For calm, shallow water, the best family coves in Liguria are mostly in the east of the region: the Gulf of La Spezia around Lerici, Tellaro and Portovenere, and the sheltered bays near Portofino such as Paraggi. The Cinque Terre can work on a still day too, but the sea there deepens fast below the cliffs, so it suits confident swimmers more than small children.
The beaches are empty now and most boats are coming out of the water, so this is planning for next summer: how to pick a cove for children, string a few together, and make deep water manageable for them.
What makes a cove right for children
Shelter comes first. A cove that faces away from the afternoon wind keeps its water flat when the open coast is choppy, and in Liguria that usually means a bay tucked in behind a headland. The Gulf of La Spezia is the clearest example. Lerici and San Terenzo sit in a bay within a bay, and Fiascherino, below Tellaro, is a small sandy cove under the pines where the water stays shallow for a few strokes before it drops away.
After shelter, look at the way in. Sand or fine pebbles that slope gently are kinder to small feet than rock, and a cove with some shade at the back saves the middle of the day. Then watch the traffic. A pretty bay that every tender and rental boat runs through at speed is no place for children in the water, however clear it looks. The quieter coves are often the ones you can only reach from the sea or down a long path, which is exactly why they suit a family arriving by boat.
Short hops along the coast
Children enjoy the day more in short pieces. Rather than one long run to a famous anchorage, plan a few hops of a size they can manage: Portovenere to the sheltered side of Palmaria for a morning swim, across the gulf to Lerici for lunch, and back into a quiet corner for the afternoon. Near Portofino, a swim at Paraggi and a stroll round the harbour make a full day with very little time on the move.
Parts of this coast, including the waters off Portofino and the Cinque Terre, are protected areas with their own rules on where boats can go, anchor or moor. Check them locally before you set out, and keep a second cove in mind for when the wind does not do what the forecast said. The mooring and safe use section of our buying guide is worth reading before the first swim of the day.
A netted pool where the sea is deep
Off a boat, the water is rarely shallow, and that is the problem a netted pool solves. The Deluxe Water Pool 4.10 m measures 410 x 410 cm outside, with a fine-mesh PVC net that keeps jellyfish, seaweed and drifting debris out of the swimming area. Children get a defined space with an edge to hold on to, and parents get a clear view of everyone in it. Our glossary explains how a jellyfish net works, and the other sizes are in our pool range.
It is still the sea. The net hangs deep, so this is a pool for swimming, not for standing, and young children need a buoyancy aid and an adult within reach every time. Set it up in calm, sheltered water and keep the engines and thrusters off while anyone is in the water.
For older children, a paddle board turns a quiet cove into a playground. The Luna 10’6” SUP Paddle Board measures 320 x 80 x 15 cm, with a soft deck pad that is comfortable to kneel or sit on and a front bungee for a snack and a bottle of water. Many children start on their knees close to the boat and are standing before lunch. Keep them inside the cove, on a leash and in sight.
