Canarbino, Lerici and the Golfo Dei Poeti
Food scene
Great Osterias, Pizzerias and restaurants abound in the area within a range of 10 km, from mountain retreats with simple local cuisine to gastronomic seafood extravaganzas. Get started here!
This is a great place to have lunch or dinner (best to book, in case they are having an event) with innovative seafood antipasti and great pastas. They are just a couple of km down the road, so even within walking distance, and the view of the Golfo Dei Poeti from the panoramic windows is wonderful.
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Ristorante Pin Bon
7 Via CanarbinoThis is a great place to have lunch or dinner (best to book, in case they are having an event) with innovative seafood antipasti and great pastas. They are just a couple of km down the road, so even within walking distance, and the view of the Golfo Dei Poeti from the panoramic windows is wonderful.
This is a fish restaurant on the Molo in Lerici, right under the castle. Great views of Lerici harbour and San Terenzo across the bay. It's a set menu and it's all fish with free flow of white wine. Bring a big appetite!
Ristorante Jery
20 Via Giuseppe MazziniThis is a fish restaurant on the Molo in Lerici, right under the castle. Great views of Lerici harbour and San Terenzo across the bay. It's a set menu and it's all fish with free flow of white wine. Bring a big appetite!
Down in the Romito area, Il mattatoio does really interesting pizzas with local and seasonal ingredients. Not in a fancy area and you'll see more locals here than tourists.
Il Mattatoio
174 Via ProvincialeDown in the Romito area, Il mattatoio does really interesting pizzas with local and seasonal ingredients. Not in a fancy area and you'll see more locals here than tourists.
Lerici is where the buzz is at for tourists to find restaurants, bars, gelati and hang out on the molo or along the passeggiata. In summer there are ferries that will take you to Portovenere and the Cinque Terre. Parking is not on the menu, and sometimes non-resident cars are not allowed into the town, so beware and don't drive in if you see a red light!
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Lerici
Lerici is where the buzz is at for tourists to find restaurants, bars, gelati and hang out on the molo or along the passeggiata. In summer there are ferries that will take you to Portovenere and the Cinque Terre. Parking is not on the menu, and sometimes non-resident cars are not allowed into the town, so beware and don't drive in if you see a red light!
Sightseeing
There are so many sights to see in and around the Golfo Dei Poeti, from the marble mines of Cararra (where Michelangelo got his raw materials) to the irresistable fishing villages of Tellaro, Lerici, San Terenzo and Portovenere, on to the fabulous Cinque Terre.
It seems like just about everybody has heard of the Cinque Terre and wants to go there. For good reason. These 'five towns' are jewels set in an emerald sea on a dramatic rocky coast full of hiking trails and gorgeous panoramas. Parking is a nightmare, so cycle, or take the train from Sarzana or La Spezia or, in summer, the ferry from Lerici.
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Nationalpark Cinque Terre
It seems like just about everybody has heard of the Cinque Terre and wants to go there. For good reason. These 'five towns' are jewels set in an emerald sea on a dramatic rocky coast full of hiking trails and gorgeous panoramas. Parking is a nightmare, so cycle, or take the train from Sarzana or La Spezia or, in summer, the ferry from Lerici.
This is a beachgoer's paradise, with a long stretch of beach from Lerici to San Terenzo and lots of options to rent a parasol or stretch out on a public section of sand. Venere Azzuro has a large car park, which still gets pretty full early in the morning during summer, with lots of cafe's around.
Venere Azzurra
This is a beachgoer's paradise, with a long stretch of beach from Lerici to San Terenzo and lots of options to rent a parasol or stretch out on a public section of sand. Venere Azzuro has a large car park, which still gets pretty full early in the morning during summer, with lots of cafe's around.
The whole area is criss-crossed with walking paths, from a few km to a day hike. GPX files can be downloaded from https://hiking.waymarkedtrails.org and there is an introduction to trails at https://www.cailaspezia.it/il-sentiero/sentieri.html
Guercio
The whole area is criss-crossed with walking paths, from a few km to a day hike. GPX files can be downloaded from https://hiking.waymarkedtrails.org and there is an introduction to trails at https://www.cailaspezia.it/il-sentiero/sentieri.html
Arcola is a delightful old town on a hillside, with a twisty road down through the old town to the more modern part below. It has all the shops you need for anything.
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Arcola
Arcola is a delightful old town on a hillside, with a twisty road down through the old town to the more modern part below. It has all the shops you need for anything.
Neighbourhoods
This is a section that describes a little of the surrounding neighbourhoods and the natural parkland around the house.
Go explore the many great hiking trails in and around this ridge, crowned by Montemarcello. There is great cycling, walking, hiking, and paths down to the sea for swimming.
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Montemarcello
Go explore the many great hiking trails in and around this ridge, crowned by Montemarcello. There is great cycling, walking, hiking, and paths down to the sea for swimming.
Canarbino is a secluded area on a ridge that runs above Trebiano and Ceri. It has an old stone fort, built shortly after Napoleonic times, and which was used again in WWII to control the shipping entrance to La Spezia harbour, which lies below and to the west. Our little house is in a protected natural park just 400m below the old fort. The nearest village is Ceri, 10 mins on a hiking trail, but there are no shops there anymore, not even a bar. There used to be a bakery and a little restaurant.
The nearest village with a good selection of shops is Pitelli, which is 3 km by foot, so it takes 45 mins to walk there. Pitelli has a couple of bakeries, a small supermarket, butchers, pizza place, bar, post office, pharmacy, hairdressers, etc. If you like hiking and cycling, it is an awesome place to be based. But it is not in the centre of a town.
Canarbino is part of the regional natural park of montemarcello and the magra valley (Parco naturale regionale di Montemarcello - Magra) and has many walks and hiking trails, often maintained and signposted by CAI (Club Alpino Italiano). There are many handbooks (some of which we have at available in the house) and online resources to help you select the right hiking trails for your level of skill and interest.
Via Canarbino
Via CanarbinoCanarbino is a secluded area on a ridge that runs above Trebiano and Ceri. It has an old stone fort, built shortly after Napoleonic times, and which was used again in WWII to control the shipping entrance to La Spezia harbour, which lies below and to the west. Our little house is in a protected natural park just 400m below the old fort. The nearest village is Ceri, 10 mins on a hiking trail, but there are no shops there anymore, not even a bar. There used to be a bakery and a little restaurant.
The nearest village with a good selection of shops is Pitelli, which is 3 km by foot, so it takes 45 mins to walk there. Pitelli has a couple of bakeries, a small supermarket, butchers, pizza place, bar, post office, pharmacy, hairdressers, etc. If you like hiking and cycling, it is an awesome place to be based. But it is not in the centre of a town.
Canarbino is part of the regional natural park of montemarcello and the magra valley (Parco naturale regionale di Montemarcello - Magra) and has many walks and hiking trails, often maintained and signposted by CAI (Club Alpino Italiano). There are many handbooks (some of which we have at available in the house) and online resources to help you select the right hiking trails for your level of skill and interest.
This is a lovely little town, with some very good restaurants, with a delightful little marina and a small beach where all the deadwood and flotsam washes up after a storm, with fantastic beach walks to the SE on the other side of the river mouth.
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Bocca di Magra
This is a lovely little town, with some very good restaurants, with a delightful little marina and a small beach where all the deadwood and flotsam washes up after a storm, with fantastic beach walks to the SE on the other side of the river mouth.
City/town information
San Terenzo is Lerici's less-well-known and poorer sibling. Traditionally part of the Genovese empire, whereas Lerici belonged to Pisa, they have long been rivals. Restaurants are maybe a little cheaper, there's a brilliant gelateria (La rana golosa) and a nice walk around and below the castle.
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San Terenzo
San Terenzo is Lerici's less-well-known and poorer sibling. Traditionally part of the Genovese empire, whereas Lerici belonged to Pisa, they have long been rivals. Restaurants are maybe a little cheaper, there's a brilliant gelateria (La rana golosa) and a nice walk around and below the castle.