Portovenere

Portovenere combines a long history with a distinctive coastal landscape. The UNESCO World Heritage Site includes Porto Venere and the three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. The site is also a cultural landscape shaped by human activity over more than a millennium in a rugged and dramatic natural setting.

Cultural landscape and Roman traces

Since Roman times, Portovenere has been an important centre of trade and culture. Archaeological remains have been preserved in the surrounding area. One example is the Villa Romana del Varignano, within the municipality of Portovenere. Its Roman structures visible today cover about 3,080 square metres. The archaeological site lies amid an olive grove and preserves Liguria’s oldest olive oil press.

The churches, too, tell of different aspects of the town. San Lorenzo is a three-aisled Romanesque church; it was consecrated by Pope Innocent II in 1130. The Madonna Bianca is honoured at San Lorenzo on 17 August. The nighttime celebration includes numerous torches and lights that illuminate the old town centre and the boats. San Pietro, in turn, is considered a landmark of the settlement of Porto Venere.

Coastal structures

Torre Scola was built in 1600 as a pentagonal defensive tower with walls four metres thick. It served as a lookout over Palmaria, the dell’Olivo bay of Porto Venere and the eastern shore of the Gulf as far as Lerici. San Lorenzo was consecrated in 1130, and Torre Scola was built in 1600; these dates mark different stages in the town’s history.

Byron’s Grotto lies in a bay between Punta San Pietro and the promontory on which Doria Castle stands. The nearby opening in the wall can be reached on foot.

Palmaria and trails in the park

The island of Palmaria lies directly opposite the town of Porto Venere. Its sides facing the town and the Gulf of La Spezia slope more gently and are covered in typical Mediterranean vegetation.

The Porto Venere Park has a network of trails with varying levels of difficulty, viewpoints and impressive sea cliffs. When choosing a route, take its level of difficulty into account rather than treating the trail network as a single route. The Sentiero AV5T, a specific named trail, runs from Porto Venere to Campiglia; it was formerly numbered 1.

For travel by water, boat line 01 connects Lerici, La Spezia and Porto Venere with the island of Palmaria and the Terrizzo landing point. Checking the timetable can be helpful when planning. The Sentiero AV5T, by contrast, is a hiking trail from Porto Venere to Campiglia.

Choose Portovenere as your hotel destination

Discover more destinations: Fezzano, Bovecchio, Le Grazie, Rio, Torza, Riomaggiore, Vernazza, Campiglia.

For the overview of the wider area: La Spezia.