Tellaro & Lerici: The Gulf of Poets’ Most Beautiful Villages (2026)

Twenty minutes south of the Cinque Terre crowds — and a world away from the selfie-stick circus — lies a stretch of coastline that inspired some of the greatest poets in the English language. The Gulf of Poets (Golfo dei Poeti) is where Byron swam across the bay to visit Shelley, where DH Lawrence wrote Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and where the villages of Lerici and Tellaro still feel like the Italy that existed before mass tourism discovered it.

This isn’t undiscovered territory — Italians have been holidaying here for generations — but it’s remarkably free of the international crowds that pack Cinque Terre. The beaches are better (actual sand in places!), the seafood is exceptional, and the sunsets over the Gulf of La Spezia, with the Apuan Alps and Carrara marble quarries glowing pink in the distance, are some of the finest on the entire Ligurian coast.

Tellaro: Italy’s Most Beautiful Village That Tourists Forgot

Tellaro is what you get when you take all the charm of the Cinque Terre villages and remove the crowds, the souvenir shops, and the €9 focaccia. A tiny fishing hamlet at the eastern tip of the Gulf, Tellaro is a labyrinth of pastel-painted houses, steep staircases, and caruggi so narrow you can touch both walls at once. It was named one of Italy’s Borghi più Belli d’Italia (Most Beautiful Villages) — and for once, the title feels earned rather than awarded.

The village centres on a small harbour where colourful boats bob against a backdrop of genoise-style tower houses painted ochre, salmon, and faded terracotta. There’s no museum, no ticketed attraction, no “must-see” sight. Tellaro’s appeal is that it simply exists, beautifully, without performing for anyone.

The Octopus Legend at the Church of San Giorgio

Tellaro’s most famous landmark is the Church of San Giorgio, perched on a rock at the water’s edge. Local legend says that one stormy night in the 17th century, Saracen pirates attempted a surprise attack on the village. A giant octopus climbed out of the sea and rang the church bells with its tentacles, waking the townspeople who fought off the raiders. The octopus bell-pull — a wrought-iron ring shaped like the creature — still hangs outside the church. Whether you believe it or not, the church’s location, with waves breaking against its foundations, is one of the most photogenic spots in Liguria.

Swimming at the Spiaggia del Ginepro

A 10-minute walk from Tellaro’s centre, the Spiaggia del Ginepro is a small sandy cove framed by juniper trees and rock formations. It’s one of the rare sandy beaches on this stretch of coast — most of Liguria is pebbles — and the water is clear enough to see the seabed at 5 metres. There are no beach clubs, no umbrellas for rent, no bar. Bring everything you need including water and shade. The reward is a beach that feels like your own discovery.

Lerici: The Gulf of Poets’ Lively Heart

Ten minutes’ drive (or a scenic coastal walk) from Tellaro, Lerici is the larger of the two towns and the Gulf’s natural hub. It’s built around a magnificent castle — the Castello di Lerici — a 12th-century fortress that commands a panoramic position above the town. The castle houses a small geopaleontological museum (the area has dinosaur footprints from the Jurassic period) and, more importantly, offers the best views on the entire gulf from its ramparts.

Lerici’s layout is classic Ligurian: a labyrinth of stepped alleyways tumbling down to a palm-lined seafront piazza. The main square, Piazza Garibaldi, is the town’s living room — surrounded by gelaterie, bars, and restaurants, and filled with families and couples doing the passeggiata every evening. It’s lively, but it’s an Italian liveliness — the kind that involves three generations at one table and a debate about football that’s been going since 1982.

The Beaches of Lerici

Unlike most of Liguria, Lerici has proper sandy beaches. The three best are:

• Venere Azzurra: The main town beach, sandy with calm water, ideal for families. It’s a stabilimento (private beach club) in summer, with a small free section at the eastern end.
• Spiaggia di San Terenzo: A long crescent of golden sand in the neighbouring village of San Terenzo, a 15-minute walk along the seafront from Lerici. More spacious than Venere Azzurra, with a beautiful view of the castle.
• Baia Blu: A small, protected cove between Lerici and San Terenzo. Rocky entry but superb snorkelling — the water clarity here rivals Sardinia on a good day.
• Porto Venere Travel Guide: Liguria’s Other UNESCO Gem (2026) — Just across the Gulf of Poets from Lerici and Tellaro
• Noli & Varigotti Travel Guide — Two western Riviera gems with the same poetic beauty as Tellaro and Lerici
• Liguria for Digital Nomads: Working Remotely on the Italian Riviera

For a broader look at the region’s coastline, read our guide to the 15 best beaches in Liguria.

The Shelley Connection

The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley spent his last months at Villa Magni, a whitewashed house right on the water in San Terenzo (between Lerici and Tellaro). It was here that he wrote some of his finest work and from here that he set sail on July 8, 1822, on the Don Juan — a boat that would sink in a storm off Viareggio, killing him at 29. His body washed ashore near Viareggio and was cremated on the beach, in a scene that Byron described as “a funeral pile.”

Villa Magni is still there, though it’s privately owned and not open to the public. You can view it from the beach in San Terenzo. The village also has a small Shelley Museum and a bust of the poet on the seafront. For literary pilgrims, it’s a genuinely moving place — the gulf looks almost exactly as it did when Shelley described it as “a scene of such beauty as I never beheld.”

Where to Eat

The Gulf of Poets has a distinct food culture from the rest of Liguria. It’s where Ligurian cooking meets Tuscan influences, with more emphasis on seafood, shellfish, and the local mussels (muscoli) farmed in the gulf itself. They’re smaller and sweeter than Atlantic mussels, traditionally served stuffed (muscoli ripieni) or in a simple tomato-and-white-wine broth.

In Tellaro, Locanda Miranda is the standout — a Michelin-mentioned restaurant run by chef Angelo Cabani, who lets the ingredient do the talking. The spaghetti ai ricci di mare (sea urchin pasta) is the dish to order. In Lerici, Ristorante Al Cantiere on the marina serves immaculate seafood with tables practically over the water. For something simpler, La Braceria does grilled fish and a terrace view that costs nothing extra.

For a broader exploration, see our Liguria food guide and our guide to the best restaurants in Cinque Terre.

Where to Stay

Lerici has a good range of accommodation. Hotel Shelley e delle Palme is the town’s grand dame — a Liberty-style hotel on the seafront with period furnishings and a restaurant that does solid Ligurian cuisine (€150-280/night). Doria Park Hotel sits above town with a pool and sea-view terrace (€120-200/night). For budget stays, B&B La Terrazza sul Golfo in the old town offers simple rooms and a rooftop where breakfast is served with a panorama of the entire gulf (€80-120/night).

In Tellaro, options are limited — the village is tiny. Albergo delle Ondine is a simple, family-run hotel with six rooms overlooking the harbour. Book months in advance for summer. Alternatively, stay in Lerici and walk or take the local bus to Tellaro (15 minutes). See our broader guides on budget accommodation and boutique hotels in Liguria.

Getting There and Around

Lerici and Tellaro aren’t on a railway line, which is part of why they’ve stayed under the radar. The nearest station is La Spezia Centrale, a hub for trains from Genoa, Pisa, and Milan. From there, take the bus (ATC line S or L) to Lerici — the journey takes about 20 minutes along a winding coastal road with spectacular gulf views. If you’re coming from Cinque Terre, change at La Spezia. Driving is also possible — there’s parking in Lerici, though it gets tight in summer — but Tellaro’s streets are barely wide enough for a Fiat 500, so park at the village entrance and walk in.

For more transport guidance, check our getting around Liguria guide and our transport guide to Cinque Terre.

When to Visit

May, June, and September are ideal — warm enough for swimming, with all restaurants and ferry services operating, but without the Italian holiday crush of July and August. The second half of August is to be avoided (Ferragosto week). Winter is surprisingly appealing if you’re after solitude — the gulf has a melancholic beauty in the low December light, though many restaurants close and the atmosphere is sleepy rather than vibrant. Read our full seasonal guide for more detail.

Why the Gulf of Poets Deserves a Spot on Your Itinerary

The Gulf of Poets is often skipped by first-time visitors focused on Cinque Terre and Portofino. That’s a mistake — not just because you’ll miss two of Liguria’s most beautiful villages, but because you’ll miss a version of the Italian Riviera that still operates at an Italian pace. The beach at San Terenzo in September, the octopus legend at Tellaro, a plate of muscoli ripieni at a trattoria in Lerici with the castle lit up above you — these are the moments that make a trip, far more than any ticked-off sightseeing list.

If you’re building a Liguria itinerary, pair this with our La Spezia guide, the Cinque Terre guide, and our 5-day Liguria itinerary for a route that works.