Porto Venere: A Cultural Gem on Italy's Ligurian Coast

Porto Venere

Italy is one of my favorite countries to visit. During our last trip, we had the pleasure of discovering the city of Porto Venere in the province of La Spezia on the Ligurian coast of Italy. We have visited many towns in Italy but none left me with such a culture shock as Porto Venere, even though I love this little town and its people.

Integrating with the Locals

During our Mediterranean cruise, we had the pleasure of stopping at La Spezia port. The Port of La Spezia is a large commercial port — the largest in the Ligurian region. Therefore, it did not surprise me to see rows of containers stacked up on top of each other. We disembarked the ship to make our way to the city center to explore this small town. We wanted to observe and understand the local customs, traditions, and values. Once there, we enjoyed breakfast at a coffee shop with the locals. This is where one local struck up a polite conversation with us. His name is Enzo. We could easily understand each other despite him speaking only Italian and us responding in Spanish.

Following Enzo’s suggestion, we did not go the tourist route but opted to take the local city bus on their daily routine. Enzo politely explained how we could enjoy the city of Porto Venere. We headed towards the small convenience store to purchase our 2-way bus tickets and then proceeded to the bus stop. Enzo gave us detailed instructions on how to get there, which bus to take, what to do once on the bus, where to get off the bus, and how to manage our way around Porto Venere. Such a lovely person.

Culture Shock

Here we are, standing at the bus stop with the locals, and you can tell we are tourists doing the non-touristy thing. Once on the bus, we accommodated ourselves in a spot at the front of the bus, since all the seats were unavailable. Everyone boards the bus without having to show their ticket or pay a fee at the farebox. In fact, there was no farebox to pay directly. It was more like a trust system where you board the bus, make your way to the ticket stand, and insert your ticket for its validation. We stood right by the ticket stand. Locals politely asked us if we would scan their tickets. No biggie. We did so, enjoyed the ride, and made small talk with a few on the bus.

The fee was free for elders, students, and disabled persons. The students ride the local bus to and from school on their own — no parent or adult supervision. This was a culture shock for me. I never expected to see children as young as 6-year-olds riding the bus alone. These were not school buses, they were the regular local buses that the locals used to commute to and from work. That’s not something we see in the USA. Though the bus was full, it did not feel cramped. It amazed me to see how people and children gave up their seats for older adults, disabled, and pregnant women without a second thought. It was a natural gesture.

Arriving at Porto Venere

Porto Venere’s stop was the last one on the bus route; therefore, there were various stops, of course, dropping off and picking up passengers. It took roughly an hour to arrive at Porto Venere. Once there, we made our way through the beautiful city of Porto Venere. The sceneries and Gulf of the Poets were mesmerizing, therefore we made a few stops for some snapshots. We walked the cobblestone pathways of this medieval city, learning about its history and exploring its culture, people, and shops. Miles of walking took us to the Parco Naturale Regionale di Porto Venere, the Doria Castle, and the Church of Saint Peter. It was breathtaking. It was easy to navigate and had little to no crowds.

Shops and Restaurants

One thing I love about Italy is that there are many more mom-and-pop shops than chain box stores. Leather shops, locally made clothes stores, shoe stores, souvenirs, and of course, coffee shops and restaurants, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch before continuing on our exploration of Porto Venere.

Is Porto Venere worth visiting? Yes, it is. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, too. So, if you are in the Ligurian region of Italy, I suggest you take a detour and explore a little-known town for tourists. It is not large, but you will not regret your visit.

Originally published at http://travelerwow.com on June 10, 2024.