All the facilities of a great hostel set in the beautiful surroundings of the Cinque Terre National Park, between the famous ‘Cinque Terre’ villages and Portofino.

At Plus Camping La Sfinge you are surrounded by the natural beauty of pine and acacia trees in an enchanting valley, with the opportunity to take in a range of outdoor and aquatic activities, such as free climbing, diving, fishing, cruises, whale watching and trekking.

Our awesome helpful friendly staff go out of their way to ensure an enjoyable stay. Check out the reception for details on getting to Cinque Terre and the best local fishing spots.

In keeping with the natural environment the only accommodation available is 2 person house tents. These come with linen and awesome views. Individual tent pitches are also available. From June to September we offer a private shuttle service for the beach and the railway station. Free train station pick up on request during low season (phone our reception).

Reception Opening Hours: 9:00 - 21:00

Check-In: 12:00 - 21:00

Departure: Before 11:00 am

Important: The last bus leaves from Deiva Marina train station at 19:25! Make sure that you are on it.

We have included some additional local cool funky things to do while your staying heret. We hope you find this information useful for your stay.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

FREE CLIMBING
Try your hand at free climbing on the rock ‘Sfinge’ (100m), or the Sphinx as this is what it resembles. The exposure is from north-east to south west offering climbs in all seasons.

PORTOFINO
A costal resort town that is synonymous with leisure, water sports and shopping. The pastel coloured houses overlooking the crystal clear waters where you can try out sailing, diving and windsurfing. The shops offer the latest fashions and crafts while the restaurants offer delicious Ligurian specialties.

CINQUE TERRE
The ‘five lands’ is a mandatory visit for the sheer beauty and rugged location. The villages, varying in size, are perched on the steep cliffs limiting access to either boat, foot or train. The famous cliff top walk the Via del Amore links all the villages together and has been classed as a UNESCO protected site. Most of the housing dates back 700 years and the traditional fishing economy is now supplemented by the masses of tourists that visit each year. There are single, three day and week long passes that allow travel between the villages by train and access to the walk so you can choose to walk to the next village and then catch the train back.

GENOA (Aquarium)
This was the staging post for Italy’s famous explorer Marco Polo and his journey to the east and the birthplace of his protégé Christopher Columbus. The city was named European Culture Capital of Europe in 2004 which may be hard to believe seeing all the industrial structures that dominate the coastline and port. However, Genoa boasts some magnificent marble works and renaissance style architecture in its narrow streets. If you have been thoroughly overloaded with this already maybe a trip to Europe’s biggest Aquarium is the antidote. The modernised complex has 71 tanks dedicated to the various marine ecosystems and gives you a chance to get up close and personal without getting too wet. Open every day of the year, mon-fri 9:30am-19:30, last entry 18:00, Sat-Sun and public holidays 9:30am-20:30, last entry 19:00.

LERICI
Another port town at the eastern end of the ‘Gulf of Poets’ and considered the ‘pearl’ of the villages. The castle is among the many villas, gardens and beaches that attract visitors every year.

PORTOVENERE
Stroll the narrow streets and admire the tall houses, apparently built in this manner to provide protection from invaders. The locals could run to the top floor and out the back door to the safety of the castle above. The views over the sea are awesome.

LUNI (Archaeological excavations)
Located just outside of La Spezia, the excavations include remains of the Anfiteatro and a roman forum. Once a prosperous port town the site is now 2km inland after centuries of silt deposits from the river Magra shifted the coastline outwards. The local museum hosts many of the finds.

LA SPEZIA (Naval Museum)
This is one of Italy’s most modern cities as most of the buildings date from the 20thC. It is one of the biggest commercial ports in Italy and is also home to the military industry. If the art and architecture has been getting a bit overwhelming lately the Naval museum might offer a bit of a change. Founded in 1870 after the museum was moved here from Genoa the collection includes models of ships from the ancient Romans and Egyptians to Italian and European naval vessels.

VIAREGGIO
Time to stretch out on the sand. You will need to buy a day pass to have access to the bathing areas, or you can wander the boardwalk and do some shopping in the designer stores, or just gaze out at the multitudes of yachts.

LUCCA
A medieaval town, it was built originally by the Etruscans and became one of Italy’s biggest republican city states, controlled by various individuals over the years including the French. The city built defensive walls against Florence during the 1500's which are still surrounding the old city in the centre and now provide a walkway for visitors to view the city from above.

DEIVA MARINA
Every year in September starting from Deiva Marina is the famous cycle race " Gran Fondo delle Cinque Terre", with its 2000 competitors up and down the Cinque Terre coastline.
Camping La Sfinge is right on the race course, at 3 km from the start.

BOAT TRIPS
Check out the great boat trips (from June to September) with daily departures for:
Cinque Terre, Portofino, Le Isole di fronte a La Spezia, Portovenere, Genoa Aquarium.
Mini cruises for:Isola Capraia, Isola d'Elba, or Whale Watch and have lunch aboard.