For a romantic long weekend I would highly recommend the village of Portovenere, 13km away from La Spezia, a bustling port town and the get-away to the Cinque Terre. Off season, Portovenere is a delightful place to visit, even in the winter. It is secluded and one of the oldest resorts in Italy. A typical sea village, it has a narrow pedestrian street running parallel to the sea front that is crossed by tiny alleys running uphill from the sea. A picnic on the rocks looking out to sea and taking in the small fishing boats balancing on the waves is an unforgettable moment. People going on with their daily lives look at you as a guest rather than an object and source of income and are more likely to stop and chat out of curiosity.
Instead of staying at different hotels every night we opted to base ourselves in Portovenere and take day trips. We visited Pisa (70km away) one day and Portofino (90km) another day. We also explored the small town of Gracia, only 3km from Portovenere. We stayed at Grand Hotel which is a 17th century Franciscan monastery. It has an old world charm and grandeur, with spacious, airy rooms. From our window we had an enchanting view of the bay and the old village. On two out of three days our breakfast was delivered to our room since there were not enough guests to open the restaurant.
The restaurants in town took it in turn being open throughout the week and so we got to try a different place each day. All the restaurants were excellent and offered a selection of delicious Ligurian specialities, namely pasta, seafood and meat dishes that were accompanied by an agreeable local white Vernaccia wine.
The weather cooperated and the bright sunrays woke us up three days out of four. I usually enjoy packing my holidays with travel and activities. This holiday was the antithesis of that. Leisurely days gave way to relaxed evenings and languid nights. For a romantic get-away in the winter try the Italian Cinque Terra region. You won't be disappointed.
Leon Gendin visited Portovenere in December 2001
Hotel Paradiso ( ***) is another pleasant and comfortable place to stay. All rooms have a sea view. Tel 0039 0187 790 612 or email info@hotelportovenere.it