When you say vacation in Italy by the sea, many of us imagine crowded beaches in Bibione, Caorle, or Lignano. But we did not want to spend precious days off among thousands of sunbeds, umbrellas and Czech tourists in the flat landscape. We searched Google Earth and other corners of the Internet for a really long time until we found a place in the province of La Spezia that matched our expectations.
Lies on the edge of the Ligurian Rivierawhich stretches along the Gulf of Genoa, which is a renowned destination for tourists, especially due to its beautiful beaches and natural scenery. But we searched carefully and found that if we stay slightly apart, the prices are much more favorable and the driving distance to the declared locations is not great. Indeed, the journey from the Czech Republic is not long. It is almost 1000 km practically still on the highway. Our destination lay in the province of La Spezia, right at the mouth of the river Magra to the sea and was named Ameglia.
From a small town, a short walk from the motorway exit, you have it to the nearest beach approx. 2 km, but if you have a car with you, it doesn't matter. Every day you still drag so many things to the sea with the children that you would not take them in your hands even if it was 200 m to the beach. Through Booking, we found accommodation in an apartment significantly cheaper than elsewhere in the area and we came to terms with the idea that we will always reach the sea.
Shortly after arrival, we find that the choice was correct. The town is located directly on the border between Tuscany and Liguria and the surrounding countryside promises interesting experiences. On the horizon, you can see the white rocks of the Apuan Alps, where the famous Carrara marble was mined in ancient times. This is added the mighty estuary of the Magra River (Magiore) from one tent lined with beaches that stretch far to the south, on the other side is an area surrounded by the greenery of the Cinque Terre National Park.
The closest to the beach is south to Fiumaretta where we are after about 5 minutes drive. It is just outside the town of Marinela di Sarzana. This strip of coast is outside the urban development and thus offers swimming with views of the beautiful mountains and the green hills of the peninsula. The beaches here are slow, sandy and even in the full season, which mid-August certainly is, they are not as crowded as on the Venetian Riviera. Here, too, there are a few peculiarities that we are not used to from Greece, for example. For example, the fact that a parking space is paid for everywhere and sometimes it is quite a challenge to find it. Or the fact that some parts of the beaches are private - they are occupied by various clubs or bars. If you spread your blanket here, it will show you decently, but uncompromisingly, a short distance away from the city beach (Spiaggia Libera). Especially in the evening around six, it starts to empty and you have it almost to yourself. And especially without annoying African sellers of trinkets, bracelets, watches and other unnecessary things. This really annoys me in Italy, those tireless salespeople, whom you have to give verbally 100 times a day or gestures that you are not interested. On the positive side, we didn't bother about the Czech tourist on the beaches in this area. so another shard of mosaic happy holiday is met.
If you would like to visit the beautiful beaches further south, just take the motorway and continue towards Pisu . Long sandy beaches with small dunes can be found in the Marina Torre del Lago area. You will leave the car in the resort from which you can walk along the boarding paths through the sand dunes a few hundred meters to the sea. There are no hotels or forests of parasols, the sea is beautifully clean and people just like that.
Because we are not a type of classic beach tourists, we also took other trips in the area. One afternoon we went to the mountains and even though we "reached" the saddle in the amount of approx. 1000 m above sea level outside the town of Massa, it was an amazing experience. Endless serpentines took care of the driving skills test, and the beautiful views of the towns terraced on the slopes again filled the cards of our cameras. On the way to the mountains, it is definitely worth visiting the historic city of Sarzana with fortress, narrow streets and many other sights. And with a small shopping trip, you can visit a nice exhibition in Roman excavations in Luni Mare, just a few kilometers from Ameglie.
The most beautiful trip was a ferry trip to the park area Cinque Terre. We came over the hill to the luxury resort of Lerici, where we embarked on a boat line to the m after an obligatory search for a parking space.Portovenere. After half an hour we land in a colorful harbor and set out to explore the fort. This offers breathtaking views of the cliffs and green slopes of the National Park. In Portovenere itself you can bathe in clear water thanks to the concreted piers, which we also use in the heat. You can also cool off in the city with one of the famous Italian ice creams.
So if you want to visit Italy instead of going inland, while spending a lot of time at the seaside, Ameglia and Fiumaretta are good tips. You can find accommodation here. In addition, right by the river is for lovers of camping, mobile homes and caravans Favorite Camping River.
Comments
add comment