From La Spezia: Lerici, Portovenere&Islands - Lunch on board • Shared Experience

Set off from La Spezia’s Mirabello Yacht Club (VIALE ITALIA, C/O PORTO MIRABELLO, Viale Giovanni Amendola, 19124 La Spezia SP, Italy) aboard Giulietta, a 10‑meter Gozzo Sorrentino that people in Liguria use for relaxed coastal runs. The five‑hour shared cruise traces the Gulf of Poets—Lerici, San Terenzo, Tellaro and Portovenere—skirting limestone promontories, sea caves and the craggy isles of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. The route threads medieval harbors, pastel facades and castle turrets with open Mediterranean water and calm coves ideal for swimming and snorkeling.

Giulietta is laid out for comfort: an ample sunpad, shaded lounge with sofas, a private below‑deck cabin and a freshwater shower make the day feel like a slow, sunlit escape. Group size is capped at 12, so there’s space to relax and a crew who can point out the region’s geology—limestone cliffs pocked with grottos—and marine features such as Posidonia seagrass meadows that support local life. The captain chooses anchorage spots away from the busiest anchorages to give swimmers clear blue water and better visibility for snorkeling.

Lunch on board is simple and seasonal: a light buffet of Ligurian specialties prepared with local ingredients, matched by Vermentino or Prosecco and included beverages. You’ll anchor in a quiet bay for the meal, then slip into the water for a refreshing swim; flotation aids and snorkeling gear are provided. Practical comforts—on‑board toilet, cabin to change and yacht club facilities on return—mean you can finish the afternoon with a hot shower if you wish.

There’s history in every harbor. The Gulf of Poets earned its name from visitors such as Byron, Shelley and Virginia Woolf, and Portovenere’s church and castle look out over islands that carry naval and monastic stories. The islands themselves show clear geological contrasts: jagged limestone cliffs, pebbled coves and vegetated terraces that host Mediterranean shrub and windswept pines.

Why book this trip? For travelers who want a civilized day at sea rather than a crowded ferry, the appeal is authenticity: a small local crew, a craft built for the coastline, curated anchorages and an included meal that highlights Ligurian flavor. Note practicalities: meeting point is Mirabello Port, arrive 10 minuti early; the boat cannot accommodate guests in wheelchairs; children must be accompanied. After five hours back in La Spezia you’ll have salt on your skin, a camera full of coastal light and a clearer sense of how this shoreline inspired its poets.

Spaces are limited to twelve guests per departure, so book early during high season; parking is available near the yacht club (paid) and the La Spezia train station is an easy walk, making Giulietta a convenient and stylish option for a half‑day sea escape that feels like a private charter for many.