Looking for a more local and laid back Italian coastal holiday experience, but with the added benefit of having quick and easy access by rail or by boat to the world famous Cinque Terre …then Levanto might just be the right spot for you.
Levanto is a popular seaside resort town for many Italians, but is little known to the outside world. The town has a population of over 5000 and boasts a small Medieval Town square – Piazza della Loggio, a Ruined Castle, the Romanesque Saint Andrea Church, exotic hillside Villas overlooking an extensive sea side Promenade, and a long sandy Blue Flag swimming beach, also known to be a great spot for Kayaking. In my opinion it is a perfect spot to use as a base for not only seeing the famous Cinque Terre, but enjoying the surrounding area and what it has to offer. Hikers will love Levanto as well because of the many trails in the surrounding Pine and Olive tree covered hills. Levanto not as quaint and picturesque as the Cinque Terre Villages or Portovenere, but is far from being ugly or boring.
There are over 60 restuarants and cafes in the town and one restaurant that I have to mention for its delicious seafood is Da Tapulin on Corso Italia, and for your morning Cappuccino and delicious pastries you must stop in at Bar Barolino, but there are many and you can treat yourself to a different one every morning you are there.
It is also not short of a bustling array of shops, quite a few selling hand crafted goods and stunning locally made pottery and jewellery. Luigina il laboratorio del pesto is the primo place to buy pesto in Levanto and you will walk out with your hands full – they also offer pesto making workshops with a bit of wine and Limoncello tasting thrown in.
This is an Ideal spot to vacation like a local
The Train Station linking you to Portofino, Santa Margherita and Genoa in the North, and to the Cinque Terre Villages and La Spezia in the South, is about a 15 min walk from the beachfront
Being a town of close to 6000 people, (about double the size of Portovenere) there are no shortages of accommodation options, from an assortment of 3 and 4 star Hotels, to apartments or numerous romantic Bed & Breakfast spots. We stayed close the waterfront in the same building as the Hotel Garden and found it to be the perfect location, as you have a chance of getting a seaview and you are a stone throw from the beach. Anywhere in this area is ideal as you are close to the corner of the 2 nicest Streets – Via Corso Italia and Via Dante Alighieri (both primarily pedestrian – other than accessible for drop off or pick up) so you are surrounded by shops and cafes.
In Levanto you are not likely to find as many of the international tourists you see in the villages, especially when its mid summer when schools are out as this is where quite a few Italian families holiday because of the sandy beach, so dont be surprised if you do not hear or come across anyone speaking anything other than Italian in the streets, which all just makes your time here more special and your taste of Italy will have a more local flavour – so you can have the best of both worlds really – a relaxing local seaside holiday with sightseeing at your fingertips. I would not suggest coming here between Oct -end April / mid May as some of the shops and even some restaurants near the waterfront especially, will be closed as they are seasonal – unlike Portovenere which is a short drive from La Spezia, so its shops and restaurants are enticing for a out of town evening or weekend attraction for locals wanting a break from La Spezia.
Every Wed in Levanto there is an open air market selling clothes and shoes and you’re bound to find something at a great price, and on the 3rd sunday of July, Levanto hosts the Festival of the sea (Festa del mare)with a religious procession, flag-throwing and fireworks.
Another little known perk to Levanto is that its a short 10 min bike ride along the coastal route (which was where the old railway line ran) to the smaller but stunning coastal village of Bonassola …but thats another story on its own
