La Spezia

This ancient city is considered the pearl of the Gulf of Poets, where sea and rocky shores are quite strangely intertwined. La Spezia houses many architectural sites of historical importance. You will be convinced by visiting the fortress of St. George, the mighty walls of which were erected in the XII century. Today, La Spezia is a convenient commuting “hub”, from where you can take trains with destination to any direction.

How to reach La Spezia?

• By bus 11/P (ticket costs € 2.50, if you buy it in a tobacco shop (Tabaccheria), or € 5 - if you buy from the driver).
• By boat (€ 6, 20 minutes).
• By car (use the navigator, the map indicates the addresses of parking lots).

Tip: Make sure to visit the castle of St. George, Naval Arsenal, built in the XIX century, and engineering and maritime museum dedicated to ships and seamen. For more details, visit our website: La Spezia.

Moreover, here is the main railway station of the coast, very well connected to all other cities especially by trains that run every hour, and even more frequently.

Cinque Terre

This 20-kilometre belt of the Ligurian coast, consisting of five villages “line up” like light bulbs in a garland: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. Each of the villages picturesquely merges into the clefts along rocky seaside, and keeps limited by the presence of the sea. This Land of Five villages is considered the original Italian hinterland, where you see grapes growing on the mountain slopes, walking trails in every village, and dozens of must-see tourist attractions (For more details, click here www.incinqueterre.com).

How to reach Cinque Terre?

• On the walking trails (click on webpage Walking tours).
• By boat (half an hour, from € 15 per ticket for the whole day).
• By train from La Spezia (a couple of minutes).

Tip: reserve one full day (preferably two) for a comfortable trip through the Cinque Terre. It is not recommended to go by car, as the local roads are not intended for comfortable car travel.

Levanto

This town occupies the eastern coast of Liguria. In Levanto, there is a long sandy beach, an interesting medieval site with old constructions, many exquisite villas, low-budget hotels, parking lots and a railway station in the city centre, from where you can quickly reach any part of the Ligurian coast.

How to reach Levanto?

• By train: 20 minutes.
• By car (use the navigator, the map indicates the addresses of parking lots).

Tip: visit the favourite tourist destinations i.e. the square of Piazza della Loggia, surrounded by the XIII century buildings, and the medieval castle. For more details, visit our website: Levanto.

Sestri Levante

The town can be called the Italian Saint-Tropez. It is situated on a tiny peninsula between two bays. Sestri Levante is full of contrasts, as it blends medieval architecture and virgin nature. The medieval stone buildings have been preserved in the local town place. For example, the St. Mary Nazareth Church, Durazzo Pallavicini villa and Negrotto Cambiaso villa, surprise us with their elegance and exquisiteness.

How to reach Sestri Levante?

• By train: 40 minutes.
• By car (use the navigator, the map indicates the addresses of parking lots).

Tip: climb up the mountain Monte Castello (285 m) that offers stunning views, and visit the restaurant Polpo Mario, an architectural landmark of Sestri Levante.

Rapallo and Santa Margherita Ligure

These towns gather the most beautiful parts of the Ligurian coast. Formerly simple fishing villages, they have now turned into famous and even prestigious resorts, where you discover their natural surroundings so beautiful and serene. Rapallo and Santa Margherita Ligure are the perfect destinations for tourists, who are eager to visit the picturesque Italian cities, and explore Liguria.

How to reach Rapallo and Santa Margherita Ligure?

• By train: one hour.
• By car (use the navigator, addresses of parking lots in Rapallo are indicated on the map). In Santa Margherita Ligure during the tourist season, you won’t find vacant parking lots, you can drive through the streets and look for vacant space, but it is difficult in summer, as there are only 450 parking spaces in the whole city.

Tip: take the cable car, located near the railway station in Rapallo, to Montallegro monastery. Views of the Gulf of Tigullio and its surroundings are simply magnificent!

Portofino

It is a very small, beautiful and high-class city with the most picturesque port, Portus Delphini (Lat.) as the Romans called it, which means the Dolphins Port. Although the bay is not impressive for its size, it is hard to find free space near the harbour, especially in summer, when many Hollywood celebrities moor their yachts here.

How to reach Portofino?

• By train: one hour to Santa Margherita Ligure and then 10 minutes by bus.
• By car (use the navigator, the map indicates the addresses of parking lots).

Tip: just half a day is enough to go around Portofino on foot, pay more attention to the surroundings of the city as they are spread over a larger and more picturesque area.

Genoa

The sixth largest town in Italy is situated on the beautiful coast of Genoa Bay and prides itself of a centuries-old history. The Lighthouse La Lanterna, that proudly adorns the local port, remains the permanent symbol of Genoa. The town also has the world-famous Ferrari square (Piazza De Ferrari), which houses the Ducal Palace and the Teatro Carlo Felice.

How to reach Genoa?

• By train: one hour and 30 minutes to the railway station Genova Principe (city centre).
• By car (use the navigator, you would find a large number of parking lots in the port, near the famous aquarium, see the map).

Tip: If you have planned to explore the city in the shortest time possible, then go to the railway station Porta Principe and take a tour by bus. Or visit the main tourist office at the Ferrari square. There you can get a map of Genoa and find useful information.

Pisa

In Pisa, the captivating contrast between open green meadows and the stone buildings, and the Square of Miracles (Piazza dei Miracoli) entice the tourists! Indeed, this place accommodates the main attractions of the town: Pisa belfry, the “Leaning Tower”, the cemetery Campo Santo and the cathedral Duomo.

How to reach Pisa?

• By train: one hour to Pisa Centrale.
• By car (use the navigator, addresses of the parking lots are specified on the map).

Tip: The best way to explore Pisa is walking, as the historic city centre is small, and it is extremely difficult to find parking spaces, even in winter.

In addition to these towns, you can also visit Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice... However, the trip would take much more time, for instance, you need to travel 4 hours by train to reach Rome or Milan. If you still have a couple days left, then, of course, you can arrange a tour even to these remote towns from Porto Venere. But, as you're on the east coast, it is better to spend all the time there.