Portovenere

 

Portovenere sits at the tip of the rocky promontory that separates the Golfo dei Poeti (also known as the Golfo di La Spezia) from the Cinque Terre.  Some people named it the sixth town of Cinque Terre for its splendid seaside settings, extraordinarily scenic coastlines and walking trails as offered by the nearby five Cinque Terre towns.  But I think the San Pietro Church, Castello Doria, the nearby islands and the far less crowded situation attributing to the uniqueness of Portovenere.

 

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Portovenere was once a fortified fishing village and is now a bustling little resort surrounded by green hills and olive groves. The area is a natural park ( parconaturaleportovenere.it ) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To the left is one of the most beautiful striped churches in Liguria, San Pietro Church. To the right is the mighty Castello Doria which dates from the 12th-century. It’s a bit steep to climb over to reach it to have breathtaking views over the bay. Between the San Pietro Church and Castello Doria is a line of colour buildings facing the sea (La Palazzata). In the old days, if enemies came close, the inhabitants would throw hot water from their windows to scare them away. 

A promenade was constructed to keep the buildings away from the seafront. It’s now full of restaurants, cafés and souvenir shops.  When we arrived, we were amazed with the gorgeous views of the medieval town over the pretty harbour. The old town of Portovenere is hidden behind the facade of the buildings that you see from the harbor. One can enter the medieval town through Porta del Borgo – the old city gate. Adjacent to the city gate is the Capitolare Tower. The main street, Via Capellini is full of artisanal and souvenir shops.

 

San Pietro Church (Chiesa di San Pietro) sets on a site believed to have been an ancient temple to Venus (Venere) from where the town gets its name. It has the best location in town. Standing on top of the rock and surrounded by the azure blue water from three sides it almost looks like a fortified castle. It does not only dominate along the promenade but can be seen from the Castello Doria like a boat standing alone in the sea.

Just next to San Pietro Church you can see an observation deck next to Lord Byron’s Grotto.  The Bay of Poets gets its name because the area was so beloved by the English poets. Lord Byron often stayed here and used to swim across the bay (a distance of about 7.5km) to visit his fellow poet Shelley. Rocky steps descend to the transparent green waters close to Byron’s Grotto, one of the many beautiful sea caves in the area. Nowadays it’s a nice place to swim, dive, or sail. Just be careful with the currents. And there is no life-saving guard.

On the way to the Castello are the church of San Lorenzo and a cemetery.  The church was built around 1116 and consecrated in 1130. Similar to San Pietro Church, it also has a striped façade. San Lorenzo was tied to an iron grill and slowly roasted alive over an open fire. He told his torturers that they weren’t cooking him properly and advised them to turn him over because he was already done on one side. There is a small sculpture just above the main entrance, showing the saint at the point of death. Inside, the dark and heavy stonework gives it a gloomy Gothic look. The interior is dotted with sculptures and paintings.  

The nearby cemetery enjoys an equally good position for magnificent views over the surroundings. It contains one Commonwealth burial of the First World War. If you need a water break, there is a public toilet. Beware that the cemetery closes at 6pm. Don’t be locked!

We had a short break to escape the possible rain. Luckily it did not rain. I thought that our trip was ending and bought a bottle of  Vermentino Colline di Levanto. In fact, my partner planned for going high for panoramic views of the town and bay. He carried the wine during the hike.  Thank you!  The ascend to the Castello and further up let us enjoy surpassing views over the Castello, Gulf of Poets, San Pietro Church, the mountains, islands and towns nearby. Gorgeous views! But it took efforts. 

The path is steep, hilly, without fence and one may step onto small loosing stones. If we continued, we would have reached Campiglia by hiking a bit over two kilometers and further to Riomaggiore with three extra kilometers. Instead, we took a U-turn to descend to Portovenere. The path passes houses with beautiful gardens and panoramic views of the surrounding. 

 

It's said that one can hike on the island Palmaria. But we did not find regular ferry service to the island in mid-April. In summer one can take a scenic boat tour or a taxi boat to the nearby islands Palmaria, Tino, and Tinetto. Tino is a military island and Tinetto is just a tiny rock with some ancient ruins. Both islands can usually be only seen from a boat.

Portovenere by car, bus, taxi, or ferry boat from La Spezia. There are also Cinque Terre tours that briefly stop in Portovenere.  We took bus P (also bus 11 in summer) from Garibaldi of La Spezia. It cost €3. The journey is about 35 minutes. Bus frequency is every 30 minutes.