La Spezia (Italy Riviera)

La Spezia is a major port city on Ligurian Sea and in the Liguria region (northern Italy). By population (around 95,000), the city is ranked Liguria's second-largest (after Genova). Located midway between Pisa and Genoa, La Spezia is one of Italy's principal commercial and military harbors (hosting naval base, Italian Navy's arsenal, navigation school).

The city is also one of the gateways to Cinque Terre (Italian Riviera) interlinked via regularly scheduled ships and trains. Maritime industries include a commercial port (cargo and passengers), shipyards, machinery production, refined petroleum.

Fincantieri (one of the world's largest shipbuilding companies) owns the merchant shipbuilding yards Monfalcone, Marghera (Venice), Sestri Ponente (Genoa), Ancona, Castellammare di Stabia (near Naples) and Palermo (Sicily). The company also owns the naval shipyards Riva Trigoso (Genoa) and Muggiano (La Spezia).

Port La Spezia

Port La Spezia was established in late-19th century and is now one of the Mediterranean's largest seaports, particularly by containerized cargo volumes. The port is a natural harbor inside a bay protected by a 2,2 km long breakwater.

The port (locode ITSPE) has total quay length 5,1 km (3,2 mi).

The reported for FY2014 volumes were handled 15,7 million tons of cargoes and 483,564 passengers.

• Vado Ligure is a multipurpose terminal with capacity to serve world's largest cargo vessels.
• Calata Bettolo container terminal was expanded and reconstructed into multifunctional facility with capacity to handle world's largest boxships via long docks, large warehouses, bunkering.
• Container terminal's Ronco and Canepa piers were expanded by creating a new platform (with berths) and dredging the seabed to allow docking for bigger container ships.
• A port expansion project resulted in a 3rd port basin, building a new quay and connection between terminals Contship and Tarros. The project included reorganization of both yacht marinas (Canaletto and Fossamastra), which were moved to Pagliari quay (partly relocated to Mirabello).
• The cruise berth Garibaldi Pier was upgraded and expanded by restructuring of its western part.

In 2017, the cruise port handled 153 ship calls and around 520,000 passengers. The list of new/fisrt-time visiting ships included Freedom of the Seas (RCI-Royal Caribbean), MSC Orchestra (MSC), Britannia (P&O UK), Queen Victoria (Cunard), Silver Muse (Silversea).

On December 5, 2023, the Port Authority company signed a tender for a new cruise pier at Terminal Crociere della Spezia (on Calata Paita). The EUR 48 million construction contract was awarded to a consortium comprising three companies (Fincosit SRL, R.C.M Costruzioni SRL, Agnese Costruzioni SRL). The procurement contract was for EUR 47,894834M, with an additional EUR 542,462 for security charges. The project was co-financed by the PNRR (Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan). The cruise terminal's new pier is scheduled for completion and inauguration in 2025 (710 days).

La Spezia cruise terminal

La Spezia tours, shore excursions, hotels

City Tours and Shore Excursions

The most popular shore excursions operated from La Spezia are to Florence, Pisa and Cinque Terre.