Liguria, La Spezia, Italy

CINQUE TERRE - Set in a picturesque village with lovely views over the mountains. The area is criss crossed with hiking trails and from the house there is a trail to the Cinque Terre villages and beaches.

This character property has been restored by the current owners. Entered from a cobbled lane up stone stairs to a large terrace (shared with the neighbour). Entrance to open living room/ dining room, kitchen with fireplace, bedroom and WC; downstairs there is a further vaulted stone room used as a bedroom, a room used as a study, a bathroom with a niche for washing machine and a hallway. From the ground floor there is a door to outside and a small wood shed. The house has lots of character with wooden beams and stone walls and is presented in good condition throughout. Complete with central heating that also runs off the fireplace.

Set in a little village with a restaurant, on a hill above the town of La Spezia. La Spezia is a large town, just 10 mins away, with a pedestrian shopping centre and botanical gardens along the seafront. There are regular boats to Portovenere and The Cinque Terre as well as a main line train station and autostrada access.

The Gulf of the Poets is an enclave with a group of three islands at its tip, fishing villages with exceptional fish restaurants, as well as opportunities for sailing, canoeing, snorkelling or just relaxing on one of the beaches hidden in craggy bays around Fiascherino or Tellaro. The easiest way to get around the gulf is by boat which runs between Lerici, La Spezia and Portovenere or on to The Cinque Terre. The name Gulf of the Poets is from the literary connection as some of the world’s most famous poets including Shelley, Byron and D H Lawrence lived here at some time.

The Cinque Terre are five picturesque villages strung along the narrow coastline north of the Gulf of the Poets and La Spezia with pretty coves, beaches and are accessed on foot, boat or with the local train that shuttles between the villages. Anyone visiting the Cinque Terre should take a walk along the cliff paths which link one village to the next, stop in one of the bars or restaurants and try the anchovies marinated in olive oil and garlic, served with bread and delicate white wine made from the grapes that grow up the steep terraces above the villages. The Cinque Terre are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Distances: La Spezia 10 km, Cinque Terre (Monterosso - Riomaggiore) 20 km, Forte dei Marmi 50 km, Portofino 70 km. Lucca 80 km, Genova (airport) 90 km, Pisa (airport) 90 km.