La Spezia sits at the centre of its gulf, and while the city itself is not a beach destination, some fine stretches of sand and pebble are within easy reach along the coast.
Lerici and the Gulf of Poets
The Gulf of La Spezia, named for the poets who visited (and in some cases died) here, curves around to Lerici on the eastern shore. Lerici is the largest fishing village in the area, with a thirteenth-century castle overlooking the bay and beaches clean enough to have won multiple European Blue Flag awards. Jagged cliffs and small grottoes line the coast between the villages.
Levanto
North of the Cinque Terre, Levanto has a long, narrow beach of fine off-white sand backed by an unspoiled natural landscape. The waters are clean and blue, and the views up to the old buildings in the surrounding hills are lovely. Nearby Bonassola has a shorter stretch of pebbles and sand at a gentle slope.
Fiumaretta and Sarzana
At the southern end of the gulf, Sarzana Beach is a long, narrow strip of darker sand and pebbles. Fiumaretta, just along the coast, has finer, whiter sand and some striking rock formations.