Portovenere stands at the tip of a rocky peninsula at the southern end of the Ligurian coast, where the cliffs finish in a narrow point facing the island of Palmaria. It is a village of tall, narrow houses painted in faded yellow, pink and ochre, with a fortified waterfront that looks like a wall of colour from the sea. At the end of the point, on a rock above the waves, stands the black-and-white church of San Pietro, a Gothic building from the late twelfth century, built on the site of an earlier temple. The name itself means Port of Venus, and the old goddess seems to have been on good terms with the sailors.
The gulf beyond is called the Gulf of Poets, because Byron and Shelley and many others wrote about it. Byron is said to have swum across the water from Portovenere to Lerici, a feat of endurance, and a grotto beneath the church carries his name. The village, together with the Cinque Terre and the islands, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A Genoese castle stands on the hill above, with views over the gulf, and the narrow main street runs from the harbour gate up past shops and restaurants to the church.
The ride to get here is the SP530 from La Spezia, a winding coastal road through the village of Le Grazie, with the gulf on one side and olive-covered hills on the other. It is narrow and twisting, with traffic that grows heavy at weekends and in summer, and the final approach to the village is restricted. A large car park sits at the entrance, and in high season it fills up early, so aim to arrive in the morning or late in the day. The bends are tight and the walls close, but the sea views are constant, and the road is a good way to get out of the cities around La Spezia.
The harbour restaurants serve fresh seafood, including the local mussels, which are farmed in the gulf, and trofie al pesto, the Ligurian twisted pasta in basil sauce. Prices reflect the setting, so expect to pay a bit more than in La Spezia. The village is small enough to cover on foot in an hour, and the walk to the church and along the sea wall is a pleasure.
For fuel, La Spezia, about six kilometres away, is a proper city with plenty of stations, and it is best to fill there before you drive down. A boat service links the village with the Cinque Terre in summer, an easy way to see them without taking the bike.
The best light is in the late afternoon, when the sun warms the pastel houses and the water turns deep blue.