Lerici & the Gulf of Poets

The setting alone, along the famous Gulf of Poets, is enough to make a visit here a must. The Gulf of Poets has charmed and enchanted for centuries and was beloved by the English poets Shelley and Byron.

This coastline is one of Italy's loveliest, with Lerici holding center stage upon the most beautiful part.

Lerici & The Gulf of PoetsView from Lerici Castle

With a medieval castle, beaches, scenery of unsurpassed beauty, a lovely weekly market where all the latest Italian fashion (the genuine thing) is offered at enormous discounts and great restaurants, you'll certainly find something to enjoy in Lerici.

Nearby you have two of Italy's loveliest little towns (Ameglia and Tellaro), great hikes along the coast and from Lerici many boats leave on unforgettable trips around the Gulf of Poets and onto the Cinque Terre. So don't rush off, rather stay a little while. The Hotel Florida is my suggestion.

What to Do

Eating

Eat at the Mare Blu in Via Cavour, 9 or at the Dal Pudu in Piazza Garibaldi, 10.

The Dal Pudu doesn't look like much and you'll get plastic plates and plastic forks, but the seafood is the freshest in town. They buy their fish directly from the fisherman who land their catches just down the road and cook it within a few hours of purchase.  Memories come floating back of their seafood spaghetti as I write this...mmmm....an unforgettable taste sensation!

The Castle 

Lerici CastleLerici Castle

Visit the Castle too, you once needed to walk up 365 steps to get there and by the time you arrived you felt about a year older. Now they've added an elevator (lift) up to the top. Inside the castle they've a museum...about dinosaurs. No idea why but someone thought they obviously went together :-)

In Piazza

Piazza in Lerici

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the “dolce vita” is to enjoy a cappuccino in the great piazza down by the port, lined with orange and lemon colored houses, it is a pleasant place to sit and watch the world go by.

Markets

MarketMarket in Lerici

For the rest explore the plenty of fascinating little streets and churches, some of which date back to the thirteenth century, and don't forget to visit the market which is held every Wednesday morning.

Beaches

Main Beaches

View across the Gulf of PoetsView toward the main beaches

Lerici has a lot of beaches! Most of them are right in front of the town and these are the widest and most popular beaches. Some sections are free while others are privately owned and require an entrance fee. I really hate paying for a beach so even if they have "facilities" I prefer to bring my own beach towel and umbrella and sit in the free section.

Secret Beaches 

Beaches in LericiThe "Secret" Beach in Lerici

Actually I'd suggest avoiding the main beaches in front of town  - instead head for the "secret" beaches of Lerici which are to the left of the castle as you look out to sea. Take the tunnel under the castle (Its entrance is down by the yacht/fishing boat wharf) and you'll come out in the right place.

Beaches on the Edge of Town

Beach near LericiBeach on the way to Tellaro

In the direction of nearby Tellaro/Fiascherino there are some other wonderful beaches - here's our guide to that area.

More Photos

A Little Chaos 

Little Fiat

Market day in town and everyone and their little car is here. That's my mom attempting to be a traffic controller.

Little Lanes

Old Town Italy

Shopping, eating and simply passing hours doing very little  - the famous Italian "dolce far niente". The narrow lanes of the older part of Lerici are as good a place as any to learn the art of doing sweet nothing.

Lerici Loves the USA 

USA Italy

Americans are really popular in Lerici, although there are few American tourists here. So, if you're from the USA, come on down.

Map of Lerici and the Gulf of Poets



For your daily dose of ExquisiteCoasts: 

You might like these

  • Some of the most spectacular coastal walks in Italy where you have the trails to yourself. Unlike the Cinque Terre, walks from Tellaro are yet to be discovered.

    Walks from Tellaro & Lerici

    Some of the most spectacular coastal walks in Italy where you have the trails to yourself. Unlike the Cinque Terre, walks from Tellaro are yet to be discovered.

  • Levanto may not have the same striking appearance as the Cinque Terre. But what it does have, the Cinque Terre certainly do not. Here's why you should visit.

    Our Guide to Levanto: The Undervisited Gem Near The Cinque Terre

    Levanto may not have the same striking appearance as the Cinque Terre. But what it does have, the Cinque Terre certainly do not. Here's why you should visit.

  • Many people ask me if there is still a beautiful yet safe beach destination left in this world? Good news...there is! You can't get safer or more beautiful than Cala Mariolu beach.

    Cala Mariolu Beach

    Many people ask me if there is still a beautiful yet safe beach destination left in this world? Good news...there is! You can't get safer or more beautiful than Cala Mariolu beach.

  • Escaping to Minori from the summer crowds of Amalfi or Positano is a welcome relief. How could such a little gem be overlooked by so many?

    Minori - A Ray of Sunshine

    Escaping to Minori from the summer crowds of Amalfi or Positano is a welcome relief. How could such a little gem be overlooked by so many?

  • Need a great base to explore the Amalfi Coast? Salerno is often overlooked, That's a pity - in many ways Salerno is the best choice of all.

    Salerno - Gateway to the Amalfi Coast

    Need a great base to explore the Amalfi Coast? Salerno is often overlooked, That's a pity - in many ways Salerno is the best choice of all.

  • That first summer we spent exploring Bidderosa Beach was unforgettable. It was a summer that seemed to go on for ever and the area now draws us back year after year. Here's why.

    The Best Summers Ever – Available on Bidderosa Beach

    That first summer we spent exploring Bidderosa Beach was unforgettable. It was a summer that seemed to go on for ever and the area now draws us back year after year. Here's why.

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.