Porto Venere landmarks
Porto Venere landmarks did not appear in our original plans. After Rome and Florence we stayed in a village near La Spezia, our starting point for Cinque Terre. La Spezia turned out to be complete boredom, I didn't want to waste our time there and I immediately started looking for interesting places in the area. So I came across Porto Venere, named after the goddess Venus, also known as the Bay of Poets and the cave of my beloved Byron.
What are the sights of Porto Venere
- St. Peter's Church
- Byron's Cave
- Doria Castle
Porto Venere is an incredibly beautiful Ligurian town, perched at the "entrance" of the Gulf of La Spezia and very close to the famous Cinque Terre. If there was a road between Riomaggiore and Porto Venere, it would be somewhere around 10-15 km. 
Porto Venere photogallery
Where may you stay
But due to the mountainous terrain, the only land connection between the two nearby towns is through Spezia. Otherwise on the map it looks broken, like cooked spaghetti. The other option for traveling between Porto Venere and Cinque Terre is by boat. However, on the day of our visit, it was not possible because there was too much excitement.
In this case, the only option is to go back thirteen kilometers to La Spezia, because the trains that roam between the Five Lands do not pass through Porto Venere.
Probably partly due to the listed transport difficulties, this beautiful town stays out of the interest of the mass tourist, who has aspired to see the most famous Cinque Terre. This is a huge mistake! The place is really captivating and it is no coincidence that it is one of the favorites of the Italians, and they definitely understand the good!
Even the English romantic poets Byron and Shelley are not indifferent to the beauty of Porto Venere. Moreover, they choose to settle here instead of staying in the famous Geneva. Byron is said to have often loved to swim the distance between Lerici and Portovenere (the modest 30 miles), usually ending with a rest in a cave, somewhere in the rocks below the castle of Porto Venere (today, of course, it is called Byron's Cave).
In the photos in the gallery you will see part of the port with a view of the town, and in the distance Dorian Castle and the Church of St. Lorenzo. St. Peter's Church is the other landmark in Porto Venere. Built on a Roman temple in 1277, dedicated to goddess Venus. This place reminds me a lot of Portofino, Italy.
Porto Venere is the island of Palmaria - a nature reserve, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Colorful, colorful, calm. I don't know why he stays away from the standard tourist routes. Dorian Castle was built high in the rocks during the Genoese rule. It has been towering over the bay for 900 years and to the delight of tourists it is very well preserved. It is here that the English poet George Gordon Byron creates and lives.
Overall, Porto Venere is ideal for a holiday, although there is no nice beach. The colorful buildings in rustic style, built on the rocky shore, are extremely impressive. The water is clean and warm in summer. If you like walking along the sea, you can go through Porto Venere in one day. There are many such places in Italy, so this is no exception.
