Lerici: a twist of culture on a beach holiday

The ideal refuge for a few days in the footsteps of writers and intellectuals.

Between dry stone walls and sea view paths connecting villages such as Tellaro, Lerici, Fiascherino. Rocky terraces from which to admire the romantic Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto.

How to get there:

Only a 50-minute drive from Pisa airport or 20 minutes from La Spezia rail station.

 

When:

Ideal for a Spring or Autumn break when the beaches are less crowded and temperatures allow for exploration.

 

Best for:

a car-free beach holiday with a charming old town and a strategic location to explore the surroundings by boat or local transport.

One of the most beautiful seaside villages in Liguria, a real jewel of the Gulf of Poets, a village between poetry and the sea: houses painted in a thousand shades of yellow, orange and red, a medieval castle, built overlooking a hill, golden beaches and crystal clear water.

 

A place that has enchanted artists and writers, from the great romantic poets Byron and Shelley, to his wife Mary Shelley, author of the famous novel Frankenstein, passing through Dante, who mentions the village in the third canto of Purgatory, and including Giosuè Carducci and Gabriele D’Annunzio.

The town’s artistic treasures make it even more attractive, and it is worth taking the time to visit them. You can stop at St Rocco’s oratory, in largo Marconi near the tourist port, or visit the seventeenth-century church of St Francesco, in via Cavour; the sacristy leads to St Bernardine’s oratory, where according to tradition St Bernardine of Siena preached from the small pulpit in black slate.

Houses in Lerici

Along the coastal walk, you can enjoy the long beaches of Lerici, which have been awarded the Blue Flag title for the quality of the water for several years.

 

The sandy beaches alternate with rocks and small bays. In fact, the Lericina coast, due to its rocky conformation, hides many bays and coves that sometimes can be reached by stairways.

Lerici Coast

Beach Clubs we like:

Lido di Lerici

This is the main beach in the town center, one of the pearls of the Gulf of Poets, an ancient fishing village and a famous tourist and seaside resort. It is a sandy beach just over a hundred meters long, bordered by a fragrant pine forest and then by the coast and bathed by a clear and blue sea, with shallow waters for serene swims. The beach is equipped with umbrellas and sunbeds and stretches just north of the picturesque port of Lerici.

Eco del Mare

This is a small beach of about 50 meters set within a picturesque rocky bay between Fiascherino and Maralunga, from which it is separated by two rocky promontories covered with greenery. The beach is renowned for the exclusive bathing establishment to which it owes its name, harmoniously inserted into the surrounding landscape and particularly loved for its elegance, organization and attention to detail, as well as for its seafront restaurant. The small beach is of coarse gray sand mixed with gravel and is bathed by a clear and clean sea, with shallow waters for a long stretch. Not far away there are rocks and a pier, close to deeper blue waters.

Beyond Lerici

Cinque Terre

A very popular day trip for those staying in Lerici is a day trip to the Cinque Terre

 

By Train

The railway doesn’t go through Lerici. It’s best to take a taxi to La Spezia Centrale station (11 km, 20 minutes).
You can take the Cinque Terre Express, from La Spezia Centrale to the Cinque Terre, every 20 minutes in high season.

 

By Boat

A cool journey along the Gulf of Poets towards Portovenere and the Cinque Terre. The easiest way to visit them is to start from Lerici. The company Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti operates several daily trips to the Cinque Terre from Lerici.

 

Average journey times by boat from Lerici to the Cinque Terre:

 

Lerici – Riomaggiore: 1 hour and 5 minutes

Lerici – Manarola: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Lerici – Vernazza: 1 hour and 35 minutes

Lerici- Monterosso: 1 hour and 50 minutes

Where to stay

The beach of Lerici and the charm of Lucca

Lucca

Why not include the jewels of Lucca and Pisa before resting on Lerici’s seaside?

 

In Lucca, every stone has a story to tell. It talks about bloody battles, heated political debates, and cultural exchanges between artists and architects. Lucca has always benefited from its strategic position–the Romans turned it into a fortress, the Lombards made it a place of commercial exchange, but also of defence, until the Middle Ages, when Lucca gained independence from Florence.

 

This land has always been a meeting place for artists and poets, architects and musicians, who made it an important hub for cultural exchange.

 

Today, the city is one of the most important cultural hubs in Italy, due to the presence of a renowned University and the rich calendar of events distributed throughout the year. Some of the most unmissable events are the Lucca Film Festival, the Lucca Summer Festival, the LuccAutori (literary review of a certain depth) and the Lucca Comics & Games, dedicated to fans of comics of all kinds (the 2nd world’s largest after the Japanese Comiket).

 

Pisa is only 27 minutes away by train, so it makes for a great day trip. You can make it more fun by cycling one way or both ways. It’s a flat, quiet, well-surfaced hour-long ride that’s good for any rider.

Where to stay