Lerici is a pretty town on the Italian Riviera in the Gulf of La Spezia, 8 kilometres south of the town La Spezia.
I just happened to be there on the 8th July, the anniversary of the death of Percy Bysshe Shelley, the English poet who drowned on this day in 1822 when his boat was caught in a storm on the way back to his home from Livorno. He and his wife Mary of Frankenstein fame lived in Lerici for a time.
I checked into my hotel, just south of Lerici, on a cliff over Fiascherino beach.
After admiring the view and thinking of my later swim, I headed back to Lerici to explore. There is a Zona Limitata sign at the entrance, which means only residents or those with a parking permit can enter. Fortunately there is a 5 level car park there as well.
I wandered down the obligatory narrow path and winding streets to the seashore.
The main piazza faces the sea and is lined with restaurants, bars and shops. I had an excellent lunch the the seafood restaurant in the middle of the row.
Then off to explore… There is an enormous castle high above the town. It is not beautiful, but it is old. It dates from 1152.
There is a lift up to the castle as well as the path at the back of the piazza. I took the lift up and walked down the path…it was a hot day!
The views from the top are spectacular. On one side is the view of the harbour, the town and the beaches.
On the other is a beautiful bay with a tiny beach below the cliff.
The houses on top of the cliff must have wonderful views.
Back at the harbour I found these old fishing boats moored beside the hundreds of leisure boats.
The is a path along the water’s edge with a cool, shady park beside it…wonderful on a hot summer day.
Walking or just standing in the water seems popular. I saw very few people actually swimming.
Lying on the rocks holds no appeal for me, but I could happily climb down here for a swim.
I would also love this. Scouring rock pools to discover sea life is something I spent lots of doing as a child.
Here is an excellent example of Italian parking.
Further on is the main swimming beach. This is not my idea of a pleasant day at the beach. I can’t think of anything much worse than baking under an umbrella all day! I must say I admire the carefree attitude of many Europeans at the beach, displaying their bodies in all shapes and sizes in the briefest of costumes. I have seen several bikinis disappear under rolls of flesh without a hint of embarrassment by the wearer. I couldn’t do it! I prefer to keep my rolls under cover.
After a very hot trudge back up the hill to my car I went back to the hotel for an afternoon nap before I walked down the many steps to the cool water? I found this little cove much more pleasant than the bigger beach.
A leisurely swim out to deep water followed by some serious floating was the perfect end to the day. I left the beach as the shadows began to creep across it.
Lerici is a lovely place to be. I can see myself returning for another dip this summer.
I stayed at Rosa dei Venti, a comfortable hotel with a good restaurant and a terrace on the top floor. The hotel is between Lerici and Tellaro.