Instead of Cinque Terre: Tellaro, Liguria's Secret Borgo on the Sea

Tellaro: where Liguria still belongs to the fishermen

Cinque Terre has become synonymous with overtourism: rationed hiking trails, packed trains and a tourism industry that has transformed authentic borghi into selfie backdrops. But Liguria still has corners where time moves at the slow pace of the waves. Tellaro, a hamlet in the municipality of Lerici, is one of them: a handful of pastel-coloured houses clinging to the rock, a tiny harbour and a silence that smells of salt.

One of Italy's most beautiful borghi

Tellaro has been listed among the Borghi più belli d'Italia and in the "Borghi autentici" club. Its distinctive quality is its inaccessibility: no roads for cars reaching the centre, no car parks right by the sea. You descend on foot, down a steep stairway that naturally filters out mass tourism. This natural selection has preserved the borgo's soul: real fishermen still live here, cats doze on the steps and the church of San Giorgio juts from the rock like a sentinel over the sea.

What to see and do

- Church of San Giorgio: built directly on the cliff, it is the heart of the borgo. Legend has it that one night a giant octopus rang the bells to warn the inhabitants of an approaching storm.

- The harbour: a few colourful boats, nets spread out to dry and the clearest water in the Golfo dei Poeti. Here Byron and Shelley found inspiration.

- Tellaro–Lerici trail: a coastal walk of about 40 minutes through Mediterranean scrubland and breathtaking views over the gulf. Far less crowded than the trails of Cinque Terre.

- Fiascherino and Eco del Mare: two small coves reachable on foot, with crystal-clear water and seabeds ideal for snorkelling.

- Lerici: the medieval castle and the fishing borgo are a few minutes away, perfect for an evening stroll.

Where to eat

In Tellaro the restaurants can be counted on one hand, but the quality is outstanding. Locanda Miranda is an institution: Ligurian seafood cuisine with a view over the harbour, where the dishes follow the catch of the day. For a snack, seek out the freshly baked focaccia from the borgo's bakery. The pesto here is still made in a marble mortar, and the trofie al pesto with green beans and potatoes has a flavour that has long been lost in the restaurants of Cinque Terre.

Getting there

From La Spezia, Tellaro is reached by car in about 20 minutes (SP331 towards Lerici, then the turn-off for Tellaro). Parking is in the upper part of the borgo. Alternatively, local buses run from Lerici. The reference railway station is La Spezia Centrale, well connected with Genoa, Pisa and Milan. In summer, a boat service links Lerici and Tellaro by sea: the most beautiful way to arrive.

The best time to visit

From April to June the borgo is at its finest: bougainvillea in bloom, an already inviting sea and few tourists. September and October bring warm days and spectacular sunsets. July and August attract a few more visitors, but nothing comparable to the crush of Cinque Terre. Winter has an austere charm, with storms delivering incomparable natural spectacles.

Why Tellaro beats Cinque Terre

The comparison is merciless for anyone seeking authenticity. Cinque Terre receives over 3 million visitors a year; Tellaro doesn't even appear in the statistics. There are no souvenir shops, no tourist restaurants with laminated menus in six languages. There is no train disgorging waves of tourists every fifteen minutes. There is the sea, there is the stone, there is the scent of basil drifting from the windows. There is Liguria as it should be.

Tellaro is not an alternative: it is a return to origins. It is the borgo that Cinque Terre was before the world discovered it, and the best reason to believe that slow travel is still possible.