Beaches at La Spezia: there are none in the city, and it is better to know first

Let us be clear at once about the thing that angers people who book blind: there are no beaches in the city of La Spezia.

It is not a planning oversight. The city's waterfront is taken up by the commercial port and the naval arsenal — that is, by the reason the city exists. Where elsewhere there would be sand, here there are quays.

The good news is that the gulf is full of beaches, and that La Spezia is the best place to reach them from. But they do have to be reached.

Where they actually are

The Gulf of La Spezia — the one that since 1910 has been called the Gulf of Poets — has two shores, and the beaches are on both.

East: Lerici and San Terenzo. The shore Italians favour, with serviced and free beaches and two villages worth the trip in themselves. San Terenzo is where Shelley lived, and where in 1910 the sentence that christened the gulf was spoken.

West: Portovenere and Palmaria island. More rock than sand, better water, and a village that is a UNESCO site along with the Cinque Terre. We cover it at length in Portovenere and Palmaria island.

Outside the gulf: the Cinque Terre. Monterosso is the only one of the five villages with a proper beach of normal size. The others have inlets and rocks.

How to get there without a car

This is the part that makes La Spezia convenient rather than awkward.

• By boat. The gulf is crossed by sea, and it is the finest way to go to Lerici or Portovenere: you see the coast from outside, which is how it was made to be seen.
• By bus. Both shores of the gulf are served by town and intercity lines.
• By train. For the Cinque Terre there is no argument: you leave from La Spezia station. The detail is in Cinque Terre by train.

Timetables, fares and seasons change and we do not print them: check them the day before, because the boats in particular follow the calendar and the weather.

One difference that matters and nobody mentions: the buses run all year, the boats do not. Out of season the gulf is crossed by land, with different journey times. Anyone planning a day at Portovenere in April or October should check before setting out, not on the quay that morning.

What it means when choosing where to sleep

It is worth thinking through before booking, because the choice is a real one.

Sleeping in La Spezia suits anyone who will use the trains: the station is in town, you leave early for the Cinque Terre, and the prices are those of a real city rather than a tourist village. In exchange, in the evening, you are in a port city and not facing the sea.

Sleeping at Lerici or Portovenere suits anyone who wants the sea below the window and accepts depending on buses and boats for everything else.

There is no right answer: there is the one that matches how you spend the day. The picture of the city is in La Spezia: the complete guide.

What NOT to expect

There is no bathing promenade in the city. There is a walk along the port, which is a different thing: handsome, but there are ships in front of it.

The gulf is not open sea. It is enclosed and heavily used by ferries, boats and naval vessels. The better water is to the west, towards Portovenere, and outside the gulf.

The beaches are not round the corner. Even the nearest needs transport. Anyone who wants to wake up and walk down to the beach should sleep elsewhere — and Lerici is the first place to look.

Frequently asked questions

Are there beaches in La Spezia?

Not within the town itself: the city's waterfront is taken by the commercial port and the naval arsenal. The gulf's beaches are in the other towns — Lerici, San Terenzo, Portovenere — and in the Cinque Terre.

Which is the nearest beach to La Spezia?

Those on the eastern shore, towards Lerici and San Terenzo, are the easiest to reach by bus. By boat you can go to both Lerici and Portovenere.

How do you reach the gulf's beaches without a car?

By boat across the gulf, by bus along either shore, and by train for the Cinque Terre. Timetables and seasons change, and the boats in particular depend on the calendar and the weather.

Better to sleep in La Spezia or by the sea?

It depends on the day: La Spezia suits anyone using the Cinque Terre trains and wanting city prices; Lerici or Portovenere suit anyone who wants the sea below the window and accepts depending on buses and boats.

Where is the best water in the gulf?

To the west, on the Portovenere and Palmaria side, where the coast is rocky. The gulf is enclosed and busy, and the difference shows.