{"id":61752,"date":"2026-10-14T22:02:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T22:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/liguria\/bocca-di-magra\/"},"modified":"2026-10-14T22:05:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T22:05:13","slug":"bocca-di-magra","status":"publish","type":"localita","link":"https:\/\/italian-riviera.com\/en\/riviera-di-levante\/bocca-di-magra\/","title":{"rendered":"Bocca di Magra"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bocca di Magra is a hamlet of the municipality of Ameglia, in the province of La Spezia, right where the Magra river meets the sea. It has a few hundred residents, a pedestrian waterfront, a small marina, two beaches a few minutes’ walk from the centre and the green headland of Montemarcello closing the view towards La Spezia. This is the far eastern end of Liguria, at the start of the Gulf of Poets, about 20 minutes by car from Lerici<\/a> and Sarzana<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One thing almost nobody explains: the Magra is not the border with Tuscany. Bocca di Magra is still Liguria and belongs to Ameglia, not to Sarzana or Lerici. Tuscany starts further east, beyond Fiumaretta and Marinella: Marina di Carrara is a little over 5 km away, about 15 minutes by car.<\/p>\n

You come here for the water and the calm, not for monuments. The village has a curious past: in the early 20th century, and above all after the war, writers and intellectuals such as Eugenio Montale and Elio Vittorini spent their summers at the river mouth, which was quieter than Versilia. Today it is a good alternative to the crowded Cinque Terre<\/a>: same province, far fewer people, under an hour away.<\/p>\n

Know before you go: there is no railway station, no scheduled boat service, and parking fills up in summer. With a little planning it makes an easy day of sea and trails. Read the sections on getting there and on the beaches, where we also explain the status of two access points that many guides get wrong.<\/p>\n

What to see in Bocca di Magra<\/h2>\n
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You can walk around the village in an hour. The sights are few and close together: the riverbank and harbour, the monastery on the slope, the Roman villa (by reservation only) and the nearby hill village of Montemarcello. The rest is strolling, sitting by the water and looking at the Apuan Alps in the distance.<\/p>\n

The river mouth and waterfront<\/h3>\n
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The heart of Bocca di Magra is the right bank of the river, a long pedestrian promenade with moored boats on one side and coloured houses on the other. The Magra is wide and slow here; the sea opens to the right, and on clear days the white Apuan peaks show on the horizon. Fishermen land their catch at the pier and, according to local accounts, you can buy fish directly from them: ask on the spot, as times and availability vary.<\/p>\n

The best time is late afternoon, when the light hits the mountains and the river turns gold. In the evening the promenade stays quiet.<\/p>\n

Monastery of Santa Croce del Corvo<\/h3>\n
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On the slope above the village, on Via Santa Croce, stands the monastery of Santa Croce del Corvo. According to FAI it was founded in 1189 to commemorate the arrival at the port of Ameglia of a small boat carrying a relic of the Precious Blood; other sources date it a few years earlier, so it is safest to say late 12th century. The church holds a large Romanesque wooden crucifix. Tradition links the place to Dante, who in 1306 was in the area as a peacemaker for the Malaspina family. It lies near the Via Francigena.<\/p>\n

Today it is a house of spirituality run by the Discalced Carmelites, with guesthouse space for retreats and groups. It is not a museum and public visiting hours are not confirmed: you can see it well from outside and from the path, but if you want to go in, contact the monastery first through its official website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Roman villa<\/h3>\n
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The river mouth was home to Portus Lunae, the system of river and sea ports tied to the Roman city of Luni, a few kilometres towards Sarzana. On the slope of the Caprione above Bocca di Magra lie the remains of a Roman villa with phases from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD. The best-preserved part is the private bath quarter, with the caldarium, in the east wing.<\/p>\n

The villa can only be visited by reservation. According to the Ministry of Culture, it opens for schools and groups, with a few cultural evenings in summer. The 2026 visiting calendar is not confirmed: see the Ministry of Culture page<\/a> or call the municipality of Ameglia on the number given there (+39 0187 609273).<\/p>\n

Montemarcello and the Park<\/h3>\n
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Montemarcello is the hill hamlet of Ameglia, listed among “I Borghi pi\u00f9 belli d’Italia”: a grid-like layout of Roman origin, the church of San Pietro with a marble triptych from 1529 and viewpoints over the gulf. It houses the visitor centre of the Montemarcello-Magra-Vara Regional Natural Park, which includes Bocca di Magra. The Park protects the Magra river and the Caprione headland; river birds include cormorants, herons and the kingfisher, the Park’s symbol. Opening times of the visitor centre and of the botanical garden on Monte Murlo are not confirmed: check before going up.<\/p>\n

Ameglia<\/h3>\n

Ameglia, the municipal seat, is a hill village about 3 km away. It is mentioned in a diploma of Otto I in 963 and has a castle from 1174. With a car, it is an easy stop for a coffee with a view of the Magra plain.<\/p>\n

Beaches of Bocca di Magra<\/h2>\n
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The beaches are small, a few steps from the centre, and the bottom changes from stretch to stretch: sand, pebbles and rocks. The most reliable sources mention two beaches within a few minutes’ walk of the pedestrian area, one equipped and one free. There are also smaller coves near the harbour among rocks and pines. Names of beach clubs, prices and lengths are not confirmed, so we do not give them: ask on the spot.<\/p>\n

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A few minutes away is Fiumaretta, another hamlet of Ameglia, with a longer, mostly sandy beach, with free stretches and beach clubs. In 2026 the Blue Flag in the province of La Spezia went to Framura, Bonassola, Levanto and Lerici; Ameglia is not on the list. If you want space and sand, choose Fiumaretta; if you want the village at your feet, Bocca di Magra.<\/p>\n

Some of the most talked-about beaches in the area are those below Montemarcello. They are lovely, but access has suffered landslides and closures. Our deep dive covers them in detail, with the status we know and how to check it: beaches of Bocca di Magra and around<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Punta Corvo: closed since 2023, check first<\/h3>\n

Punta Corvo is a small dark beach below Montemarcello, reached by a path with more than 700 steps. By an order of April 2023 the mayor of Ameglia closed beach and stairway because of falling-rock risk, after a geological survey. The municipality has a safety project awaiting permits. The 2026 status is not confirmed: check the order of the Comune di Ameglia before you go<\/strong> on the municipality’s website<\/a>. Many tourist sites still describe boat and path access as active: do not rely on them.<\/p>\n

Punta Bianca<\/h3>\n

Punta Bianca is the white cliff of the headland, inside the Park. The path was closed after a landslide in November 2023, when part of the stairway collapsed. According to the outlet Montagna.tv, the municipality carried out extraordinary works, restored the stairway and lifted the order. The 2026 situation is not confirmed by an official order: check the order of the Comune di Ameglia before you go<\/strong>. Do not confuse it with the Punta Bianca in Sicily, which is a military zone.<\/p>\n

Things to do in Bocca di Magra<\/h2>\n

Walks and trails<\/h3>\n

From the village you can climb to the monastery and Montemarcello. A hiker’s track describes a loop of about 8 km linking Bocca di Magra, Montemarcello, the Punta Corvo viewpoint and Punta Bianca, but it rests on a single weak source and the sections towards the points may be closed: check trail status with the municipality and the Park before leaving. For an easy outing, the climb to the monastery and Montemarcello is the safest choice. The link to Tellaro<\/a> and Lerici<\/a> is much longer: the Lerici\u2013Tellaro stretch is CAI trail 433 (about 2 hours, as in our Tellaro guide), while the full route to the river mouth has no official source.<\/p>\n

By boat<\/h3>\n
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From the marina you can see the gulf from the sea: the coast of Tellaro and Lerici, the islands of Portovenere. There is no scheduled boat from Bocca di Magra or Fiumaretta, either to the Cinque Terre or to Portovenere: the nearest scheduled boats leave from Lerici<\/a>, about 11 km away. Boats and dinghies can be rented at the river mouth. Rental platforms list licence-free dinghies (up to 40 hp, 30 kW, within 6 miles of the coast); prices and operators are not confirmed, and for licence rules ask the Harbour Master’s office in La Spezia. The island of Tino is a reserve and military area and cannot be visited.<\/p>\n

Culture and literature<\/h3>\n

For a literary walk start on the waterfront: after the Second World War and until the late 1950s, Elio Vittorini, Italo Calvino, Giorgio Bassani, Marguerite Duras, Simone de Beauvoir, Indro Montanelli, Franco Fortini and Vittorio Sereni passed through. Montale, who came first, set the story “La casa sul Magra” and the poem “Il ritorno” here. Many stayed at the Sans Fa\u00e7on inn or at Villa degli Ulivi. There are no plaques to follow in sequence today: it is a place to cross with those pages in mind.<\/p>\n

What to eat in Bocca di Magra<\/h2>\n

The cooking is river-mouth and sea: fresh fish, shellfish, anchovies and pasta with seafood. Some restaurants face the river, others the sea. Reviews say riverside tables are full at lunch in summer: book. Names, menus and prices are not verified for 2026, so we do not give a list that may be out of date; check recent reviews or ask in the village. At Fiumaretta there is a restaurant listed by the Michelin Guide, LUV (in the Maison del Magra hotel), in the top price bracket.<\/p>\n

Events in Bocca di Magra<\/h2>\n

The local calendar is small. The Ameglia Carnival, “Omo a’r Bozo”, falls on the last Sunday of Carnival; the 2026 and 2027 dates are not confirmed. On 30 November the village celebrates Sant’Andrea, its patron saint. The Monastery of Santa Croce hosts cultural events, including the Dante Lunigiana Festival, but 2026 dates are not confirmed. The municipality’s events calendar was empty on 14 October 2026.<\/p>\n

Day trips from Bocca di Magra<\/h2>\n

Bocca di Magra is a handy base for the whole Gulf of Poets.<\/p>\n