Lerici from the high road, across the bay from Portovenere.

A stunning castle turned museum marks Star Flyer’s arrival at Lerici, an Italian seaside town located on the Italian Riviera. The picturesque Lerici is the largest village in the Gulf of La Spezia and its fishing villages and old quarters offer guests a charming area to explore while at port.

While in Lerici literature buffs will want to take a short walk to the village of of San Terenzo a where Frankenstein author Mary Shelley lived. The azure waters of the Gulf of La Spezia have inspired many and the gulf is commonly referred to as the Gulf of Poets because of its attraction to some of the world’s most celebrated poets. Another must see is the grotto dedicated to Lord Byron at Portovenere.

A short ferry ride from Lerici is the breathtaking Cinque Terre, comprised of five villages. The cliffs are terraced and planted with vineyards and vegetable gardens. It is easy for guests to imagine what this area must have looked like two centuries ago, for the houses and terraces have not changed.

Star Flyer will call at Lerici on it’s 7-night Tyrrhenian itineraries beginning in May 2010.