The Cinque Terre & the Poet's Gulf

Your third stop for the Atlantis cruise reserves a real gem of the Italian Riviera. Docking at La Spezia is a great opportunity to visit the ‘Cinque Terre’ and its ‘Poets’ Gulf’.

The ‘Cinque Terre’ UNESCO heritage, are five small hamlets on the final coast of Region Liguria, on the border with Tuscany. They dot the coast in a colorful harmony of fishermen’s houses, and some of them can be reached only by the sea or by train.

Their names are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola e Riomaggiore.

The Poets’ Gulf is so called for its unique beauty, which includes the villages of Portovenere and Lerici and the islands of Tino and Tinetto together with Palmaria Island. Here is the Byron’s Grotto, the cove where Poet Byron used to swim. Beaches are stony and with cobblestone, nevertheless it is always a pleasure to lay out a towel and sunbath here.

You will experience a marvellous boat tour with a dedicated food tasting of the best Mediterranean Diet. While you sail, you enjoy the sea and good food, paired with fresh white wine.

Here the program of the day:

9.30 AM – Meet your guide at La Spezia Port terminal and walk 10/15 minutes to Mirabello Port. You start your mini cruise by circumnavigating Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto Islands and diving in the coves along the shore.

You may ask the captain to dock in Monterosso or in Vernazza for a one-hour walk on you own. Docking at Vernazza requires to pay a fee of € 5.00 p. person and you will be accompanied by a smaller boat, able to dock in Vernazza small bay.

Your skipper and cook on board are getting ready, to surprise with a delicious combinations of food of the Mediterranean Diet: focaccia bread,  vegetable pies, fish carpaccio, muscles- which are grown here - fresh anchovies,  pasta with hand-made pesto sauce, and much more go hand in hand with fresh Cinque Terre DOP wines. Smooth sailing takes you to Portovenere, where you will disembark and visit the marine hamlet, where ‘tower-houses’ leaning on one another creating a special balance between man and nature.

Back on board and return to the Mirabello port. The guide walks with you to the Terminal cruise, where you arrive by 5.00PM.

In Portovenere, you have time to visit the local artisans’ shops and buy a good gelato!