Where to stay in La Spezia, Italy - the best accommodation

La Spezia is a small town located in the south of Liguria, in the north of Italy, and is a strategic place to stay if you want to visit the north of Italy; namely the beautiful rocky area of the Cinque Terre, its coves and beaches.

La Spezia is an ideal base if you want to explore the area that includes the Cinque Terre, Florence, Genoa and Pisa, three culturally emblematic cities.

Where to stay in La Spezia, Italy - What you need to know

La Spezia is a small town in the north of Italy, with a population of around 90,000, located on the border of the provinces of Liguria and Tuscany. It is a friendly place and its fish and vegetable markets every morning are a place to see the locals 'in action'.

It is a seaport and you can take day trips to the fishing villages and the island of Palmaria.

Similarly, rail services provide easy access to other parts of Cinque Terre.

In the town itself, discover the basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, the castle of San Giorgio and its archaeological museum. Even the modern bridge, Ponte de Thaon de Revel, is impressive.

The waterfront and public gardens with the port of Porto Mirabello start with the beautiful white Ponte Thaon di Revel bridge. The Passeggiata Costantino Morin, lined with palm trees, with a breathtaking view of the port. Nearby, La Spezia's public gardens are perfect for the children's playground.

What to visit in La Spezia

Maëli rooms, La Spezia

The castle of San Giorgio is one of the main monuments of La Spezia; it was built in the 13th century by Nicolo Fieschi. The castle houses an archaeological museum which displays exciting artefacts from this part of Italy from the Bronze Age.

Via Prione is the main pedestrian street with a wide choice of restaurants; cafes and bars, as well as shops selling Italian clothes and shoes. Piazza Cavour (Piazza del Mercato) is the market square, the morning fruit and vegetable market.

You can also find the weekly street market on Viale Garibaldi. Other places to shop are Le Terrazze and Shopping 5Terre Outlet Village.

You have museums such as the Maritime Museum (Naval Technical Museum), an important naval museum in Italy; the Amedeo Lia Art Museum presents collections dating from the 13th to the 18th century. Don't forget to visit the Chiesa di Nostra Signora della Neve (Church of Our Lady of the Snow) with its beautiful façade.

There are festivals every year in this village, you have Fiera di San Giuseppe in March and Palio del Golfo in August.

Accommodation is fairly affordable, including hotels and villas with seasonal pools and youth hostels, around the station and in the old town.

Stay in La Spezia if you want a central base for exploring iconic cities; Accommodation choices will suit your budget; You like the idea of sea trips.

The best accommodations in La Spezia :

• Maëli rooms

• Via Chiodo luxury rooms

• I Colori di Mag

To make the most of your time in La Spezia read: What to do in La Spezia near the Cinque Terre in Italy.

When should you visit La Spezia?Via Chiodo luxury rooms

The high season in the province of La Spezia is from mid-May to September, when the cruise season is in full swing and La Spezia, Cinque Terre and the surrounding villages are filled with tourists.

In terms of climate, like much of Italy, the weather in this region is generally more stable in late spring and summer.

Winters are temperate and rainy, so during this period some of the hiking trails in the national park may be closed.

As for the best areas to stay when visiting Cinque Terre, the best option is inside the park, especially in Manarola, probably the most beautiful of the villas. If you are on a budget, La Spezia is the best place to stay.

Where to stay in La Spezia, Italy - Best areas and hotels

Cinque Terre, which can be translated as Five Lands, is the name given to the coastal region west of La Spezia, comprising five colourful villas set on impressive cliffs overlooking the sea. These small towns are the main tourist attraction of the province and have been declared, along with the surrounding mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

La Spezia is halfway between Genoa and Pisa and although it does not have its own airport, it has excellent rail links with both cities and the five towns that make up the Cinque Terre. It also has frequent ferry connections with the national park.

The high season in the province of La Spezia is from mid-May to September, when the cruise season is in full swing and La Spezia, Cinque Terre and the surrounding villages are filled with tourists.

In terms of climate, like much of Italy, the weather in this region is generally more stable in late spring and summer. Winters are temperate and rainy. So during this period, some of the hiking trails in the national park may be closed.

As for the best areas to stay when visiting Cinque Terre; the best option is inside the park, especially in Manarola, probably the most beautiful of the villas. If you are on a budget, La Spezia is the best place to stay. See accommodation in La Spezia.

Best areas to stay in La Spezia, Italy

1. Recommended area: La Spezia - Port and city centre

La Spezia: the main access point for visiting the Cinque Terre National Park by train or ferry.

Although the town is small, it is an excellent place to stay if you are looking for a more urban environment than the small villas of Cinque Terre can offer.

This makes it the best area to stay in La Spezia:

• Located in the heart of the city

• Pedestrian friendly

• The port of La Spezia

• Connected to the Cinque Terre

• Central train station

If this is not reason enough to choose La Spezia as a place to stay when visiting the Cinque Terre, accommodation in town is considerably cheaper than in the park.

La Spezia Centrale railway station offers direct connections to Pisa, Genoa and all the villages of the Cinque Terre, which can be reached without restriction with the Cinque Terre Card train ticket.

In addition, La Spezia has a cruise port and several ferry services that also transport tourists to the national park.

Although La Spezia is rather sparse in tourist attractions, the Naval Museum, the San Giorgio Castle or the Amedeo Lia Museum offer alternatives for those who want to discover more of this town beyond the Cinque Terre.

Selected hotels in the area

Our first choice:

• NH La Spezia offers a restaurant and rooms with free Wi-Fi and is located opposite the Ligurian Sea. The hotel is 150 metres from the historic centre and a 5-minute walk from the port, with links to Cinque Terre.

• Albergo Teatro is located in the centre of La Spezia, 1.2 km from La Spezia Port and 2.7 km from Le Terrazze shopping centre. This 1-star hotel offers luggage storage.

Mid-range option:

Hotel Firenze e Continentale occupies a restored historic building and offers elegant rooms with air conditioning. Just 50 metres away is La Spezia Centrale Station, from where trains leave for the Cinque Terre National Park.

2. East of La Spezia

The eastern part of La Spezia is a more modern and quiet area than the city centre.

This area, which borders on the port on its southern side, offers a less touristy and more "neighbourhood" environment than its central counterpart.

This makes it the best area to stay in La Spezia:

• Migliarina train station

• Le Terrazze shopping centre

• Peaceful area

The eastern end of La Spezia connected by buses and the Migliarina train station; with direct connections to the Stazione Centrale, but also to some of the towns in the Cinque Terre park; as well as Parma and Pisa.

In addition to a few parks and shopping streets, this area is also home to the Le Terrazze shopping centre, with a multitude of fashion and electronics shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.

As it is not a historical or tourist area, eastern La Spezia offers more affordable accommodation than any other area in Cinque Terre and La Spezia.

Selected hotels in this area

Our first choice:

Mediterranean Concept House is located in La Spezia; 2.8 km from the port of La Spezia and 1.3 km from Le Terrazze shopping centre.

3. Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is probably one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in Italy.

This small area, made up of five small colourful villages anchored in spectacular cliffs on the Ligurian Sea, has become in recent years one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region and an obligatory stop for cruise passengers.

The five villas that make up the Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare.

If you are deciding which of the towns to stay in in Cinque Terre. All five are quite similar, all are connected by train and ferry and offer, in general, the same services to visitors.

That said, the most picturesque of all is Manarola. Monterosso and Vernazza are the only ones with a beach.

The offer ofaccommodation to stay in Cinque Terre is rather limited; being a remote place (you can't reach the national park by car or bus) the rates are generally high, especially in high season.

All villages have small hotels and tourist flats.

Things to remember

Travelling from the train station or the port and the centre of the villas almost always involves climbing many stairs. It is therefore advisable to avoid carrying bulky luggage.

This makes it the best area to stay in La Spezia:

• Romantic atmosphere

• Beautiful views

• Nature and culture

• Connected by ferry and train

• Cinque Terre

• Charming hotels

Selected hotels in this region

• Our first choice

Alla Marina Affittacamere, located in a mid-13th century building. Renovated in 2011 and located next to the small port of Riomaggiore, one of the towns of Cinque Terre.

• Budget option

Locanda Dalla Compagnia is located in the centre of Riomaggiore and the Cinque Terre National Park. It offers en suite rooms and studios located in different buildings.

• Mid-range option

Hotel Villa Argentina is located in the Cinque Terre National Park; a 10-minute walk from Riomaggiore train station. Rooms come with flat-screen satellite TV, private bathroom, and air conditioning.

See also

• La Spezia in Italy: Where to eat and shop