This weekend, we went to Lerici, a little village along the Ligurian coast, about an hour from Lucca.

Lerici is quite similar to the Cinqueterre, in fact it is not that far to the South of the Cinqueterre. It is just easier to access, and thus more crowded, and a little less charming. The main square, near the marina, is very pretty though. It has been recently restaured and most buildings are painted in bright colors, with cute trompe-l'œils. We also enjoyed the walk along the promenade, the 2 sandy beaches, the little train that takes you from the parking lots to downtown and the 11th century fortress, which hosts a museum of... dinosaurs that we did not visit. There was a fair number of tourists in the town, mostly Italians, but it did not feel too crowded.

From Lerici we took a boat to Porto Venere, to the West. In 20-30mn we crossed the bay, admired (not!) the docks of La Spezia to our right, and arrived at the most crowded pier I have ever seen. Really! It was unbelievable. The minuscule sandy beach near the pier was also completely full. Hopefully we managed to walk away from the center to a little rocky beach where we enjoyed the afternoon sun. We then came back downtown it was a little more peaceful, and we walked around the village which is indeed charming, especially the old church and the steep street that leads to it.

All in all it was a very nice day, not too far from Lucca, but with a totally different feel.

How to get to Lerici

The drive from Lucca to Lerici is about an hour:

Take the higway (A11) towards Viareggio, then follow the signs for Genova (A12). Take the exit for Sarzana, and follow the signs for Lerici. Parking can be a problem in the high season, so you should try getting there early in the morning.

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