The Gulf of Poets is the stretch of Ligurian coast between La Spezia and Lerici, named after the writers who once took refuge here, from Byron to Shelley. San Terenzo, Lerici, Tellaro, Portovenere and the Cinque Terre all face the same water, each at a different distance from Il Capolavoro. Below, what's worth seeing — close by, and a little further out.
On foot from the house
Two hundred and fifty metres separate the front door from San Terenzo beach: a few minutes downhill, shaded by olive trees for most of the way. It's the difference between a holiday where the sea is an idea and one where it's a habit — you pick up a towel and walk down, even just for an hour before dinner.
Choose your house
Across the road
Like the sea, the course is a short walk away: cross Via Vassale and you're on the green at Marigola, eighteen holes among the olive trees with a view over the gulf. If you'd like to book a round, mention it in your request — we'll take care of it.
On foot, by bike, by train
The Gulf of Poets is best explored slowly: a coastal path links the villages, and every bend opens a different view.
The scenic path runs through Pugliola, Tellaro, La Serra and Montemarcello, with its park, before dropping down to Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto.
Lerici's castle over the water, and Tellaro, the fishing village at the southern tip of the gulf: two short, unhurried walks, best done at a slow pace towards evening.
From La Spezia, by train or boat, to Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. The Via dell'Amore, between Riomaggiore and Manarola, is a half-hour walk.
An hour's drive inland, to see the white marble quarries at sunset — one of the more unusual views in the area, and one of the least crowded.
Villas, gardens, festivals
Villa Marigola and its Italian gardens host exhibitions and events all year round; Villa Rezzola, a little further on, is a historic house with centuries-old gardens open to the public. In summer, the Festival della Mente brings writers and scientists from across Italy to Sarzana; in autumn, Pontremoli awards the Premio Bancarella literary prize.
A little further out
Half an hour to an hour's drive opens up the inland countryside and the great Tuscan art cities.
Inland Liguria keeps its walled villages and castles largely untouched by tourism. On weekends, Sarzana's antiques market — "the attic in the street" — is worth a morning.
The archaeological site of Luni, founded by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, is a short drive from Sarzana: an amphitheatre, a forum, and a museum telling two thousand years of the gulf's history.
Further afield, but doable in a day: the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Lucca's city walls, and Portofino, for anyone after a day of shopping and elegant boats in a postcard-perfect harbour.
Slow food
Ligurian seafood cooking is best eaten in the village's small trattorias, not the ones on the seafront. In summer, village festivals — the unbranded ones, run by local associations — are still the most honest way to taste the old dishes: testaroli, stuffed mussels, rice cake.
Special occasions
A tailor-made tour of the gulf, from the islands of Portovenere to the Cinque Terre seen from the sea. If you'd like one, we'll take care of it — just mention it in your request along with your dates.
Request
Three houses in Lerici, San Terenzo, 250 metres from the sea and the golf course. Tell us the house and dates: we'll reply with availability and a quote, no obligation.
