Loop San Terenzo – La Serra – Rocchetta – Zanego – Lerici

The path we are going to describe represents the typical Ligurian path between sea and mountains through hills of olive trees and holm oak woods with a breathtaking view over the splendid Gulf of Poets and its archipelago.

It starts from the seaside village of San Terenzo with path n. 456 that climbs from the seafront passing through the cemetery, crosses the provincial road with a pedestrian bridge, passing through the small villages of Solaro and Pugliola, enchanting little villages with sublime views over the Gulf of La Spezia.

From here you join the AVG (Alta via del Golfo) in the direction of Bocca di Magra which in this section coincides with the SP 28 until you reach La Serra, a typical Ligurian village with its houses leaning against each other, the narrow alleys and the terraces that offer an incomparable view of Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. Crossing the village you go up with a typical Ligurian mule track called “creuza” and crossing a dense forest of centenary oaks you reach Monte Rocchetta, the highest point of our route with its 456 meters above sea level, where you can admire the military fort built at the end of the nineteenth century that housed a battery to defend the Gulf.

From Rocchetta the AVG runs along a flat stretch in Pian della Chiesa, crossing the property of a farm that grows vines and olive trees using organic techniques, and then descends to Zanego, where you turn right onto path n. 433 that starting from Bocca di Magra runs through the splendid hills planted with olive trees, reaching Lerici.

The path slopes gently over the splendid villages of Tellaro and Fiascherino passing through the ancient abandoned agricultural villages of Portesone and Barbazzano, with two-floors houses built with local stone dating back to the 16th century; here the population was dedicated to olive cultivation and pastoralism and was forced to flee due to the outbreak of a plague.

The route is all overlooking the sea and winds its way under the village of La Serra, along the promontory of Maralunga until it reaches Lerici, passing alongside the Castle, descending into the “carugi” of the historic village to the central Piazza Garibaldi, where walking on the splendid seafront, passing through the Venere Azzurra beach we finally reach San Terenzo, where our splendid excursion began.