Where to swim in the sea in La Spezia? discover the most beautiful and easily accessible beaches in the Gulf of Poets.
What is the best location for swimming in the Gulf of Poets? Can you swim in the sea in La Spezia? no it is not possible, you can not swim at the sea in La Spezia because the town has no beaches. To go to a beach and take a swim in the Gulf, you must leave La Spezia and reach Portovenere or Lerici, which are the other main locations in the Gulf area. Let’s find out in this article the best and most accessible beaches in the Gulf of Poets in La Spezia.
Beaches in the Gulf of Poets in the municipality of Portovenere (west side of the Gulf)
Beaches in Palmaria island
Facing Portovenere, Palmaria Island has perhaps the most beautiful sea of the entire Gulf of Poets. Beaches are rocky and the island also offers the possibility of walking and trekking. Punta Secco is the beach in the Terrizzo area (where the most of the boats land) with the easiest access. It is reachable by foot from the ferry landing, arriving from La Spezia and Cadimare, thanks to a flat path in about in 20 minutes.
Although the Punta Secco beach is small, there is a bar and sunbed rental service available. The other main beach of Palmaria is the Pozzale one, much larger then Punta Secco, it can also be reached by ferry, but rides are less frequent. It can also be reached by foot in about 40 minutes from the Terrizzo pier.
How to reach Palmaria Island?
- From La Spezia there are direct boats both to Punta Secco (Terrizzo) and Pozzale, starting from 1st June and departing from Passeggiata Morin pier.
- Palmaria island is within direct reach from Cadimare too, via ferry (3 rides per day from 1 July to 1 September).
- From Portovenere you can take the boats of the Cooperativa Barcaioli Portovenere service, they have very frequent rides, which only take a few minutes from Portovenere pier, operational throughout the year.
See here for more information and timetables >>
Beaches in Portovenere where to swim
Our favorite in terms of proximity to our Guesthouse, accessibility and good sea quality in the Gulf are the three pebble beaches of Viale Olivo. We recommend the last of the 3, because it is the one that remains sunny the longest in the evening, and because it has a private parking (fee per hour). On site there is also a beach club with bar, swimming pool and restaurant, although it is very expensive. The three beaches are free access.
You can also swim in Portovenere diving into the sea at two points: in front of the Palazzata, where ladders have been prepared on the rocks for a safe descent to the sea and the stretch is fenced against boats passage. The second point is near the Byron Cave, but here you need to be very careful because the descent into the sea can be difficult.
Going to the beach in Le Grazie and Fezzano
In the pretty village of Le Grazie there are two beaches where you can swim, one is sandy and the other rocky with pebbles. The quality of the water is not excellent here but it can be ok for a refreshing dip, if you are coming to visit the village and the Roman Villa, or for an aperitif. In the village of Fezzano instead there is no beach and bathing is not allowed.
Beaches in the municipality of Lerici (est side of the Gulf)
San Terenzo beaches
In the municipality of Lerici, the nice village of San Terenzo offers 2 beaches with free access. The first is the one of the village itself and the second is the beach of Marinella, which can be reached from the village within a short walk. The path was recently restored after a landslide that prevented access. Unfortunately, in San Terenzo there are only a few places available to park, therefore a solution could be to leave the car at the large “La Vallata” parking, nearby Lerici, and then reach the village by foot within a nice 20 minutes walk along the seafront promenade.
Baia Blu beach and bay
Located near San Terenzo, the beautiful natural Blue Bay cove offers 2 beach clubs and a free beach stretch. Car access is not so easy because the few parking places are almost fully booked and parking availability is limited. On site there are two outdoor pools and a self-service restaurant too. We recommend that you call one of the beach clubs to check availability access to the establishment and maybe rech it by taxi. Official website of the main beach club labaiablu.it
Lerici beaches
Beaches in Lerici are sandy and are almost all occupied by private beach clubs. The two main free beaches are the Venere Azzurra one and the small beaches behind the castle (San Giorgio beach). The area is served by the large “La Vallata” parking, where it’s quite easy to find a parking spot, provided you do not arrive during peak hours. To learn more about the beaches of Lerici visit the website lericicoast.it
Tellaro beaches
In the beautiful village of Tellaro – a hamlet of Lerici – you can find the exclusive L’Eco del Mare beach club, which offers a restaurant and bed and breakfast too, to access the beach reservation is required. On the two beaches of Fiascherino, instead, separated by a promontory, there is free access, they are about 20 minutes walk from the center of the village located.
Cover picture: Portovenere view seen from a path along Palmaria island. All pictures © vacanzegolfodeipoeti.com
Do you want to stay in the Gulf of Poets? our Guesthouse La Terrazza con l’Ulivo is located on the hills of Cadimare, a hamlet of La Spezia, with a private terrace and an extraordinary sea view, contact us for prices and availability