Porto Venere

Introducing Porto Venere

Perched on the Gulf of Poets’ western promontory, Porto Venere (frequently spelt Portovenere) has a riddle of little lanes and staircases, a petite harbour and no small amount of history. The Romans built Portus Veneris as a base en route from Gaul to Spain, and in later years, Byzantines, Lombards, the Genovese and Napoleon all passed through here.

The tourist office (0187 79 06 91; www.portovenere.it; Piazza Bastreri 7; 10am-noon & 3-6pm Thu-Tue Sep-May, 10am-noon & 3-8pm daily Jun-Aug) sells a couple of useful maps and walking guides in English. Outside the hectic summer season, Porto Venere is something of a ghost town.

From the waterfront, narrow steps and cobbled paths lead uphill to the Chiesa di San Lorenzo, built in 1130. In the church’s shadow is the 16th-century Castello Doria (adult/child €2.20/1.20; 10.30am-1.30pm & 2.30-6pm daily Apr-Aug, 10.30am-1.30pm & 2.30-6pm Sat & Sun Sep-Mar), a formidable example of the Genoese military architecture offering magnificent views from its ornate terraced gardens.

At the end of the quay a Cinque Terre panorama unfolds from the rocky terraces of Grotta Arpaia, a former haunt of Byron, who once swam across the gulf from Porto Venere to Lerici. Traces of a pagan temple have been uncovered on the quay, inside the black-and-white-marble Chiesa di San Pietro, which was built in 1277. Just off the promontory lie the tiny islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009