Liguria is famous for her gorgeous coastline and it has made the region, particularly the Cinque Terre area, one of the most desirable tourist destinations in Italy. Impossibly scenic, this is a coastline made up of dramatic craggy rocks set over rich, jewel-tone aquamarine waters. There are some charming beaches but rather than long sandy strands, Liguria abounds in striking swimming spots. Here you might not have soft sands to lounge about on but you will find incredibly romantic places from which to jump into those stunning waters. And if you have found your villa in Liguria and are looking for a particularly lovely swimming spot throughout your vacation, then we cannot recommend the Grotta di Lord Byron highly enough.
As romantic as the famous Romantic writer for whom it is named, the Grotta di Lord Byron is found in the stunning town of Porto Venere, which is often dubbed the Pearl of the Cinque Terre and known as the unofficial sixth town of the Cinque Terre. The Grotta di Lord Byron, formerly known as Grotta Arpaia, was once the site of a temple to Venus, the Roman goddess of love. It is even more fitting, then, that the spot was later renamed after an infamous writer of love poems and rake.
But, why, you might ask, was it renamed for Byron? Well, it is the place where Byron is said to have swum from, crossing 8km over the Gulf of La Spezia (coincidentally known as the Gulf of the Poets) to Lerici, in order to visit the Shelleys. He is also said to have swum there regularly, gone there to meditate, and been incredibly fond of the spot. Now, therefore, it is forever connected to him.
It is also easy to see why it was this spot that the great poet so loved: with the craggy cliffs and rich waters for which the area is so known topped and heightened by the presence of the elegant Church of San Pietro and the walls of the Porto Venere castle perched on top.
A truly beautiful and romantic place, it is a must for a swim during a stay in one of our vacation rentals in Liguria.