La Spezia Travelers Recommend

The Ligurian coast is home to the modern seaport of La Spezia as well as the time-capsule fishing villages of the Cinque Terre. With three days, you can explore both and still have time to adventure farther down the coastline to the spectacular marble quarries of Carrara. Here’s how to make the most of three days in La Spezia.

Day 1: La Spezia

La Spezia’s modern port area belies the charm of its nearby old town, a delightful stretch of lanes thick with small shops and old-school restaurants—and hardly a tourist in sight. Soak in the authentic atmosphere and pretty art nouveau architecture along the main thoroughfares and seaside promenade, stopping to take in sights such as San Giorgio Castle and the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. In the afternoon, discover the city’s excellent cuisine with a food tour through the historic center, stopping at delis and trattorias to sample local specialties such as focaccia and pasta with pesto or walnut sauce. Finally, participate in a home-cooking class or demonstration to learn the history and techniques behind La Spezia’s most beloved dishes, followed by a family-style meal. 

Day 2: The Cinque Terre

For many travelers, La Spezia is the gateway to the Cinque Terre. On your second day, follow the crowds and visit this clutch of five delightfully colorful fishing villages on a driving tour, boat or sailboat trip, or an e-bike tour. Most guided tours include a stop in one or two of the five villages—Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore—and time to have lunch at one of the tiny trattorias tucked among the steep, narrow lanes. Wine enthusiasts can combine a tour of the Cinque Terre with a tasting to discover the excellent wines grown on the terraced hillsides of the Ligurian coast.

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Day 3: Carrara

Farther down the coast into Tuscany, the marble quarries of Carrara are one of the most unique sights in the steep foothills of the Apuan Alps and an easy day trip from La Spezia. Devote your third day to exploring these historic quarries with a 4WD, learning about the white rock used to to create everything from the ancient Roman Pantheon to Michelangelo’s David. See how massive blocks have been excavated from deep inside the mountains for two millennia, and tour open-air, terraced, and underground quarries in the mountains above the Colonnata Valley. End your tour by tasting the local delicacy,lardo di Colonnata, a traditional fatback cured with salt and herbs and aged in Carrara-marble basins. 

Like many of Italy’s busy port cities, La Spezia is often overlooked by travelers passing through on their way to higher-profile destinations. Before continuing on to the nearby Cinque Terre, however, take time to explore La Spezia’s old town and sample the excellent local cuisine. Here are your options for one day in La Spezia.

Morning: La Spezia’s Historic Heart

A modern cruise and shipping hub, La Spezia’s port area is home to the largest naval base in Italy. Walk a bit farther into the old town, however, and you will be rewarded with a lively grid of lanes lined with locally owned shops and restaurants and imbued with a refreshingly authentic atmosphere. Stroll down the main Via del Prione and Via Garibaldi, being sure to admire the art nouveau architecture; wander through the market in Piazza Cavour; and take in the sea breezes along the palm-lined promenade of Costantino Morin. Stop in at San Giorgio Castle and the Church of Santa Maria Assunta before settling on one of the city’s many old-school trattorias for a leisurely lunch.

Afternoon: Ligurian Cuisine

Liguria is the birthplace of pesto and focaccia, two universally beloved specialties. Sample these and other delicacies from the coastline by joining a food tour through the city. Stroll through the old town to explore traditional delis and trattorias, sampling Ligurian favorites such as stuffed anchovies and mussels, octopus salad, farinata (a crepe made with chickpea flour), mesciua (garbanzo-bean soup), and trofie al pesto (twisted pasta with pesto sauce). If you’re a hands-on gourmand, take a cooking class to learn how to prepare many of these dishes on your own. Hone your skills with a professional chef either in a home setting or a restaurant kitchen, and then enjoy what you’ve created over dinner.

Night: The Cinque Terre and a Home-Cooked Meal

Italy’s most famous cluster of picturesque fishing villages are just minutes away along the coast, a quick jaunt by land or sea from La Spezia. Take a sunset sail past the Cinque Terre, or opt for a driving or e-bike tour to admire the five famous fishing villages along the Gulf of Poets in the cooler hours late in the day. End your day with a cooking demonstration and family-style meal in the home of a local cook, featuring four courses of classic Ligurian dishes paired with local red and white wines.

The busy seaport of La Spezia is a popular gateway for visiting the nearby Cinque Terre. Before setting your sights on these picturesque villages, however, spend a day in the lovely and virtually tourist-free old town of La Spezia to experience its authentic atmosphere and cuisine. Here’s how to visit both city and coast in two days.

Day 1: La Spezia

Morning: Leave La Spezia’s busy cruise and shipping port behind and head into this historic city’s old town, crisscrossed with lanes lined with lively shops and restaurants filled almost exclusively with locals. Take a turn along the main thoroughfares and seaside promenade to admire the art nouveau architecture, Church of Santa Maria Assunta, and San Giorgio Castle.

Afternoon: The cuisine of Liguria is one of the most beloved in Italy, with crowd-pleasers such as pesto and focaccia. Take a deep dive into the local cuisine with a La Spezia food tour that stops at storied delis and trattorias in the old town so you can taste Ligurian classics such as trofie (pasta) with pesto or walnut sauce, farinata (flatbread made with chickpea flour), and a variety of fish and seafood delights.

Night: End your day with an informal cooking class in a local home, following the lead of a passionate chef during a hands-on lesson to learn the secrets behind some of the city’s most historic dishes. Alternatively, relax and watch a home-cooking demonstration; both experiences end with a family-style meal to enjoy Ligurian delicacies.

Day 2: The Cinque Terre

Morning: Today, leave La Spezia behind and join the flow of tourists farther along the coast to the famed Cinque Terre. Join a driving tour along these five picturesque villages, or take in their timeless charm from the sea with a boat or sailing tour. Most full-day tours include stops to explore one or two villages and free time for lunch.

Afternoon: If you want to visit these time-capsule fishing villages but would rather avoid the crowds, consider joining a guided e-bike tour through the hillsides along the Gulf of Poets.Take off in the cooler hours of the afternoon and explore far from the throngs that fill the trains and walking trails along the coast.

Night: One of the best times of day to admire the jewel-like towns that make up the Cinque Terre is as the sun dips over the Mediterranean. Set sail on a sunset boat trip along the coast, and toast your final hours in La Spezia with an aperitivo on board.