| Page Views: 76,569 Last Visit to La Spezia: September, 1999 | The most beautiful coastline in Italy by matcrazy1 - last update: Aug 2, 2003 |
LE CINQUE TERRE (Five Lands) | RIOMAGGIORE - CINQUE TERRE |
I was in La Spezia twice: in 1994 (visiting Pontovenere and Riomaggiore by a car) and in 1999 visiting Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare by a car and a train.
La Spezia itself seems not to be very interesting place but the coastal region north of La Spezia called Le Cinque Terre (Five lands) is the MOST BEAUTIFUL coastal area of Italy, in my opinion even more beautiful then amazing Costa de Amalfi south of Naples.
CINQUE TERRE
Eighteen kilometers (11 mi) of sheer rocky coastline, terraced hills and vineyards sloping steeply down to the sea.
Five little villages are built into the rocks between the beach and the hills. You can hike, swim, drink red wine, and watch blazing Mediterranean sunsets away from the tourist throngs in the Italian cities and the French Riviera. Centuries old footpaths and mule tracks wind about 500 to 1,000 feet above the sea, leading through olive groves and vineyards, orchards and chestnut woods.
Each village has its own character, they are a few minutes apart by train.
There are almost no cars as the villages are not easily accessible by road, but the main railway between Rome and Paris runs along the coast, mainly in tunnels.Much more about Portovenere and 5 villages of Cinque Terre on their own pages:
- Portovenere - click here
- Riomaggiore - click here
- Manarola - soon,
- Corniglia - soon,
- Vernazza - soon,
- Monterosso al Mare - soon.
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La Spezia La Spezia is located on Mediterranean Coast (Ligurian Sea, Gulf of La Spezia) of Liguria 99 km (62 mi) southeast of Genova.
La Spezia is a pleasant city at the centre of the Gulf, with a beautiful panorama and an extremely mild climate.
It's mainly known as industrial and port city. There are passenger and car ferries departuring from la Spezia to Bastia in the French island of Corsica.. |
| PORT IN LA SPEZIA (pic from the net) |
Port La Spezia is well known NATO naval base, so you can see there many naval ships (I preferred not to take them pics hehe). There is the Naval Museum founded in 1870 in La Spezia - quite interesting if you like model ships from Egyptian and Roman times to the more recent ships of the Italian Navy and the Navies of various European states. . |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| Pros: | "Nearby fantastic rocky coast and villages (Cinque Terre)" | | Cons: | "Industrial city and port - busy, surely not very charming city" | | In A Nutshell: | "Escape to Cinque Terre - the best coast of Italy" |
matcrazy1's La Spezia Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 10 - Photos: 10 | | | | Restaurants | Hotels & Accommodations | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path
Tips: 10 - Photos: 10 | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | | Transportation | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips
Tips: 10 - Photos: 10 |
 Comments for matcrazy1 about La Spezia | | | | |
Bwana_Brown Sun Apr 1, 2007 16:15 UTC
What a great collection of small villages on this scenic and rugged coastline! Great photos Matt! I'm about ready for something like La Spezia area after enduring another Canadian winter! Loved those huge waves in the Riomaggiore shot! | LoriPori Mon Feb 12, 2007 11:55 UTC
Wow! Beaches, amazing scenery. This sure is a beautiful area Matt, especially La Cinque Terre, Lerici and the medieval sea village of Portovenere. Awesome!!! | kyoub Sun Feb 4, 2007 12:03 UTC
Fantastic photos. Lovely area indeed. I would love it there by the sea. | Diana75 Tue Oct 24, 2006 10:19 UTC
Lovely pictures! This is a part of Italy that I haven't visited so far, but I should do it soon. Thanks also for visiting my pages. |
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