There are small villages scattered around the gulf. Lerici, the largest village on the Gulf of Poets, sits across the bay from Portovenere. From Lerici you can walk to San Terenzo and there are hiking trails to small fishing villages to the southeast like Fiascherino, Tellaro, and Montemarcello. Lerici has a castle and a small old quarter.
Lerici can be reached by ferry from La Spezia, Portovenere, and Le Cinque Terre. Small ferries between the Gulf of Poets villages run mainly in summer. It's a scenic drive around the peninsula between the Magra River and the sea as well as up into the interior. There's a large pay parking lot between Lerici and San Terenzo with a shuttle bus that takes you into town although you can walk to either village from the parking area. There's a tourist information kiosk by the parking lot, too.
More about Gulf of La Spezia:
- Gulf of Poets Map and Pictures
- Lerici Hotels on Venere (book direct)
- La Spezia Hotels on Venere (book direct)
