Tellaro

Some friends of mine who saw my photos of Tellaro thought it was one of the Cinque Terre villages. Well, yes, it's another picture-perfect village, a real gem hidden at the end of Liguria, close to the tuscan border. A charming, romantic place in the Gulf of Poets with bright houses, colourful fishing boats, a cute church and quiet, narrow alleyways. Tellaro is registered among the most beautiful villages of Italy (I borghi piú belli d'Italia).

You can drive here if you have a car or take the bus from La Spezia. I actually took the bus from La Spezia to Lerici, then walked from Lerici to Tellaro and in the evening took the bus from Tellaro to La Spezia. It is a beautiful and easy walk, and you will even pass a wonderful beach, so make sure you take your swimsuit with you. Once you are in Tellaro, enjoy the great views from the main square or from the lookout point near the Oratory of San Maria in Selaa and take time to walk around in the small passages. Of course, my favourite part of the village is the small piazza with the colourful fishing boats and the rose coloured, 16th-century Church of San Giorgio.

There are also several hiking trails in the area. A good choice can be a walk to Montemarcello which is another pretty village with nice views of Portovenere and the islands on the other side. Of course, if you have a car, you can also drive to Montemarcello.

I think if you look at the photos in the gallery, you will understand why I love this place. If you have more than a couple of days in the Cinque Terre, you should definitely visit Tellaro. You could do a Lerici-Tellaro-Portovenere day trip, there is a boat service now that stops in Tellaro as well. But check the timetables in advance, as these boats run only a few times a day.