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Lerici, Italy

Lerici

stretches out over the eastern side of the Gulf. An Etruscan city and an important port of call in Roman times, in the Middle Ages it was long the bone of contention between the Pisans and the Genoese. In the 17th and 18th centuries noble shipowning families built luxury palazzos and villas there. In the 1800s Lerici was the favourite destination of the English literati; Mary Shelley and D. H. Lawrence lived here.

The village is dominated by the Castle, considered one of the most beautiful in the whole of Liguria. It was built in several stages between the 13th and 14th centuries and remains in excellent condition. Inside it houses the fascinating Museum of Geo-Palaeontology, with reconstructions of prehistoric scenes, reproductions of dinosaurs, marine and land fossils and a seismic simulation room.

Lerici is one of the favourite destinations of sea sport enthusiasts. In the protected and ventilated bay you can see dozens of sailing boats, windsurfers, canoes and catamarans. All along the coast are superb views of reefs alternating with small stony or sandy beaches. The shoreline is clean and well-looked after. Many beaches along the coast have been awarded the Blue Flag.

Just ahead of Lerici lies the characteristic town of San Terenzo, beautifully positioned above the bay. Don't miss the 15th century castle, which houses a museum dedicated to Shelley. The castles of Saint Terenzo and Lerici are connected by a pretty walk. The last stop on our itinerary is the medieval village of Tellaro rising up on the rocky tip of the eastern extremity of the Gulf. The townlet is a real jewel of Ligurian town planning: the walls surround the village with its narrow "carruggi" or alleys and pastel-coloured tower-houses, while the church of Saint George, dating back to the 1500s, dominates the village square.