A Day Trip To The Harbour Town of Porto Venere

The harbour of Porto Venere and it's Ligurian style pastel coloured buildings

Portovenere or Porto Venere is a harbour town located south of La Spazia on the Ligurian Coast and can be considered the hidden gem of Liguria. It is often overlooked by visitors as though it is very close to La Spezia, the train that goes from Levanto from La Spazia via the villages of Cinque Terre doesn’t pass though the town of Porto Venere!

However this wonder is definitely worth a visit for full day or at least half a day with a 30-40 min bus ride from the town of La Spazia. Other options are to drive from La Spezia or taking a boat.

Old town of Porto Venere is an UNESCO World Heritage Site

With its gorgeous Ligurian style pastel coloured tall buildings and narrow cobbled streets, it has been designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The houses here also form part of a historical structure called the ‘Palazzata’ which essentially replaced traditional fortification – these tightly packed and connected houses built into the rocky shoreline became the town’s fortified walls and along with the ancient gate ‘Porta del Borgo’ which used to be locked in the evening were designed to protect town residents from invaders.

Byron's Grotto with Doria Castle in the backdrop

Narrow cobbled streets of the colourful medieval town

The town is dotted with many restaurants serving fresh local delicacies and seafoods

Things to do in Porto Venere

• Walk through the narrow streets of the beautiful medieval town

• Walk down the main street of Via Giovanni Capellini which is dotted with gelato shops, restaurants, boutiques and souvenir shops

• Enjoy a bit of history – Explore monuments dating back to the Middle Ages like the Doria Castle which was of high significance when the powerful republic of Genoa ruled the town. The churches, Chiesa di San Pietro and Chiesa di San Lorenzo can offer the history buffs some more excitement in addition to offering extraordinary views. The ruins of Villa Romana of Varignano, which lies close to Portovenere in the village of Le Grazie dates back to the 2nd century B.C!

• Take a swim in Byron’s Grotto – Named after George Gordon Byron (Lord Byron) one of the greatest English poets that led the Romantic movement- had a special love for Porto Venere and this was his favourite swimming spot. The Byron cave is characterized by a white cliff that dives into the sea. The cave can be accessed through a narrow opening in the square in front of Saint Peter church. It is popular for sunbathing and enjoying the spectacular sunsets.

• Treat your taste buds – Porto Venere is the destination for mussels (muscoli), stuffed or marinated. You also can enjoy Octopus, or polpo, or get a bite of the Ligurian pandolce (fruit cake) or ice cream.

Food To Try While in Cinque Terre

Lining the coast of Liguria, thefive old fishing villages of Monerosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore offer some of the freshest sea foods! From anchovies to mussels, the options are mouth-watering and perfect for the views of the Mediterranean Sea.! For centuries, the inhabitants of these shores have worked with the steep land and terraces for vineyards and tiny fields for cultivating olives. So local wines (primarily white), olives and high quality basil are a must try- and give the local dishes their unique and fresh flavour. The sea food ‘cones’ are an easy and wallet friendly option to sample what’s available on the go, but sitting down to enjoy a leisurely meal can truly make your time feel worthwhile in this colourful and beautifully rugged terrain.

Local Focaccia maker at Corniglia

Focaccia: This thick, spongy and soft flatbread is a must-have in Cinque Terre. Originating in the region of Liguria, properly made Focaccia has a crusty top and soft inside. Slightly salty Focaccia varies widely in flavours ranging from rosemary, garlic, pesto, tomato and many others. All villages in Cinque Terre are dotted with Focaccia bakeries, so, it is easy to find one and dig in!!

A typical mixture of sea food and vegetables in Fritto Misto

Fritto Misto: Similar to the Japanese Tempura, Fritto Mistro is a platter of different types of deep fried seafood. It can be served as friggitoria – small portions as ‘food on the go’ in paper cones from the street e stalls or as a main platter in restaurants. The sea in Liguria region is rich in seafood with bountiful daily fresh catch of prawns, squids and other small fishes, so what better way to enjoy these fruits from the sea-coated in thin crisp batter and deep fried, served with a wedge of lemon.

Anchovies - ‘pan do ma’ or bread of the sea

Fried Anchovies: The sea in and around Liguria region are teeming with anchovies which are known locally as ‘pan do ma’ or bread of the sea. Caught at night by using the traditional technique called lampara where anchovies are lured into the net by using lights. The fresh anchovies are served as fried, cured, marinated or in pasta in restaurants all around Cinque Terre. Our preferred option was the fried one which is widely available in restaurants around the villages of Cinque Terre.

Trofie pasta with pesto

Trofie Pasta with Pesto: There is an abundance of high quality basil in Liguria region. Extremely flavourful due the way it’s grown away from sun and in the shade of olive trees and vines. It is Liguria’s most iconic cooking ingredient – the pesto. Made from fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, salt and parmesan cheese this green sauce is used to prepare pasta, risotto, gnocchi etc. The trofie pasta – thin, small and twisted pasta from Liguria is considered to be the best companion for flavourful pesto!

Octopus or Polpo in combination with boiled potato

Polpo con Patate: The waters of the Ligurian sea produce some of the best octopus or polpo. This combined with boiled potato (patete), fresh herbs and olive oil creates this simple yet classic summer Mediterranean dish. Served cold or hot as an appetizer or a main dish, polpo con patate can be found in the menu of every restaurant up and down the Ligurian coast.

A Gelato shop in the village of Corniglia

Gelato: There is no bigger sin then not indulge in the rich finger-licking (literally) flavours of the gelatos in the Italian summer! All villages of Cinque Terre are lined with gelato shops offering a variety of flavours and colours often leaving kids and adult spoilt for choice! Thanks to this delicious treat, Cinque Terre was never boring for our little traveller who found his happiness in the scoops every now and then!

Santorini - The Paradise of Aegean Sea

The iconic blue domes of Santorini cathedrals

The Greek islands can be divided into a few groups based on their location like the Cyclades, Dodecanese, Ionian, Northern and Southern Sporades and other individual islands on the Aegean Sea.

Santorini (Thira officially and Thera in ancient Greek) the southernmost member of the Cyclades group. The Cyclades group is made up of over 200 small islands, the most popular being Santorini, Mykonos, Ios and Paros, other major ones being Amorgos, Anafi, Andros, Antiparos, Delos, Kea, Kimolos, Kythnos, Milos, Naxos, Folegandros, Serifos, Sifnos, Sikinos, Syros and Tinos. Cyclades comes from the term kyklos meaning circle as the islands form a rough circle around the central island of Delos which was considered sacred as it is the birthplace of Greek Gods Apollo and Artemis in Greek mythology. The Cyclades islands were also blessed with raw materials like obsidian (or volcanic glass), copper and marble which were exported and brought prosperity through the ages and explains the distinctive culture and style of these islands.

View of Caldera in Oia and its typical Santorini architecture

Santorini itself is a group of islands that form a crescent – back in the 15th century, a massive volcanic eruption caused the middle of the island to collapse forming steep craters known as a caldera. The other islands in the crescent are Thira (yes same name as main Thira/Santorini – also the capital), Thirassia, Aspronissi, Palea and Nea Kameni.

White walls, bright bougainvillea and cobbled narrow lane are part of Santorini charm

Santorini is southeast from mainland Greece and approximately 230 kms from Athens. Apart from the stunning views of the Aegean Sea from the caldera, and the unending charm of everything Mediterranean – what makes the Greek islands such a popular destination is the long summer season! You can get a taste of this heaven from May to October – the summer sun creates a dazzling frame of whitewashed houses and blue domes, the red and pink bougainvillea. It’s hard to believe that it is indeed real and not a painting stemming from the imaginations of an artist! The food is another surreal factor that kicks your sensations into paradise! What’s not to love about being in a paradise and feasting on food that’s fit for the Greek Gods!