The tiny Italian city that's dubbed 'Gulf of Poets' and beloved by Virginia Woolf
Literature, linguini and landscapes are just three things to fall in love with in Lerici.
Italian fisherman’s hamlet Lerici in Italy may be home to just 10,000 people but it’s steeped in history after being made famous by the regular visits of esteemed poets and writers.
In 1822, Lord Byron swam the bay to see Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley, who later drowned there aged 29.
After D H Lawrence’s stay in Lerici he wrote of “a large, flat, massive blue sea and strange sails far away, with a profound brightness of pearl…all sparkling with pink on the beach … it is so beautiful that it makes almost bad.”
In May 1933, English writer Virginia Woolf visited and was inspired and fascinated by the beauty of the area.
It's not hard to see the appeal of the city that sits on the Gulf of La Spezia (Gulf of Poets) and Forbes predict that Lerici will be the Italian Riveria's next hot spot. Property prices have been high for 30 years.
As soon as you arrive you are greeted by the silhouette of two castles that act as jewels on the skyline.
A huge medieval castle overlooks the ancient Jewish quarter below while the smaller castle of Lerici sits at the other end of San Terenzo, the adjacent hamlet.
There’s a footpath that runs for 3km between the two fortresses.
Venture inland and discover narrow streets that lead to the piazza which is lined with shops and restaurants. There’s also a pretty harbour where you can take a boat to Portovenere, Palmaria, the Five Lands and Portofino.
Mussels and oysters are specialties in Lerici which can be teamed with olives, focaccia and pasta.
While this is undoubtedly a place to visit for rustic charm and peace, the surrounding hills lend themselves to hiking and trekking and you can also get involved in a wide range of sea sports.
The beaches are sublime and there are plenty to choose from; from sandy expanses to private coves, seven of Lerici’s beaches have Bandiera Blu ratings.
