Portovenere, Italy

Portovenere is a town located on the Ligurian coast of Italy in the province of La Spezia. It comprises the three villages of Fezzano, Le Grazie and Portovenere, and the three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. In 1997 Portovenere and the villages of Cinque Terre were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Portovenere's harbor is lined with brightly colored houses and narrow medieval streets lead up the hill to a castle. The main street of Portovenere, lined with shops, is entered through Portovenere's ancient city gate. There is a picturesque church on the promontory, once the site of a temple to Venus (Venere in Italian) from which Portovenere gets its name. Nearby is Byron's Cave in a rocky area leading to the sea where the poet Byron used to swim.

Things to See & Do

* Portovenere harbor area
* Portovenere main street
* Doria Castle
* Byron’s Grotto

General information

Cruise Season – Feb to Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language – Italian
Land Area – 7 km²
Population – 4,500 approx
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC + one hour
International Country Telephone Code – +39

Port Location – The main port is centrally located in the Portovenere harbor.

Travel Links – The train from Genoa to Pisa passes through La Spezia and originates in Milan. The train route from La Spezia to Levanto passes through the CinqueTerre national park. There is also a bus service to Portovenere from La Spezia.