Enjoy a boat ride on Gulf of Poets to Portovenere and the Three Islands from La Spezia port

Majestic, panoramic, a witness of centuries of history: the Doria Castle (Castello Doria) is one of the most striking features of Portovenere. It stands on a rocky plateau, featuring steep walls and mighty archways in local stone. The Doria Castle of Portovenere is a proper example of Genoese military architecture, even though it has undergone some structural modifications due to the progress of fortifications and firearms. When you first glance at Castello Doria, it looks like one solid piece. But it actually consists of 2 distinct parts positioned at different levels and enclosed in large Cyclopean walls.

La Spezia is located right on the border between Liguria and Tuscany not far from Cinque Terre, Pisa, and Florence. La Spezia is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. The city, a major naval base, is located at the head of the Golfo della Spezia, southeast of Genoa. The site was inhabited in Roman times, but little is known of its history before 1276, when it was sold to Genoa by the Fieschi family. It became a maritime prefecture in the French Empire and then part of the Duchy of Genoa in the Kingdom of Sardinia. After the transfer of the military fleet from Genoa in 1857, it became a naval headquarters, and in 1923 it became the provincial capital. It was severely damaged by bombing in World War II. Notable landmarks include the medieval Castel S. Giorgio, the 15th-century cathedral (rebuilt since 1945), and the naval arsenal (1861–69, rebuilt since 1945), with the adjacent naval museum. The archaeological museum has a collection of menhirs (prehistoric monoliths) cut in the form of human figures and of Roman artifacts from the nearby ancient city of Luni.

Palmaria is an Italian island situated in the Ligurian Sea, at the westernmost end of the Gulf of La Spezia. Measuring 1.6 square kilometers (0.6 sq mi), it is the largest island of an archipelago of three closely spaced islands jutting out south from the mainland at Portovenere. The other islands, Tino, and the tiny Tinetto lie further south. In 1997, the archipelago, together with Portovenere and the Cinque Terre, was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Porto Venere (until 1991 Portovenere) is a town and comune (municipality) located on the Ligurian coast of Italy in the province of La Spezia. It comprises the three villages of Fezzano, Le Grazie and Porto Venere, and the three islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto. In 1997 Porto Venere and the villages of Cinque Terre were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The San Lorenzo Church Portovenere was built between 1118 and 1130 by the Genoese, after purchasing Portovenere. It was erected on the rocky hills at the center of Portovenere as the official cathedral of the colony. The church is such a significant part of Portovenere's landscape and is definitely worth a visit.

San Pietro ("St. Peter") is a Roman Catholic church in Porto Venere, province of La Spezia, northern Italy, facing the Gulf of Poets. It was officially consecrated in 1198. The part in white and black bands dating from the 13th century (probably made between 1256 and 1277), and was restored between 1931 and 1935. This part was derived from an older body, which consists of the early church, but left the bell tower is based on the chapel left of the presbytery. The original church dates from the 5th century, in Syriac type, with a rectangular plan and a semicircular apse. It lost the title of the parish in the late 14th century, in favor of the Church of San Lorenzo. It was officiated by the secular clergy until 1798.

Tinetto is an Italian island situated in the Gulf of La Spezia, in the eastern part of the Ligurian Sea. It is part of an archipelago of three closely spaced islands jutting out south from the mainland at Portovenere. In 1997, the archipelago, together with Portovenere and the Cinque Terre, was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Tino is an Italian island situated in the Ligurian Sea, at the westernmost end of the Gulf of La Spezia. It is part of an archipelago of three closely spaced islands jutting out south from the mainland at Portovenere. The largest of the three, Palmaria, lies to the north and the tiny Tinetto to the south. In 1997, the archipelago, together with Portovenere and the Cinque Terre, was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.