Tellaro

Tellaro is a tiny pastel fishing village clinging to a rocky spur on the eastern shore of the Gulf of La Spezia, within the commune of Lerici and counted among I Borghi piu belli d'Italia, the association of Italy's most beautiful villages. A cluster of tall ochre, pink and russet houses tumbles down to the water, threaded by steep stepped alleys and tiny squares, with the rose-pink Church of San Giorgio standing on the rocks at the village's seaward tip, almost in the sea. There is little to do in the formal sense; the pleasure is in wandering the lanes, watching fishing boats in the small cove, swimming from the rocks, and lingering over seafood at a waterside table. A local legend tells that a giant octopus once saved the sleeping village from a pirate raid by ringing the church bell, a story celebrated each August. An unhurried visit takes one to two hours. Tellaro lies at the end of the road south from Lerici, with limited parking outside the centre, and is also reached by bus or by boat in summer. It is far quieter than the Cinque Terre across the gulf, busiest only on summer weekends. The pink Church of San Giorgio at the village's tip, especially at sunset, is the photograph to seek. This unspoilt corner of eastern Liguria rewards travellers looking for the atmosphere of the Cinque Terre without the crowds.