Three islands trail off the tip of the Porto Venere peninsula like stepping stones: Palmaria, the largest, then Tino, and finally the Tinetto, a bare rock with the ruins of an early medieval monastic settlement and a small lighthouse beacon. Together with Porto Venere and the Cinque Terre, they form a World Heritage Site, listed for the way people shaped this rugged coast with terraces, villages and fortifications. The Tinetto is home to a rare lizard found only on these islands, and the waters around are rich in marine life.
Porto Venere is a gem of a village, with tall, narrow, colourful houses lining the harbour, a Genoese castle above, and the church of San Pietro on a rocky point at the end of the peninsula, with views over the sea and the cliffs of the Cinque Terre. Byron's Grotto, a sea cave below the church, is named after the poet, who is said to have swum from here across the gulf to Lerici to visit Shelley.
The Gulf of La Spezia, also called the Gulf of Poets, was a favourite of the English Romantics. Shelley lived at San Terenzo, near Lerici, and drowned in a storm off the coast in 1822. Lerici, with its castle and harbour, is a lovely town across the gulf.
The road from La Spezia to Porto Venere follows the western shore of the gulf, through Le Grazie and Fezzano, narrow and winding with views over the water, and busy in summer. Parking in Porto Venere is very limited, and a bike is a great advantage. The road over the hills toward the Cinque Terre is twisting and dramatic, with steep drops to the sea. Boats run from Porto Venere around the islands, a great way to see the Tinetto up close.
Fuel is available in La Spezia and Lerici, eight kilometres away by sea but much further by road. Restaurants in Porto Venere serve fresh seafood, including mussels from the gulf, and the local pesto and focaccia. Summer is very busy; spring and autumn are calmer.