Enjoy the idyllic Poets Bay with Portovenere accommodation

Portovenere is a tiny village on the Italian Riviera, around 15 kilometres from La Spezia. The village is perhaps most well known from the poet Lord Byron's swim across the bay to Lerici to visit his poet friend Percy Bysshe Shelley, and it was also loved by Dante and Petrarch. You too can get to know the idyllic village if you book Portovenere accommodation. The clear, turquoise waters, the quaint houses, and not as crowded or loud as the nearby Cinque Terre, you're sure to fall in love with the place. Many Portovenere apartments and villas are but a stone's throw away from the water and from eateries and shopping facilities.

Experience the heavenly view of the sea from your Portovenere apartments

For the best views across Portovenere and the sea, head to Castello Doria, a 12th century fort, and climb the tower. From there you can see the island of Palmaria, an island rich with flora and fauna that has ferry links to Portovenere. Portovenere has a lovely small beach, and Palmaria is also home to some beaches - or simply do as the Ligurians do and sunbathe in any free space by the sea. The market is held on Mondays - take advantage of the kitchen in your villa in Portovenere and buy local produce and herbs such as focaccia, basil, pine nuts, courgettes and courgette flowers, and chickpeas, and prepare some Ligurian dishes. In the village there are many great restaurants and cafés serving delicious seafood and more. If you'd like to discover more of Liguria during your stay in Portovenere accommodation, why not head up to Genoa, less than two hours away by car?