Eco del Mare: The Cove Above a Sunken Roman Marble Ship

Italy | Liguria | La Spezia | Gulf of Poets

Somewhere beneath the water between Lerici and Tellaro, in a stretch known as La Caletta, the wreck of a Roman ship still rests on the seabed, sunk sometime in the first century BC while carrying marble likely quarried near ancient Luni. A section of the original column remains visible underwater near the wreck itself, while the other half was recovered and now sits in the Archaeological Museum at Luni, split between two locations separated by roughly two thousand years and a stretch of coastline most visitors swim across without ever knowing what’s beneath them. I found that detail genuinely striking while descending sixty meters below street level toward Eco del Mare, a cove that trades almost entirely on the same turquoise clarity that once made this a viable, if ultimately unlucky, shipping route.

The cove sits between Lerici and its quieter neighbor Tellaro, a fishing village whose own church bell tower carries a considerably more colorful legend, an octopus said to have rung the bells during a 1660 Saracen pirate raid, waking the village in time to drive the attackers back into the sea.

Water Clear Enough to Rival a Remote Island

The shore itself blends fine sand with smooth pebbles, framed by cliffs draped in green Mediterranean maquis rising steeply on either side. I found the water quality genuinely exceptional, clear enough that swimming out into the bay felt like moving through glass rather than seawater, and the gradual drop-off revealed patches of submerged rock supporting real marine life, worthwhile for anyone bringing a mask. Because the cove sits protected within the wider Gulf of Poets, the water stayed notably calm and reflective throughout my visit, shifting color with the sky overhead rather than churning with any real current.

An Elevator Cut Directly Through the Cliff

What sets Eco del Mare apart from most beaches on this coast is its approach to access itself. Rather than a steep staircase, a modern elevator cuts through the rock face, carrying guests from the upper parking area down to the sand, a genuinely unusual engineering solution that spared me the knee-jarring descent I’d grown used to at similar cliffside coves nearby. Given how curated and exclusive this club is, I’d expect the beach to suit older children and confident swimmers considerably better than toddlers or infants, and I’d check directly on any pet policy before assuming access, since a premium club like this one likely requires advance arrangement for dogs rather than open leash access.

Beanbags, Deluxe Cabins, and a Genuinely Uncluttered Layout

Each reservation includes a thoughtfully spaced umbrella, a premium sunbed, a large beanbag locally called a pomodone, and two plush towels, and I found the overall layout deliberately uncluttered compared to the tightly packed rows I’ve encountered at busier beach clubs elsewhere on this coast. Deluxe cabins with private bathrooms are available for anyone wanting to upgrade further, and hot and cold showers alongside secure wardrobe facilities cover the practical basics. Lifeguards remain on duty throughout opening hours, watching the bay continuously rather than only during specific peak windows.

Getting There and Settling In

Eco del Mare sits along the cliffside road connecting Lerici and Tellaro, reachable by car via the A12 or A15 exits toward La Spezia followed by the coastal route south, with parking available at street level before the elevator carries guests the rest of the way down; regional trains stop at La Spezia Centrale, from which local buses run toward Lerici and on to Tellaro, leaving a manageable walk or short taxi ride to the club entrance. Anyone extending a stay along this stretch of the gulf will find San Terenzo Beach Lerici and Beach Fiascherino 2 Lerici both within easy reach, each offering its own distinct layer of this coastline’s history, and for anyone curious about where that Roman marble column’s other half ended up, La Goletta Beach Marinella Sarzana sits near the ancient port of Luni itself, the ship’s original destination before the sea had other plans.

Standing Above a Cargo That Never Arrived

By the time I rode the elevator back up on my last evening, I found myself thinking about that unfinished shipment somewhere below the surface, marble cut with a specific building in mind, a temple or a villa that never got its stone, the whole failed delivery now serving no purpose beyond giving snorkelers something unexpected to find in water this clear.