The Gulf of Poets

Cliffs dropping to the sea, green terraced hills and vineyards, form the landscape of the Riviera di Levante in Liguria. Surrounded by this natural oasis, Deiva Marina, Bonassola and the beautiful Levanto, are considered obligatory stops for tourists visiting the Riviera. But also La Spezia, Lerici, Ameglia, Marinella, Varese Ligure.

Deiva Marina is the town that completes the province of La Spezia on the west end, and sets the border line of the protected area "Bracco-Mesco". A circular defensive tower on the seaside marks the village that recently has expanded along the coast in consequence of a strong development of tourist and building industry.

You will be impressed by the sight of the deep blue sea embraced by the steep rocky slope and the lush vegetation that you can find in Bonassola. Facing the sea stand little tidy houses, all painted in the typical ligurian pink. An old castle overlooks the whole village, the fortifications defended the coast from the raids of the saracens. The church, dedicated to S.Caterina, is a good example of genovese baroque.

Levanto is a pleasant modern town in the Riviera, it offers to its guests a wide choice of entertainments all year round. The large beach and the several inlets are beautiful places to spend summer holidays in touch with the natur. The mildness of the climate all year long makes possible to enjoy Levanto in any season.

In La Spezia you will enjoy the promenade on the sea and the public gardens with several kinds of plants and flowers.La Spezia is a modern town which has developed since the building of the Naval Arsenal (1860-1865) conceived by Cavour. Placed in the centre of the gulf, it is a pleasant place, thanks also to the beauty of the landscape and the mildness of the climate. The city is connected to the motorways network and is a point of arrival for the many excursions in its surronding area.

Regular ferry service departs to Sardegna and Corsica from the maritime station.

Lerici well deserves the name of "The pearl of the Gul of Poets". It is visited all seasons by tourists, thanks to its very mild climate and the beauty of the landscape.

Noy far from Lerici stand, among others: San Terenzo, with large beaches and an ancient genovese castle; the village of Tellaro, clung to the rocks outstetched on the sea with its typical winding "carruggi" and Fiascherino with its several natural inlets and beaches that offer to the visitors the chance to enjoy an holiday immersed in the nature, between the sea and the luxuriant mediterranean vegetation.

Ameglia is an ancient ligurian village, old vescovile see, on the border between Liguria and Toscana, spreading out at sea level. The village is situated in a part of the promontory surrounded by pine and olive trees and still keeps a medioeval look. Through the narrow roads yuo can see the houses leaned each other and the evocative small squares, which face the charming view of Magra valley.

On the banks of the Magra river, where it meets the sea, stand Fiumaretta and Bocca di Magra, fishing villages at the beginning of the century, now modern nautical and seaside tourism resorts.

Driving along the coast road toward the Versilia we find the village of Marinella that offers sandy beaches, hotels, discos, tennis courts and swimming pools facilities to cater for the most exigent tastes.

Climbing up the Vara Valley coming from La Spezia, we find on the border of Genova' province, Varese Ligure, the most important centre of the upper Vara Valley, in a vast mountainous territory. Varse Ligure is a tipical ligurian countryside village: visitors get fascinate both by the beauty of the surrounding landscape and by the originality and the quiet way of living of the ancient civic and commercial nucleus of Borgo Rotondo, where nowadays several important cultural events take place.