Ultimate Guide to Lerici: A Gem on the Italian Riviera
Lerici is a seaside gem on the Italian Riviera with sparkling beaches, a colorful village, and absolutely incredible food. The charm of Lerici, also known as the Gulf of Poets, comes from its lack of tourists and local feel.
While Lerici is bustling with Italian tourists in July and August, the other months are much quieter which allows you to get a real sense of the town. It’s a lovely place to come back to after a crowded day trip to Cinque Terre.
Of all the places we visited during our two weeks in Italy, Lerici was my favorite. While there may not be as many things to do in Lerici as in other cities, the idyllic seaside village is worth a visit.
This post contains affiliate links that earn me a commission. For more information, read my disclaimer.
Planning Your Trip to Lerici
Lerici was the easiest, most peaceful stop on our Italy itinerary. It’s fun to explore, has a gorgeous coastline, and nothing feels rushed.
Here’s everything you need to know to plan your trip to Lerici!
Where is Lerici?
Lerici is just about 16 miles (26km) south of Riomaggiore: the southernmost town of the Cinque Terre villages. It’s part of the Italian Riviera, which is the northwestern coast of Italy starting at the French border and encompassing all four provinces of the Liguria region.
La Spezia is both a town and province on the Italian Riviera, which is the province Lerici and all five Cinque Terre villages are in!
Liguria is arguably one of the most beautiful regions in Italy, with 27 of the villages being part of I Borghi più belli d'Italia (the most beautiful villages in Italy). Though Lerici isn’t included in that list, it should be!
How To Get to Lerici
One of the reasons Lerici doesn’t draw in the same crowds as Cinque Terre is the lack of public transportation to the town. Lerici doesn’t have a train stop, which makes it slightly more difficult to get to.
We rented a car during our trip, driving from Milan to Lake Como to Lerici, then dropping it off in Florence and using public transport in Florence and Venice. This made it easy to get to Lerici and take a day trip to Cinque Terre!
If you don’t plan to rent a car, you can take a train to La Spezia or Porto Venere and then a ferry or bus to Lerici.
How Long To Stay in Lerici
The ideal amount of time to stay in Lerici would be at least five nights if you plan on doing a day trip or two during your trip.
We stayed in Lerici for just three nights on our two-week Italy trip, which was not nearly enough! Especially with a day trip to Cinque Terre, we would have loved a couple more days in Lerici.
Best Time to Visit Lerici
As I mentioned earlier, Lerici is most crowded with tourists during July and August. Lerici is a popular destination for Italians, but not as popular for tourists from other places.
If you want to avoid the crowds, then skip July and August. Shoulder months like June and September are ideal since the weather is still nice and it’s not packed with tourists!
We went in September and had some rain the day we arrived and insane thunderstorms the day we left, but warm sunshine the other two days. June tends to have fewer days of rain than September and is even warmer!
The other months—particularly November through March—are much colder and cloudier with more days of rain, which isn’t ideal if you’re looking for a sunny beach trip.
Tips For Visiting Lerici
There’s not much you need to prepare for when visiting Lerici! It’s a laid-back, coastal town where you can relax and enjoy Italian life.
Take it Slow
While I’m typically someone who likes to go go go during trips and see everything I can each day, Lerici is a place to enjoy slowly.
There’s no rush to get to see every attraction and you don’t need to pack your days with activities. Just appreciating the present and eating good food is the key to enjoying Lerici!
Wear Walking Shoes
Lerici has many hills and you’ll likely do quite a lot of walking as you explore the town. I wore my Allbirds and they were comfy! I also recommend the New Balance trail shoes for good grip.
Research the History
There’s such a rich culture and history in each area of Italy. Lerici is in the Liguria region and owned by Genoa, but it was once owned by Lucca and fought over between Genoa and Pisa.
Reading about the history of this stunning area of Italy makes it that much more interesting once you visit!
Lerici has been home to a list of creative artists, authors, and poets, earning the name Gulf of Poets. One of the more notable authors who lived in Lerici is Mary Shelley, who wrote the book Frankenstein, and her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was a poet and drowned in Lerici.
Learn Some Italian
Since most of the tourists that visit Italy are Italian, the locals don’t interact with as many English-speaking tourists as other cities in Italy.
Our boat captain in Cinque Terre was from La Spezia and told us that they do learn some English in school, but they have to spend time outside of school practicing and learning more if they want to become fluent.
Most of the people we met there did not speak any English or it was limited. I spent a few months practicing Italian before we visited and was happy I did! I was able to practice it often in Lerici at the restaurants.
It’s always nice to learn the basics of the local language if you can before visiting a country. I use Memrise to practice new languages and have found it to be much more useful for travel than any other language-learning program.
Where To Stay in Lerici
Lerici is a small village and most hotels and rental apartments are within walking distance of the main square (Piazza Garibaldi).
Since much of the village is built on a hill, the hotels tend to be near the top for the best sea views. Some hotels have a free shuttle service that will take you down to the main area of town and back so you don’t have to walk up/down the hills or stairs.
If you want to avoid the hills and stairs to get back to your stay, there are apartments available closer to the main square and sea level!
Europa Grand Hotel
We decided to make Lerici our splurge location of our trip (we always choose one!) and stayed at the beautiful Europa Grand Hotel. It was the best place we stayed!
The rooms have garden or sea views, both of which are lovely. We chose a garden view and had the olive orchards just outside our window, while my parents had a sea view room with sweeping views of the village and sea.
Europa Grand Hotel also has a parking lot, which was one of the main requirements for us since we rented a car. Parking was directly in front of the hotel and there was always a spot available for us.
My favorite part of Europa Grand Hotel wasn’t the comfy beds, lovely views, or prime location. It was the unbelievable breakfast spread each morning, included in your stay, with indoor and outdoor seating offering views of the gorgeous sea.
The selection of items each morning is unlike any hotel breakfast I’ve ever seen! They have savory items like bagels, smoked salmon, quiche, caprese salad, and hard-boiled eggs. Their sweet items include pastries, chocolate mousse, cheesecake, donuts, pancakes, and fruit.
There are staff at the breakfast area ready to take your coffee (or tea) order each morning and the cappuccinos are rich and delicious.
We picked the perfect hotel for our stay in Lerici and I would stay here over and over again. If I haven’t convinced you to stay at Europa Grand Hotel, browse some of the other highly rated hotels in Lerici below!
Luxury Stays
Torretta San Rocco (luxury suite apartment w/sea view)
Europa Grand Hotel (free parking & sea views)
Doria Park Hotel (free parking & sea views)
Mid-Range Stays
Hotel Florida Lerici (beachfront)
Ca' da Bruna (apartment w/ sea view)
Suite Ventidue (apartments w/sea views)
Budget Stays
Hotel Venere Azzurra (beachfront)
Central Seaview Apartment (apartment w/sea views)
La Conchiglia (apartment near the castle)
Things To Do and See in Lerici
As Lerici is more of a place to relax and explore at a slower pace, there are fewer things to do compared to bigger cities like Venice and Florence.
That isn’t to say there’s nothing to do in Lerici! It’s the perfect place for people who love the coast, cute villages, and amazing local food. You can easily fill your days in Lerici just by exploring the town.
Visit the Castle
Castello San Giorgio di Lerici is an obtrusive blocky building set high on the hill overlooking the town and sea. The castle has not always looked the way it does today, as it has been built upon and reinforced over the years.
It costs under 10 euros per person to enter, with students and people over 65 years old getting a 50% discount. Online it says tickets are 6 euros each, though I believe we paid 10 euros in September 2024, so the price may have increased.
You can tour both the inside and outside of the castle, with informational videos streaming in some of the rooms and boards with additional information in multiple languages, including English.
The outside areas have almost 360 views of the sea and town at multiple levels throughout the castle. There’s so much to explore, we spent about an hour touring the inside and outside areas, but you could spend even longer if you wanted to!
Go Swimming
We spotted a manmade jetty going into the sea, away from the beaches and main areas, where locals were sitting on the rocks and taking refreshing dips into the sea. It’s called Scogliera di Lerici, which translates to Lerici Cliff.
This ended up being a lovely spot to spend an afternoon! The rocks can be tricky to climb over, but they’re perfect for hanging out and sunbathing. It was fun watching a group of Italian kids jumping in and out of the sea.
The water was just the right temperature without being too cold — especially since it was a hot day. There’s no better way to cool off than a dip in the sea, in my opinion!
There is a ladder to get into the water, but there are some underwater rocks you can step onto as well. Be careful not to get scratched by them as some are sharp.
My favorite swimwear brands: Monday & Vitamin A
Relax on the Beaches
Lerici has multiple beaches, most with beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. The two beaches closest to the main town area are Lido di Lerici (Lerici Beach) and Venere Azzurra (Blue Venus).
Lido di Lerici is a private beach and you must pay for a beach chair to visit it. While it was empty and not yet open for the day when I walked past it in the early morning, it fills up quickly in the summer months.
Venere Azzurra is half public and half private, with the private half covered in rentable beach chairs and umbrellas. The public half is a nice sandy spot to lay out your beach towel and enjoy a sunny day. It can get crowded in the busy summer months but was empty in September.
On the other side of the castle further south, you walk through a tunnel beneath the castle towards the restaurant Ciccillo a Mare. Next to the restaurant is a small, hidden beach (pictured below on the right) that is only accessible when the tide is low enough.
Further up the coast in San Terenzo are a few other beaches, both with rentable chairs and public, free sandy beaches.
Explore the Town
The colorful buildings and charming streets in Lerici are some of the most alluring parts of the town! Put on your walking shoes and roam the streets, popping into shops that pique your interest.
Piazza Garibaldi is the main square, which is lined with buildings along three sides and opens to the sea on the fourth side. It has a white, wavy pattern on the ground which makes it easily identifiable!
The piazza has a few great restaurants, a gelato shop, and the tower of Oratorio di San Rocco.
Hike to Tellaro
Get your steps in with a hike between Lerici and Tellaro, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy (I Borghi più belli d'Italia)!
We were deciding between Lerici and Tellaro when picking a place to stay near the Cinque Terre. Lerici was definitely the right choice, but Tellaro is worth a visit if you have time!
There’s a hiking trail (path 433) between Lerici and Tellaro with sea views, some shade, and old buildings. The hike takes about 2 hours each way, so prepare for a full hike.
Discover Portovenere has a walking guide for this trail with directions and landmarks. Though it goes from Tellaro to Lerici, you can follow it backward to do the hike starting in Lerici.
Walk From Castle to Castle
The picturesque path that connects the castle in Lerici and the castle in San Terenzo earned the title Meraviglia italiana (Italian Wonder). It takes you along the sparkling coastline and all the beaches in Lerici.
This easy, scenic stroll is about 1.5 miles (2.4km) each way on a flat, paved path. Going at a normal pace it would take about an hour to walk there and back, though I would add in at least another hour for all the stops along the way to take in the view!
Best Restaurants in Lerici
Being on the water, many of the restaurants serve fresh seafood dishes, including oysters. We had some of the most delicious meals in Lerici!
Since we visited during the shoulder season, it was easy to get a table for two at every restaurant. Some restaurants were busy and we would have needed a reservation for our whole group (there were seven of us), we got seated right away when it was just two of us.
La Piccolo Oasi
This teeny restaurant has a lovely back patio with seating right next to the outdoor kitchen. You can watch the chef cooking while you wait for your food!
Their menu has a wide selection of dishes, from pasta to seafood to steak. I got the raw oysters to start and then had one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever eaten. Desserts were delicious as well.
Ristorante I Doria
For an upscale dinner with a view, Ristorante I Doria is just down the way from Europa Grand Hotel and is connected to their sister hotel, Doria Park Hotel.
From the outdoor patio, you can overlook the town and sea while you eat. They brought out endless baskets of fresh focaccia before and during our meal, which we ate an obscene amount of. Tiny surprise appetizers were also brought out before our mains arrived.
I loved the pasta (though preferred La Piccolo Oasi!) and my husband got the lamb, which he said was the best he’s had. At the end of our meal, they brought out a variety of bite-sized desserts on the house!
Bar Colibrì
This restaurant was the perfect spot for a light lunch in town. Their bruschetta with different toppings was fresh and yummy, plus affordable!
They also have sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie boards in addition to coffee, wine, and cocktails. It’s a nice stop for lunch just around the corner from the main square and across the street from the sea.
Unico Pinseria Lerici
My family ate here on the first night and said it was amazing. They had pizza in the outdoor seating area right on the main square. The servers were friendly, even remembering them and saying hi when we walked by the next day!
The restaurant is also just a couple of doors down from the gelato spot, so you don’t need to walk far for dessert.
Gelateria Arcobaleno Lerici
This is a small, hole-in-the-wall gelato shop with a nice selection of flavors. The gelato is incredible and freshly made in-house!
A sign in Italian at the front of the shop reads (translated to English):
“Our ice cream is made with good fresh milk, fresh cream, sugar and white cane sugar. We do not use flavorings, preservatives, vegetable fats, hydrogenated or refined. The sorbets are made with 50% fruit pulp and juice, for this reason they have intense and natural appearance and colors”
Other Restaurants & Bars
These are all the restaurants I saved because they had glowing reviews, but I didn’t have time to dine at them during our trip — you can only eat so many meals in a day!
1918 Ristorante
White Lerici restaurant & wine bar
Mare Blu bistrot
Burro & Anciue
Siamo Fritti
Loggia Arpara
Ristorante Il Frantoio Lerici
Chiosco di Lerici
Ristorante glam
Day Trips From Lerici
Though you won’t want to leave Lerici, there are a few other places nearby that make for fun day trips!
Cinque Terre
The reason we visited this part of Italy was to explore the Cinque Terre villages! It’s an easy day trip to Cinque Terre from Lerici, whether you go by car or public transport (train, bus, or ferry).
The drive is just about 45 minutes from Lerici to Cinque Terre and we were lucky to find parking at a parking garage in Riomaggiore. Parking can be difficult, so try and get there before 8am to ensure you get a spot.
Once you reach Riomaggiore from Lerici, you can then take the train that stops at each of the five towns to explore all the others!
Portovenere
North of Lerici is La Spezia and Porto Venere. Porto Venere is sometimes called the sixth Cinque Terre, as it’s included as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the villages of Cinque Terre.
It’s located at the end of a peninsula and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on all sides except for the north, where La Spezia is located.
You can reach Porto Venere by car, but there is also a ferry that runs between Lerici and Porto Venere! Check the ferry schedule before you plan your trip as it runs seasonally.
Pisa
Just an hour southeast of Lerici is Pisa, famous for its leaning tower — you may have heard of it.
Though we didn’t take a day trip to Pisa, we stopped by on our drive from Lerici to Florence! It was pouring rain when we visited, so we only spent a short amount of time looking at the tower and snapping a few quick photos.
There’s a large, paid parking lot not far from the tower where we parked.
While I don’t think it’s worth it to take a day trip from Lerici to Pisa, it’s worth a stop if you’re heading that way as you leave Lerici. Instead of a day trip to Pisa, I’d rather spend a day enjoying Lerici itself.
Florence
It’s a bit far for a day trip, but Florence is just about 2 hours away from Lerici via car and 3 hours via buses/trains.
A day trip is doable, especially if you leave Lerici early and come back in the evening. If you’re driving, your best option is to park outside of the main city center (like the parking garage at Santa Maria Novella railway station) and walk to the attractions.
Florence is definitely a place you want to plan for ahead of time, so have a basic itinerary for your day trip to avoid getting overwhelmed or missing out. Places like the Uffizi Museum require tickets and purchasing them in advance is recommended.
More Italy Posts You Might Like
Pin It For Later
