9 Reasons To Visit The Cinque Terre’s Gorgeous “Sixth Town"—Portovenere

Portovenere, a Riviera gem overlooking the Gulf of La Spezia, more romantically known as the Golfo dei Poeti for all the literary figures who came to swoon over the area’s astounding natural beauty, has often been dubbed the “sixth” Cinque Terre town, offering what its more famous counterparts are known for—splendid seaside settings, extraordinarily scenic coastlines and walking trails, and rustic Ligurian cuisine—minus a good deal of the tourist hubbub. And while such celebrities as Steven Spielberg, Apple’s Tim Cook, Patti Smith and Andrea Bocelli have visited here, they seem to have been able to do so without a lot of fuss. 

Even though Portovenere’s historic sites and main shopping street, Via Capellini, can get busy during peak vacation weeks, at night after day visitors have departed the town enjoys a relatively tranquil vibe. What has helped prevent Portovenere from succumbing to overtourism is its lack of train station—you have to drive from La Spezia or come by boat. Even though some travelers initially consider Portovenere as a base from which to explore the nearby Cinque Terre, when they arrive they discover a destination highly noteworthy on its own. Like the Cinque Terre, the town, along with its nearby archipelago, the Palmaria islands, have Unesco World Heritage status.

Here are 9 reasons to go now. 

1. Portovenere is more than just a pretty fishing village. There are colorful houses lining the harbor as in many other Italian seaside towns, but here they also form part of a historical structure called the Palazzata. These connected dwellings built into the rocky shoreline were part of the town’s fortified walls designed to protect residents, along with the ancient gate, Porta del Borgo (once locked in the evening), from seafaring invaders. 

2.The town is layered with history, but not overwhelmed by it. There are enough places to keep history buffs interested without having to slog through a sightseeing checklist. Sites from the Middle Ages like the Doria Castle, a stronghold when the powerful republic of Genoa ruled the town, and the churches, Chiesa di San Pietro and Chiesa di San Lorenzo, offer extraordinary views in addition to their architectural appeal. A Roman ruin dating from the 2nd century B.C., the Villa Romana of Varignano, lies close to Portovenere in the village of Le Grazie.

3. You can take in the mesmerizing views that reportedly captivated the 19th-century literary rockstar, Lord Byron. Walk to the end of Via Capellini or down from the the San Pietro church— there’s a lookout in an ancient stone wall where you can survey the scene above the glittery bay. There are also rocky steps that descend to the transparent green waters close to Byron’s Grotto, one of the many beautiful sea caves in the area. Young couples flock here to enjoy the incomparable sunsets; locals come to sunbathe and swim amid the jagged rocks. (Be advised there are no lifeguards.)

In addition to his literary prowess, Byron was known for his epic swimming exploits—according to legend he swam from Portovenere to San Terenzo near Lerici across the Gulf of La Spezia to visit his friend Percy Bysshe Shelley, a distance of some 7.5 kilometers. Each summer qualified distance swimmers take part in the annual Coppa Bryon held between Portovenere and Lerici, attempting to duplicate Byron’s feat.

4. There’s a nearby archipelago to explore by sea. The cluster of islands — Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto—lying close to Portovenere are a sailor's dream. Palmaria is the largest and where you’ll find the famous restaurant, Locanda Lorena, a long-time celebrity magnet. But travelers also come to the island for its get-away-from-it-all rustic charms, dramatic, rugged coastline, small villages and beaches. Join a scheduled boat tour leaving from the dock in Portovenere, or hire a private boat or catamaran to take in the cliff-lined shores carved with caves and coves. Palmaria also has walking paths, typically taking two to three-and-a-half hours to complete, with knock-out views of the Golfo dei Poeti and Portovenere.

5. Portovenere has the five-star hotel closest to the Cinque Terre. The Grand Hotel Portovenere sits in a gem of a spot overlooking the Portovenere harbor and Palmaria. Visitors to the Cinque Terre who want five-star pampering come here—there are 50 rooms, the majority with sea views, along with two suites, that are airy, modern and cooly colored in sea tones or rich neutrals. Hotelier Raffaele Paletti, whose family owns the property and oversaw its refurbishment in 2014, added to his holdings last year with the purchase of the Royal Sporting Hotel, also on the water and just down the road from the Grand Hotel.

The Palmaria Restaurant at the GHP overlooking the sea has one of the best settings on the Italian Riviera, with both indoor and outdoor dining options. A new executive chef, Massimiliano Volonterio, a former sous-chef at Maison Alain Ducasse, masterminds the seasonal menu, which includes fresh takes on Ligurian and Mediterranean cooking. For example, the trofie al pesto served at lunch comes with octopus, and the dinner menu includes such dishes as burrata ravioli with Bronte pistachios and currants; and a lobster catalana with fruit and vegetables. There are also what the menu describes as “vintage tastes,” like sweet and sour sardines with pesto, as well as Portovenere mussels. When ordering wine make sure to consult with sommelier Bruno Scarpini, who seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Italian regional wines and food. 

[If you want to know more about Ligurian cuisine, the hotel can arrange for you to take part in a number of experiences—a cooking class at the hotel conducted by the chef where you’ll learn how to make local dishes; a boat excursion to visit a nearby oyster farm in the waters off La Spezia; or a trip to the steeply terraced vineyards of an artisanal winemaker in Riomaggiore, one of the Cinque Terre, for a tour and wine tasting.]

6. You can stay in the heart of Portovenere’s historic center, but enjoy modern comforts. If you like a richly evocative setting but want up-to-the-minute amenities, there’s a new (opened last year ) luxury B&B, called  Colonna 24, named for its address on the tiny street about Portovenere’s main walkway, Via Capellini. The sleek property, owned by Paolo Sanna and designed by La Spezia architect Davide Bassi, has five chic, modern rooms and one junior suite. The B&B is run by the brilliantly enthusiastic and savvy Emanuele Bertetti, who will not only make you feel at home, but like an insider too. A native of Portovenere, Bertetti knows the area like few others and can advise on the best outings, restaurants, beaches and walking trails to make the most of your stay.

7. And savor Portovenere's unique take on Ligurian cooking. Every region in Italy has its own cuisine, of course, and each town seems to have its own take on that regional cuisine. Even though you’ll find Ligurian mainstays like pasta with pesto, and focaccia, Portovenere offers local options that take advantage of the bounty of mussel and oysters farmed from the Gulf of La Spezia, as well as the anchovy hauls from the nearby Cinque Terre. Antonella Cheli, a third-generation restaurateur passionately committed to Portovenere’s culinary traditions, says that while the area may be characterized by "a poorer kitchen" than what you'd find in the northern part of the Italian Riviera, "that doesn't mean the cooking is any less interesting," and cites such specialties as stuffed mussels—"here they are unique"—and mesciua, a bean and grain soup that originated in the port of La Spezia hundreds of years ago. In addition to the abundant seafood, Cheli says the town’s “proximity to Tuscany makes everything much more interesting.”

Cheli heads up two of the town’s noted, authentic spots, Il Timone Liguria da Gustare on the water (founded by her family in 1960), and the Antica Osteria del Carurgio in the historic center. If you head to Il Timone for aperitifs, you can sample nibbles like Ligurian caponada, stuffed vegetables, and scabeccio (marinated fried anchovies), while downing an Aperol Spritz. At the atmospheric Antica Osteria—the night I was there it was overflowing with Italian customers, always a good sign—you can indulge in more appetizers, like anchovies with croutons and butter, before proceeding to first-course specialties like the famous mesciua or the pasta (barbotte) with fried zucchini flowers, anchovies and olives.

As this is a mecca for mussels (called muscoli here), for a second course try them stuffed or marinated with white wine and garlic (like moules marinières). Octopus, or polpo, is another seafood item you frequently see on menus (there’s even an octopus festival in nearby Tellaro in August); at the Antica Osteria order it served with potatoes and olives. If you have room for dessert, try a slice of Ligurian pandolce (a huge wheel of the classic fruit cake is on view in the restaurant) with passito wine; or ice cream with Sciacchetrà, a Cinque Terre sweet wine. 

8. It’s a trekker’s paradise. In addition to hiking around Palmaria, you can make your way to Campiglia, a small town north of Portovenere with more amazing views, in about two hours; then via Colle del Telegrafo to the southernmost Cinque Terre village, Riomaggiore (another 3 hours). 

9. And, of course, Portovenere has a great location. It is not only near the Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore is approximately 25 kilometers away), but close to Tuscany, too, with other places to explore, like the marble quarries at Carrara and the posh beach resort of Forte dei Marmi, about an hour or so from the town by car.