The Cinque Terre and Portovenere Regional Features Update
In September of 2022, I revisited this area and although I have peppered in some 'updates' in the subsequent posts, I wanted to highlight a few more experiences.
Portovenere by night
Take a romantic stroll around Portovenere at night during the summer season. The silhouettes of buildings are lined with fairy lights, and they dazzle into reflection on the water below.
The evocative portico of the church of San Pietro in Portovenere. Isn’t it Byronic?
Walk over towards the church of San Pietro and Byron’s grotto. The sea was quite aggressive on the night we visited, but I have to say, this made for very a very dramatic and enjoyable effect (quite ‘Byronic’ if you will).
Views back over Monterosso, after starting the Sentiero Azzurro there in September 2022
Take a hike, ‘the’ hike to be specific. To reiterate from my updated posts, we found the villages extremely crowded when we descended into them; however, the views from the trails are unbeatable if you are able to handle the physical demands of the trails. They are very clearly marked and paths are not precarious, there are some ascents which require stamina and numerous stairs to ascend and descend (the descent can be trickier for those with any knee issues). Still, in my opinion, this hike is worth doing, and with a better, albeit just Iphone, camera, I was able to take some marvelous pictures.
That window view from Il Gabbiano
Stop for a fresh lemonade, orange or even watermelon juice at Bar Il Gabbiano. It is on the trail, essentially halfway between Vernazza and Corniglia, and it is a perfect place to refresh. We sat inside the small bar area and there was an incredible, literal ‘window view’ out over the undulating cliffs down towards Portovenere. It seems like there are also more spaces outdoors on wooden terraces which accommodate more people.
Dishes at Osteria Picciarello
Eat at Osteria Picciarello outside of La Spezia. It would be easiest to access this restaurant by car as it is located along the windy road in between La Spezia and Portovenere. That said, I took a bus from La Spezia to Portovenere in 2018, and there is a stop relatively nearby along this route. I found this restaurant on the Natural Wine App Raisin which I find very reliable for the caliber of food that accompanies the wine at recommended establishments. Picciarello was no exception. You can browse the wines on offer (kind of a built in ‘wine shop’ with bottles on shelves within the restaurant) and the food was regional (pesto, for example) but with a twist, topping totani (a type of cuttlefish/ squid). The antipasti sampler we had was very good, and the restaurant has a very nice, cozy feel despite facing a rather busy road. At first the server (whom I believe is the owner too) was a bit brusk and seemingly unfriendly. I would say make the effort to come here if you are looking for a restaurant with natural wine and slow food. If these categories are not particularly important to you, I would stick with my other recommendations in the area in the Restaurants and this Regional Features post.
An interior view of the Ristorante Palmaria
The Ristorante Palmaria is good, albeit a bit pricey for caliber of the food that you can find quite ubiquitously in the region. That said, the restaurant is in a beautiful space with views over the harbour of Portovenere.