I like this village because it's still relatively undiscovered.when
you think of Liguria, you think of many places, but Portovenere
is a fairly well kept secret. Itês a 12th century village
with tall colored houses that face the sea. There are
a few things you must see here, but itês also a place
to base out of for day visits to the Cinque Terre, Portofino
and other ports on the Riviera di Levante (you can even
make a daytrip to Florence). The town has a castle/Castello
Doria whose roots are based in Genoa ã itês located
in a panoramic position with commanding views. The Church
of San Lorenzo, also from the 12th century has
some notable works of art and the Church of San Pietro
has a strategic (and breathtaking) position on the top
of the cliffs on a point out in the sea. This church was
built upon the foundations of a 6th century pagan temple.
There are ruins of former buildings on the way to the
church. The views from the terrace of the church are panoramic
and all encompassing (the Cinque Terre, La Spezia and
Lerici can be seen). The Torre Scuola is a 17th century
tower (or what's left of the fortress) and it sits out
in the sea. The Piazza Bastrera is a pedestrian area in
the village ã think passagiata. The Cinque Terre is close
enough that you can hike there from Portovenere (I hike
to the first village, lunch and then train on to the other
villages and back). You can boat out to the island of
Palmaria (it's very natural and you'll
find cliffs, beaches, grottoes)ÄÄ.a charming spot in Liguria.