La Spezia is a town that’s located in the heart of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of Italy and is the largest deepwater port in the country. Its rustic environment has the reputation of a national park and is full of small fishing villages, beautiful coastal paths and breathtaking sceneries. If you’re looking for a soothing and culturally engaging Italian experience, there’s a lot of interesting stuff to do in La Spezia, Italy. Check out our list of the best things to do in La Spezia.
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Here is the list of top things to do in La Spezia
It is said that a giant octopus rescued the people of Tellaro by scaling up the church tower and ringing bells to warn the locals of the Saracen pirates. Today, the classic terracotta-coloured Chiesa di San Giorgio sits proudly on the outskirts of the town, overlooking the Gulf of Poets. Situated on the east coast of La Spezia, the small fishing town of Lerici is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Designed with sturdy Etruscan fortifications, the town riddled with labyrinthine back alleys and has a spectacular square with a perfect view. Local specialities include bread, a tart made of chickpea flour, and testaroli, an amazing pesto pasta sauce. This is one of the top things to do in La Spezia.
Like Cinque Terre, the port town of Framura is also made up of five ancient settlements which are Anzo, Ravecca, Setta, Costa and Castagnola. This Ligurian commune, which speckles the lush pinewood of Mount Serro, is freckled with quaint little bays and rings with tales of its marble-bearing history. Set in the rustic environment of Framura, the secluded B&B, Sostio and Levante, not only raises free range hens and grows extra virgin olive oil, but also provides bike rentals, the perfect way to soak up the scenery. If not enough, these dedicated agrarians grow their own fragrant Sostio Red-and Levante White-wine from their high-yielding, closely tended vineyard. This is one of the best things to do in La Spezia.
Formerly known as Ceula, the lively pre-Roman town of Levanto is located in the olive and pine valley of the province of La Spezia. The mountain district of Liguria is part of the Cinque Terre National Park. Owing to the wide gulf and the perfect sea bed, La Pietra, along with Il Casino, Pipetta, Nadia and La Gritta, it is the best surf spot and has some of the biggest waves in Italy. The wooden-decked Piper Pub, overlooking the water, acts as a great pit stop during the rise and fall of the tide. This is one of the recommended things to do in La Spezia.
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Bordered by the municipalities of Framura and Levanto, the municipality of Bonassola includes the municipalities of Montaretto, Costella, Serra, Scernio and San Giorgio. For something sweeter, go to Gelateria U’ Pertusu, and enjoy your senses on the multi-coloured palette of natural gelato, and be sure to explore Bonassola’s other food forts on the busy weekly market. Accessible by bike, car or train, the city is also easy to enter, but many opt for an abandoned railway walk from the nearby town of Levanto. This is one of the top things to do in La Spezia for offbeat destination lovers.
For the special, the little town of Deiva Marina, not far from Cinque Terre, is tucked away in Monte Serro and Punta Mesco. Unlike the often pebbled Ligurian beaches, Deiva Marina’s 800-metre-wide Blue Flag beach is sandy and peppered with blue and white chromatic deck chairs. Travel to the woods where you’ll find Camping La Spinge with a range of inexpensive pitches for tents. Making the most of the coast and the mountains, this town’s cuisine is modest and unpretentious, and the specialities of Ristorante Il Basilico include ravioli di Pesce a la Liguria.
Formerly home to the great English Romantic author, Percy Bysshe Shelley, the ancient Etruscan town of Lerici is situated along the southern part of La Spezia, and is another Ligurian commune with a bookish history. Clustered around a harbour with cliffs leading to the overhanging Castle of San Giorgio, the busy seafront, lined with trattorias, cafes and restaurants, is also linked with the rainbow hues of the flea market every Saturday. To stop the crowds, Piazza Garibaldi is just around the corner from the 15th century. You can also find Ristorante L’Ancora di Lerici, featuring the Baroque Church of St. Francis and the San Rocco Oratory of the 13th century. Making the best of the everyday catch, this restaurant knows seafood and offers calamari, shrimp and skid-ink tagliolino pasta.
Hidden out of sight and difficult to enter, it’s easy to see that this little gem goes unnoticed. The pine-lined garden of Ostello Tramonti will give you breathtaking views of the steeply packed houses rolling down to the glistening waters below. Due to its remoteness, there are a few restaurants offering the perfect forest-inspired solution, with dishes like tagliolini ai mirtilli con crema di Funghi.
Although the quaint five cities of Cinque Terre remain the most distinguishing characteristics of the province of La Spezia, several other surrounding towns and islands, with just as much character, appear to have slipped under the radar. From the jade-green mountainside of Biassa to the ‘queer little collapsing town’ of Porto Venere, there are plenty of fun things to do in La Spezia. Plan your trip with the help of reputed travel agency Pickyourtrail. Log on to Pickyourtrail and with the help of your expert Italy guides and start planning your trip or check out the preset Italy trip packages. Alternatively, leave a Whatsapp inquiry for more options.
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