Hidden behind the Castello di Lerici are a series of wild cliff-backed beaches extending along the southern shoreline. Reach the first by heading through the tunnel (under the castle) that leads off Via Giuseppe Mazzini and taking the stairs down to the water. To reach the other beaches, you'll have to clamber over the rocks (wear good shoes) – not advised if you have children in tow.
Spiaggie di San Giorgio
Golfo dei Poeti
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
4.09 MILES
At the end of the quay, a Cinque Terre panorama unfolds from the rocky terraces of a cave formerly known as Grotta Arpaia. Lord Byron once swam across the…
11.33 MILES
Head up the mountain to this dusty, truck-busy cava de marmo (marble quarry), through a dramatic series of tunnels used by trains to transport marble from…
4.14 MILES
This stunning wind- and wave-lashed church, built in 1198 in Gothic style, stands on the ruins of a 5th-century palaeo-Christian church, with its extant…
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20.85 MILES
A couple of kilometres from the seafront is 'Carnival City', aka 16 gargantuan hangars that serve as workshops and garage space for the fantastic floats,…
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16.31 MILES
One of the best beaches within easy reach of Cinque Terre, Levanto's seaside is long and wide, and flanked by green hills sloping down to the wave-kissed…
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17.98 MILES
Next to Chiesa di Sant'Agostino, a steep path known as Via della Rocca leads up to the remnants of Pietrasanta's ancient fortifications. The crenellated…
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8.61 MILES
This small pebbly beach is immediately southeast of Riomaggiore marina. Take the short trail that leads just past the harbour to get here. The shore is…
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12.06 MILES
Cinque Terre’s only natural harbour has breathtaking views out over the water, and provides the best open-air amusement in Vernazza. Here you can bask on…
Nearby Golfo dei Poeti attractions
0.09 MILES
On a promontory high above the shoreline, Lerici's castle has played a pivotal role protecting the city since the Middle Ages. Rebuilt various times over…
0.18 MILES
Just off Piazza Garibaldi, this atmospheric pedestrian lane is sprinkled with colourful boutiques, a focacceria and wine shop, and some appealing seafood…
0.6 MILES
Around 1km north of Tellaro, Fiascherino is not one beach, but two pretty stretches of sandy shoreline separated by a small promontory. The beaches lie…
0.93 MILES
One of several lovely stretches of coastline in the area, San Terenzo has a sandy beach with free sections as well as places to hire loungers and…
0.95 MILES
Strategic fortifications date back at least to the 12th century on this hilltop perch overlooking the bay. As part of La Spezia's coastal defense system…
1.44 MILES
Built in the second half of the 16th century, the imposing Chiesa San Giorgio occupies a strategic point overlooking the seaside. Over the portal, a bas…
1.46 MILES
On a walking track just above Tellaro stands the ruins of Portesone, a former rural village that was abandoned in the 1600s (allegedly owing to a plague…
3.76 MILES
The largest island of the Italian Riviera is largely undeveloped (it's home to around 50 residents) and lies just a short ferry ride from Porto Venere…