The Gulf of Poets

For this trip to Liguria in the beautiful "Gulf of Poets" I won't dwell too long on tips that you can also find in more detail on the various websites dedicated to these places, but I will limit myself to adding some photos that convey the magic of these spots and give you a few pointers that might be useful to the passing tourist. First of all, for anyone heading into the Ligurian villages by car, I recommend arming yourself with a great deal of patience, unless you go out of season. In fact, access to villages such as Portovenere, Lerici, San Terenzo, Tellaro etc. is limited to a few cars; inside the villages only residents can enter (ZTL zones), and for everyone else there are pay car parks right near these villages (one between Lerici and San Terenzo and the other close to Portovenere) costing from 1.25 to 1.50 euro per hour or 10 euro for the whole day.

The problem is that in summer they are often already full by 9 in the morning, so you have to be patient and keep searching... and searching... Each car park is connected to the village centres by a free shuttle, so don't worry if you park 1 km uphill from the centre of Portovenere or Lerici. As for the beaches, they are, as you know, fairly narrow and short, as indeed throughout Liguria, partly free and partly with sunbeds and umbrellas that are a little expensive, to be honest... The showers on these free beaches cost 20 cents, otherwise you can use the (rare) taps they provide to wash the sand off your feet or freshen up. For those with LPG I recommend filling up just before reaching La Spezia, because in the city and surrounding areas it is practically impossible to find...

For the rest, there is nothing to do but enjoy your holiday, because the landscape is wonderful, the restaurants excellent, and the events numerous! Happy travels to everyone!