Cruise with port of La Spezia - What to do??

Depends on how long you have, but Pisa and Lucca could be done

Pisa on the train an hour; Lucca a couple with a change. Pisa there is a lot to see:

https://wikitravel.org/en/Pisa

Also here are seven self-guided walks:

https://www.gpsmycity.com/gps-tour-guides/pisa-4960.html

Lucca is a half hour from Pisa, but doing both IMO would not be a good idea. If desiring a beach, there is Sestri Levante and Levanto.

melanie,

If you'd rather keep the travel time to a minimum, you could still visit the "Cinque Terre area" during the time your ship is docked in La Spezia.

For example, you could travel by train from La Spezia Centrale to Monteroso and spend a few hours exploring both parts of the town (or visit one of the other towns). After that head for Levanto which is only about five minutes by train from Monterosso. You could have lunch there, perhaps spend some time on the nice beach and then take the walking path through the old railway tunnels to Bonassola (a very pleasant walk and not difficult). Take the trip from Bonassola back to La Spezia and then back to the ship.

Monterosso is the most heavily impacted village when ships are in port; second is Vernazza.

"Monterosso is the most heavily impacted village when ships are in port; second is Vernazza."

In my experience, it's just the opposite. Vernazza seems to be the most popular for a variety of reasons, and it's more heavily "impacted" because it's much smaller. I've experienced severe crowding in Vernazza, an experience I hopefully won't be repeating. Monterosso is a larger tow and has an "old town" and a "new town" so it tends to absorb crowds better.

There are other excellent things to see. La Spezia is not without some attractions as per this article https://www.apathtolunch.com/2014/06/la-spezia-travel-guide-top-ten.html The Lia Museum in particular is worthwhile.

You can also see nearby Portovenere easily. It's an historic town in a fantastic location. I'd suggest taking the ferry there to enjoy the Gulf of the Poets and take the bus back. The ferry leaves from the other end of the seafront promenade from the cruise terminal. For the first year you can visit Lerici and Tellaro on the other side of the Gulf in the same ferry/bus manner. Lerici is a very scenic small port town that's been featured in the NY Times and Tellaro is a perfect little town much more evocative than some of the CT villages, IMO. The new ferry service is described here: https://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it/en/tour-del-golfo-goulf-tour/

Also there may well be promotional excursions available from the cruise terminal sponsored by Sarzana or Montemarcello according the photos in the local news. The latter is a movie-set pretty village and the former an historic and charming small city with several churches, a fortress, and other attractions.

While I haven't stopped in Cinque Terre on a criuse, I would think you could design an itinerary to avoid most of the crowds by doing things other that what the excursions do (check the itineraries). I doubt that many, if any, of the excursions will hike. I doubt they'll venture into the back streets of the villages. I doubt they'll stop to eat at a small charming restaurant, especially if it's not on the main street. I doubt they'll visit Corniglia. I doubt they'll visit nearby Levanto and spend some beach time there. That said, you probably won't be able to avoid at least one crowded train ride. Others have made some good suggestions and this is intended only as another option, or it can be combined with some of the other Cinque Terre area suggestions.

Melanie, try googling La Spezia things to do. Or La Spezia cruise excursions.

I would go to PortoVenere. Nice ferry trip out of La Spezia and a lovely city.

La Spezia has a beautiful waterfront, too, and an interesting Naval Museum.