Liguria, La Spezia, Lerici, Italy

A rare opportunity to purchase a spacious house with garden and views over the Bay of the Poets.

Villa del Porticciolo is a superb property overlooking the bay of Lerici, at the entrance of the old village with castle. The property has a spacious entrance hall, coat room and bathroom on the ground floor. Upstairs are four bedrooms (one with ensuite) and further two bathrooms, laundry room. On the top level there is a large open-plan living-dining room with fireplace, original beamed ceiling and a spacious fully equipped kitchen with vaulted ceiling.

There is a lift connecting the different levels. Recently modernised with underfloor heating. AC throughout the house

Both the living-dining room and kitchen open onto a garden room (glass) - ideal for winter dining - that opens onto the lovely shaded patio. Steps lead to a terraced olive grove with superb views over the bay.

The sale includes a two car garage approx 400 mt from the property (5 mins walk)

Lerici is dominated by the castle with the old village of pastel coloured tall buildings huddled on the steep hill dropping down to the sea and the marina. The back streets of Lerici have many colourful shops and restaurants and it has a wonderful atmosphere at any time of the day or evening.

A gem of the Meditterranean , the spectacular bay is called the Gulf of the Poets because Shelley, Byron and D. H. Lawrence all lived there at some time. An enclave with a group of three islands at its tip, it has fishing villages with exceptional fish restaurants, as well as sailing, canoeing, snorkelling or just relaxing on one of the beaches hidden in craggy bays around Fiascherino or Tellaro. Lerici and San Terenzo offer golden sandy beaches with views to the islands. The easiest way to get around the gulf is by boat or on one of the boats which run between, Lerici, La Spezia and Portovenere or on to The Cinque Terre, five villages strung along the terraced cliffs looking out to the sea. These villages are completely unspoilt and, until recently, could only be reached by boat or by train. 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.

Sarzana, just a 10 minute drive, is a vibrant medieval market town with large elegant central piazza and cobbled lanes meandering through the town flanked with coffee shops and antique stores. During the summer months Sarzana often hosts festivals, concerts and open-air events staged in the piazzas and along the narrow, cobbled lanes. On summer evenings there is a local craft/ antique market which fills the whole town and is a joy to wander through in a welcoming atmosphere. The central castle has a number of exhibitions and events, and it too is open on summer evenings. Sarzana also has a train station with direct trains to Pisa, Florence, the Cinque Terre and Genova.

Distances: In the old village of Lerici, La Spezia 10 km, Sarzana 7 km, Cinque Terre 20 km, Forte dei Marmi 40 km, Lucca 70 km, Pisa (airport) 80 km, Florence 130 km.