"Tellaro and its surroundings"
Tellaro, an ancient maritime hamlet set between rocks, within The Gulf of the Poets, is considered one among the seven most beautiful places in Europe. Between the sea and the hill: beaches, paths, hiking trails and sports. Tellaro is rich in history, traditions and legends…
Tellaro
Tellaro, ancient and evocative village by the sea, probably of Etruscan origin and just 3 km. away from Lerici, was born from Barbazzano ruins. Tellaro was infact built between 1320 and 1380 by the survivors of Barbazzano, nearby village razed to the ground by the Saracens.
Tellaro’s architectonic structure is particularly inviting and evocative: the residential area is suspended over the sea while the church of St. George, dating back to the XVI century, appears to be built on the cliffs. This ancient hamlet is characterized by its typical little square, renowned for hanging out, around which many shops gather and its historical centre too, which clings entirely onto the rock. Narrow streets underneath almost continuous archways, entirely connected to one another, converge into the little square opposite the marina, right by the sea.
Surrounding the little church, which raises on a rock overlooking the sea just like a ship ready to sail, picturesque houses stand, built closely to one another.
In Tellaro, the main road stops in the little square: beyond that, rocks overlooking the sea are there to protect the intimacy of wide, wild and unspoilt beaches, “the spiaggioni", ideal destination for lovers of freedom and stillness, which are accessed through dedicated services.
San Giorgio’s church perhaps represents Tellaro’s most significant symbol. Originally, it was a castle and the bell tower comes from an ancient tower in Pisa (Tuscany).
Santa Maria’s Oratory in Selàa offers breathtaking views of the coastline and the Gulf of La Spezia. The recently restored building is open during festivities, exhibitions and concerts; its space may also be hired for special events such as weddings.
Tellaro, with its intricate interweaving of alleys, is to visitors a fascinating labirinth of shapes, colours and lights. Many writers, painters and poets have stayed in Tellaro, getting inspired by its beauty. Amongst many others: Lord Byron, D. H. Lawrence, Guglielmo Amedeo Lori, Antonio Discovolo, Attilio Bertolucci and Mario Soldati.
The centre of Tellaro is accessible only on foot. The road coming from Lerici ends at the outskirts of Tellaro itself: the Restaurant La Caletta is only a few meters away from the public car park!
What to do
Special Events
24 DECEMBER
Sea and Beaches
Tellaro’s beaches are small yet very beautiful. The two beaches in Fiascherino, for example, offer free public areas where to sunbath but there is also the possibility of hiring sun beds, umbrellas, pedalos and even canoes to discover the coastline by sea. The steps leading down to the beaches from the main road in the village are within walking distance from La Caletta restaurant, easy to reach. There are also a series of beautiful wild beaches, the so called “Spiaggioni”, along the coastline near Tellaro, which can be reached by steep trails (on foot) or by boat. A little further ahead, Trigliano is a great alternative for those who prefer rocks to sand. This cliff is reached by steep steps too, offering breathtaking views over the surrounding territory of the Gulf of La Spezia.
Underwater Nativity
Every year, on New Year’s Eve, the ancient hamlet of Tellaro lights up with its thousands flames (over 5000 candles promptly prepared and arranged in crucial spots by the inhabitants of Tellaro) to receive Baby Jesus’s statue. The latter, laid on a shell and raised from the sea by a group of divers, is then placed in a manger while many fireworks release their energy over Tellaro’ sea.
23
APRIL
Trekking
For trekking lovers, Tellaro offers a wide array of beautiful paths for you to discover. If you want to know more, log onto the website www.tellaroitaly.com. The hiking paths, which can be done even partially, offer lovey and relaxing walks.
Saint George Festival
On the 23 April Saint George, the Saint patron of Tellaro, is celebrated by the inhabitants of Tellaro with a traditional country feast and various stands.
2°
SUNDAY OF AUGUST
Mountain Bike
If you want to enjoy a mountain bike ride instead, make sure to follow all the paths running through Tellaro and Montemarcello, which will give you much satisfaction as well as safety.
Motorbike
For motorbike trip lovers this whole area is ideal: wonderful views, bending roads and interesting places to get to. Tellaro represents the ideal final destination of an enjoyable tour! So, after a long day spent travelling around, why not stop for a lovely meal at The Caletta’s Tavern Restaurant in Tellaro? The Caletta always awaits its customers with a warm welcome.
The Festival of the Saving Octopus
For over thirty years the inhabitants of Tellaro commemorate the popular legend of the saving octopus with a special event which promptly occurs every year, on the second Sunday of August, organised by the Sports Union: the Festival of the Saving Octopus. The festival retrieves the legend according to which, during a foggy night, the inhabitants of Tellaro were saved from imminent danger by a gigantic octopus. It is said to have come out from the depths of the sea, striking the church bells to warn the villagers of the invasion of Saracen pirates.
The event is also a gastronomic feast! Infact the octopus is prepared according to traditional recipes and many other authentic dishes accompany this star of the evening too.
Of course, The Caletta’s Tavern Restaurant honors such traditional event with a special menu, one of a kind!
FINE LUGLIO
Water Sports
This amazing coastline, part of the beautiful Gulf of the Poets, gives you the chance to practice many different sports, such as diving, underwater fishing and canoeing. One of the best ways to discover the coastline is by sea, so why not hire a canoe or take a boat trip? From there, you’ll enjoy fantastic views and have the chance to visit beaches of Punta Corvo, Punta Bianca and reach Bocca di Magra too, with a fantastic panorama over the Tuscan coast.
The Festival of the Enchanted Village
At the end of July, during a summer weekend, the alleys (carugi) and cellars of the historical center of Tellaro come alive with many fantastic characters who tell tales of the enchanted corners of this beautiful village. It’s a magical evening which transforms this ancient hamlet into a fairy tale setting where the absolute protagonists are witches, magicians, fairies, princes, princesses and goblins too, heroes and heroines drawn from old and modern children’s books. This event originates from Menè’s tale, the story of a woman who spent all her life wandering around the alleys of Tellaro in search of her lost children.
At the festival of the enchanted village all children experience lots of fun! Adults too!
TELLARO’S OCTOPUS
God only knows what would have become of Tellaro today if, one foggy night, a legendary octopus hadn't woken up all the inhabitants of the village playing St. George’s church bells, thus allowing the people of Tellaro to defeat the Saracens!
The legend goes that Tellaro, nowadays a quiet village reflected in the waters of the Ligurian sea between Lerici and Bocca di Magra, was once attracting all over the place pirates and buccaneers who didn't dislike at all sudden incursions onto the coast with the purpose of sacking and maybe kidnapping the women of the village. The inscription over St. George’s church reads like this: “Saraceni mare nostrum infestantes sunt noctu profiligati quod polipusaer cirris suis sacrum pulsabat”, thus witnessing the legacy left by the legend of the saving octopus.
SURROUNDINGS
Tellaro is surrounded by beautiful and fascinating places. Along the Gulf of the Poets coastline you’ll meet the villages of Lerici and San Terenzo, then the town of La Spezia and further away the village of Le Grazie, the promontory of Portovenere and the Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto islands too.
Set at the extreme offshoot of The Riviera of Levante, moving inland, above Tellaro and just past the hamlet of La Serra, you’ll find Montemarcello, a village located within the natural regional park of Montemarcello-Magra-Vara, which, on top of “Monte Murlo” (365 m.), hosts a characteristic botanical garden and offers fantastic sea views too. On the other side of the mountain, at the bottom of it, there is the pretty village of Ameglia, and, along the coastline, the beautiful Punta Corvo, Punta Bianca and Bocca di Magra. From the Santa Croce Monastery, on top of Bocca di Magra’s hill, you’ll admire a fantastic view over the mouth of the river Magra, the beaches and the Tuscan coastline too.
We advise you to organize your trip to Tellaro and its surroundings by visiting this website: www.terredilunigiana.com
We also invite you to visit Tellaro more than once because one trip is definitely not enough!
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