Just a few miles away from Cinque Terre, another picturesque village is waiting for visitors to enjoy its colorful buildings and its natural landscapes that are protected by a Marine Reserve and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Portovenere overlooks the charming Gulf of Poets. Its municipal area includes a lovely fortified village, the island of Palmaria, a Marine Reserve, a few trekking trails, and the tiny isles of Tino and Tinetto.
The village takes its name from a Roman settlement featuring a temple dedicated to Venus, but it was later conquered and ruled by several people and armies: Lombard, Genoese, French, Aragon, Florentine, and Venetian rulers dominated the area over the centuries, and they all left their marks in a way or another.
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Visiting Portovenere in Italy
When to visit Portovenere
Summer is the best time to enjoy any seaside resort, but it’s also the busiest time of the year. If you are more interested in sightseeing than in a traditional beach holiday, spring is an excellent time to visit Potovenere, especially in May. You can easily plan a short vacation in Portovenere, but it’s so small that you can visit the village and the islands in one day.
How to get to Portovenere
- By bus: bus 11P from La Spezia. The journey takes 30 minutes, and the cost is 3 euros.
- By ferry: ferries are available from April to November from La Spezia and Cinque Terre. A daily ticket is 30 euros, allowing you to visit more than one village on the same day. A single ticket to Portovenere costs between 8 and 10 euros.
- By car: you can reach Portovenere in about 25 minutes from La Spezia, 35 minutes from Riomaggiore, and 1h50 from Genoa.
- Portovenere has no railway station
Where to stay in Portovenere
Hotel della Baia: a beautiful sea view, a restaurant, and a pool make it the perfect place to spend a relaxing weekend in Liguria. It’s 4 Km away from the old town, so it’s quiet and peaceful. Click here for more information and to check the latest prices.
Relais Santa Caterina: its elevated position makes it perfect for enjoying the view from its terrace and its lush garden. Even if it’s not located in the old town, you can easily reach the beach in 5 minutes! Click here for more information and to check the latest prices.
Things to do in Portovenere
Take a picture of the typical “Palazzata a Mare.”
That’s the name of an architectural complex including several tower-houses overlooking the sea and built for defensive purposes. They are narrow, tall, and actually “glued” to one another, featuring small openings and tiny windows in order to be impenetrable in case of attack. You can best appreciate this colorful complex from the sea.
Enjoy a peaceful hike on Palmaria island.
This tiny island covers an area of 2 square kilometers, but it’s a natural paradise offering some peace and relaxation far away from the crowd. You can spend a couple of hours hiking, swimming, or simply sunbathing on the beach surrounded by lush Mediterranean scrub. Ferries leave from Portovenere every 30 minutes from April to November. For more information, check here.
Enjoy the view from St. Peter’s Church.
This lovely church dating back to 1198, is located on top of a rocky cliff, and it’s one of the most scenic places in Portovenere. It’s actually composed of two separate buildings, and it’s considered the most beautiful Gothic medieval church in Liguria.
Wander around the old town.
Enter the old town through the Village Gate and get lost in its narrow and winding alleyways, which are typical of any fortified medieval settlement. There are several gift shops, restaurants, and cafés nearby, and it’s the liveliest neighborhood of Portovenere.
Visit Doria Castle
It was built in 1160, and it’s now in ruins, so the actual visit only takes about 30 minutes. Nevertheless, the climb to the top of the hill and the view are well worth the stop! You can get to the castle by taking a short trail starting right in the old town. The entrance is 5 euros, and you’ll be able also to visit a lush garden and a peaceful orchard.
Have a swim in Byron Cave.
This natural cave is formed by a natural opening in the rocks of the castle walls. Its 20m deep water is home to a large number of fish, which makes it a popular place among divers and snorkeling lovers. Despite its wild landscape, it’s easily accessible from Portovenere, and it’s connected to the old town by a short trail.
Swimming down there is perfectly safe, and it can get crowded in summer. This scenic place was named after Lord Byron, who used to go there to meditate when he was living in Liguria.
Visit the church of Saint Lawrence.
Also referred to as the “Shrine of the White Virgin,” it deserves a visit thanks to its marble black and white façade and its precious works of art. It takes its name from a legend: during the plague of the 14th century, a local peasant prayed in front of a painting representing the Virgin Mary, asking for the disease to stop ravaging the village.
The painting lit up, and the plague suddenly disappeared. The painting of the White Virgin was then brought to this church, where it was venerated like a relic.
Join the Tour of the Islands
One of the most popular activities in Portovenere is a boat tour taking visitors around the three islands of Plamaria, Tino, and Tinetto. It’s a 40-minute trip featuring a local guide who will tell you something about the history and geology of this small archipelago. You can only take this tour from April to November, and the cost is 12 euros. More information at Portovenere: Three Island trip (a-turist.com)
Learn more about some epic naval battles in front of the Scola Tower.
It’s also referred to as the “Tower of Saint John the Baptist” due to the former monastery dedicated to the Saint that was established on Palmaria island a long time ago. The ruined tower was a military outpost built on water in front of the island for defensive purposes. There are a couple of other similar forts nearby, and they were built in the 16th century by the Republic of Genoa to protect its territories. They have been in use up to the 19th century.
Enter the Blue Cave
It’s only accessible by sea, and it’s basically a cleft on the rocky cliffs of Palmaria island. You can only enter the cave when the sea is calm, which is often the case in summer. It’s usually a stop at the Tour of the Islands, and you cannot miss its blue walls and water and a special stalactite in the shape of a turtle.
Enjoy a day trip to Cinque Terre.
This popular and picturesque area is located a few miles away from Portovenere, and it’s a great destination for a day trip during your beach holiday in Liguria! You can easily reach the five picturesque villages by ferry in the summer! Check the schedule here. As an alternative, there’s a scenic trail connecting Portovenere to Riomaggiore, which takes about 6 hours.
Relax on the beach
Portovenere is a popular seaside resort, so you cannot miss a stop on the beach! You won’t find any endless sandy beaches there, but the water is always clean and crystal-clear.
There are six beaches in Portovenere: the tiny Calata Doria, which is right on the main square; the fully equipped Arenella beach; the popular pebble Olivo beach; the trendy Sporting beach, the rocky Punta Secco; and the wild Mirella beach.
Of course, you can also get to Palmaria island and spend some time at Cala Pozzale or Cala Fornace.
Try some scuba diving.
The Marine Reserve is a great place for divers, and there are a number of diving sites nearby. A few tips: Secca di Dante, close to Palmaria island for expert divers; Tino Walls, just below the cliffs of Tino isle, Tinetto Cave which is the most scenic of all; and Secca del Tinetto, where you can see the statue of a White Virgin rising from the sea. If you prefer to stay closer to the shore, choose Byron Cave instead!
Hike to “Salto della Suocera”
It’s a promontory overlooking the sea and offering a great view of the sunset on the Gulf of Poets. It’s a popular hiking destination for couples, and the trail is quite easy, taking about 40 minutes from Portovenere.