romana takes you back into Spotorno

Intersection

Take the steps (Salita Cincinnato) back into Spotorno