Trittico Natatorio Santerenzino e Golfo dei Poeti CUP

The Trittico Natatorio Santerenzino e Golfo dei Poeti CUP is an open water sea swimming meeting based in San Terenzo, a seaside village in the municipality of Lerici along the eastern Ligurian coast. The centrepiece of the schedule is the Golfo dei Poeti CUP, a demanding 10,000-metre sea marathon included in the national FIN circuit. Swimmers embark on an expansive point-to-point journey that starts outside the gulf at Bocca di Magra and traces the jagged coastal headland to finish on the sands of San Terenzo. Covering that distance tests endurance against open swell before guiding you inside the sheltered arms of the bay, where the sea settles into flat, fast water for the final kilometres toward the shore.

Shorter distances let swimmers take in the bay across the summer calendar. In July, San Terenzo hosts both a marine nautical mile valid for the UISP national championship and a 3,000-metre race on the national FIN circuit. In September, the Coppa Mori brings festive racing directly in front of Piazza Brusacà, where crowds leaning over the waterfront promenade can watch competitors slicing through clear water illuminated by the late-summer sun. Kicking off the warmer months in June, the non-competitive Miglio Blu links Lerici to San Terenzo starting from Erbetta. Before the start, swimmers gather in the water to form a traditional floating circle to the applause of spectators lining the cliffs, setting off into sea conditions so gentle and mild they are often likened to swimming across a lake.

Capo Corvo and Punta Bianca along the marathon swim

Leaving Bocca di Magra behind, the Golfo dei Poeti CUP route runs beneath Capo Corvo, the dramatic headland of the Caprione ridge that marks the eastern boundary of the Ligurian Riviera and divides it from the Apuan coast. Known to the geographer Ptolemy as Lunae promontorium, this rugged cape culminates at Punta Bianca, the southernmost tip of the promontory. As you navigate the coastal line, the dark cliffs give way to three stark rocks rising from the water: Corvaccino, Viciatello, and Muginara. These deep waters carry a notable maritime legacy beneath the surface. It was off Punta Corvo that engineers laid the first underwater telegraph cable in 1854, connecting the mainland of La Spezia to Capo Corso on the island of Corsica. Today, the seabed remains a pristine passage of deep blue where marathon swimmers find an unbroken, hypnotic rhythm as they round the cape toward the gulf.

The Gulf of La Spezia: breakwater and sheltered waters

Turning the corner past the headland opens the expanse of the Gulf of La Spezia, a natural basin measuring roughly four and a half kilometres in length and over three kilometres across. The gulf is framed by the Portovenere promontory and its three archipelago islands to the west and the Lerici coastline to the east. Crossing toward San Terenzo, swimmers move from the wild open sea into an enclosed maritime theatre. The defining feature of this stretch of water is an immense outer breakwater stretching 2,210 metres across the entrance from Punta Santa Maria to Punta Santa Teresa. At the eastern terminus of the barrier stands the Punta Santa Teresa lighthouse, its lantern perched ten metres above the sea facing the open water.

Swimming past this monumental barrier transforms the surface conditions instantly. While the gulf remains exposed to southern scirocco gusts and partially to northern tramontana winds, the massive breakwater blocks the prevailing libeccio swells that roll in across the Ligurian Sea. Inside the barrier wall, the water settles into smooth, flat conditions, creating the calm, lake-like surface that makes the eastern inlet between Lerici and San Terenzo exceptionally hospitable for open-water competition.

Casa Magni and Lerici Castle: the poets' gulf

The eastern headland has guarded this bay for centuries, dominated by the imposing medieval castle of Lerici, constructed in 1152 to oversee maritime access to the entire gulf. This dramatic backdrop also earned the area its title as the Gulf of Poets, an identity shaped by the Romantic writers who sought inspiration along this very shore. Lord Byron visited while Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley lived in Casa Magni, with their sailing vessel moored nearby in Lerici. The waters do carry a sombre literary chapter, as Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned in the bay during a sudden maritime squall on July 8, 1822, his body later washing ashore down the coast at Viareggio.

Yet the gulf of today has none of that wild unpredictability, tamed by the protective breakwater and summer weather patterns that leave the sea peaceful, clear, and safe for recreational swimmers. The cultural heritage of the bay extends even deeper into Italian art history. Several art scholars believe that the coastal landscape in the background of Sandro Botticelli's Renaissance masterpiece, The Birth of Venus, depicts this exact corner of the Ligurian coast, mirroring the promontories and sea horizons of the gulf.

The Walk of Poetry from San Terenzo to Lerici

Connecting the finish line at San Terenzo to the harbour of Lerici is a coastal path known as the Walk of Poetry. Flanking this route is the sandy shoreline of Venere Azzurra, nestled in a natural inlet on the eastern curve of the gulf. The paved promenade features commemorative plaques dedicated to recipients of the local Lerici Pea literary prize, embedding the bay's artistic identity directly into the seaside walk. Unlike the bustling centre of Lerici, San Terenzo preserves a distinctly quiet and intimate maritime atmosphere. It remains a proud seafaring community and stands as one of the thirteen historic maritime villages that compete each year in the traditional Palio del Golfo rowing regatta.

After drying off, swimmers drift into the small lanes just behind the beach for local treats. The village bakery is celebrated for its freshly baked Focaccia della Linetta, an olive-oil-soaked classic perfect for replenishing energy right by the shore. Just down the promenade, the local pastry shop Oriani prepares traditional poncré, a soft Ligurian fruit cake studded with raisins, pine nuts, and candied fruit that pairs naturally with an afternoon spent watching the sun settle across the bay.