IL PARCO NAZIONALE DELLE CINQUE TERRE

Another stimulating itinerary takes you from La Spezia through the Cinque Terre to Levanto, Bonassola, Framura and Deiva. You can follow the coastal road as far as Riomaggiore and Manarola and then take the ancient Via dei Santuari up to Groppo and Volastra. From here you can go on to Monterosso and Levanto. The sea, the hills, the vineyards, the old fishing villages, and the Genoese churches go together to offer some breathtaking scenery. The Via dell'Amore (Lovers' Way) is a road carved into the cliffs between Riomaggiore and Manarola. Corniglia stands along a hill and has a protected beach that is ideal for a holiday in harmony with nature. Monterosso al Mare, which has a large sandy beach with many facilities, is also famed for its artistic and natural beauties: you can see the medieval Torre Aurora, which divides the old part of the town from the new part (Fegina), the Crucifixion by Van Dyck in the Church of San Francesco and the eighteenth-century Sanctuary of Soviore on the hilltop. Lying between these two towns is Vernazza. Its parish church bears the signs of Genoese Romanesque style. Along the hilltops of the Cinque Terre there is a charming path that takes in all of the local sanctuaries and offers breathtaking views as you look down from a giddy height on the towns below: the itinerary that takes you to the sanctuaries located in the natural greenery is truly spectacular. The hanging vineyards supported by drystone walls are characteristic of this area and an amazing example of landscape architecture created by man in difficult natural conditions. The creation of the Cinque Terre National Park and the Marine Reserve, together with UNESCO's recognition of these areas as part of world cultural heritage, represent a commitment - and a challenge - to maintain this precarious balance between nature and culture.

Thanks to the work of the C.A.I., the network of panoramic paths are well-marked and very popular with tourists and trekkers. Some of them are also suitable for horses and mountain bikes. Levanto is a modern and very inviting town with plenty of accommodation facilities. Worth visiting are the thirteenth-century parish church, the castle and the charming hillside villages. You will discover that peace and silence are a constant characteristic of these spots on the Riviera. You should try and pay a leisurely visit to the seaside town of Bonassola and to Framura, whose picturesque districts run along the hillside down to the sea. The province ends at Deiva Marina, which is another pleasant spot with a fine sandy beach. The entire Riviera has many restaurants serving typical local dishes, such as the salted anchovies of Monterosso, the "gattafin" (fritters made with wild herbs) of Levanto or the typical seafood and fish dishes. These are all dressed with the finest local olive oil, which has been awarded the DOP "Riviera Liguria- Riviera di Levanto" seal of superior quality. The local wines, which have been famous since ancient times, include the dry white and "Sciacchetrà" (raisin wine) of the Cinque Terre and the dry white wines of Levanto, Bonassola and Framura.

IL PARCO DI MONTEMARCELLO

Montemarcello-Magra Park, comprising the Mount Caprione promontory and part of the eastern territory of the Gulf of La Spezia; the course of the Magra river from the confluence of the Vara river to its outlet, and the segment of the Vara in the valley of Ponte St.Margherita (Sesta Godano): it's the only fluvial park in Lunigiana.

Pine groves and Mediterranean scrub dominate this area , in the area of Punta Bianca, to the Extremity of the promontory, examples of Euphorbia arboreal (Euphorbia dendroides), of splendid colors.

Also included is the Bozi of Saudino, old gravel quarries filled up with spring water, in which a valuable naturalistic environment has been re-created. In the Bozi the marsh flora, where reeds dominate, favors the nesting of the pendulum, kingfisher and bittern, and the permanence of various rare migratory birds in Liguria (herons, ducks and small stilt-birds); in spring, it's possible to meet up with the hawk fisher.

Along the fluvial streams, besides the gravel bed flora; one comes across interesting small willows, alders and, in the flood plain, relict forests of oak (Quercus robur). Widely varied is the water fauna that attracts naturalists and fishermen.

It's worth noting that for several years a, numerous colony of "hedron" ducks have settled in the Gulf of La Spezia, and above all in the area of Portovenere, where these birds submerge to feed on mussels cultivated in the numerous and traditional farms.

Situato nell'insenatura "La cala" tra la punta di Maramozza e Maralunga, racchiude nei suoi fondali i resti di una nave romana ed il suo carico. Fa parte di un itinerario subacqueo di interesse oltre che archeologico, naturalistico per la presenza di rare varietà di flora e fauna marina, quali le gorgonie e le cifree presenti solo nelle acque limpide e pulite.