Sailing into the blue: a boat trip in the Gulf of Poets

Sailing into the blue: from La Spezia to Portovenere, from the Five Islands to the Cinque Terre, a journey across the treasure map known as the Gulf of Poets

Following the treasure map

We start at the ferry terminal in La Spezia. At the helm are Alessio, a young sea-dog and Gianni, a former Spezia footballer with the build of a boatswain, both from Kalòs Cinque Terre Boat Tour. They’re the ones holding one of those faded maps that, in adventure novels, are found inside old trunks but which, these days, an algorithm conveniently sends straight to your smartphone. But there’s no time to look at your phone here: the engine slows down, the bow points towards Fezzano: pastel-coloured cottages clinging to the shore, rowing boats hauled ashore, a scent of salt and basil that reaches you even before you set foot on land. It is a tiny, almost hidden cove – the sort that those seeking nothing more than a picture-postcard view might well miss – and which, just like in Salgari’s stories, rewards only those who have the patience to stray from the beaten track. It is here that the Golfo dei Poeti really begins to reveal itself: a landscape that Byron and Shelley chose in order to breathe the same salty air that you are breathing today, on this boat.

Tino and Tinetto: islands to look at but not touch

The time it takes to sail from Fezzano to Portovenere  is short, but the change of scenery is dramatic: the church of San Pietro stands out against the rock like a set designed by Lele Luzzati, built specifically to amaze those arriving from the sea. This is where the journey stops being just about the scenery and becomes an experience; here, you’re right in the thick of it, and you’re the one at the helm. From Portovenere, the view sweeps over Palmaria, then to the twin rocks of Tino e del Tinetto: two almost off-limits islands, open to the public for just a few days a year (on San Venerio’s Day, 13 September– make a note of it in your diary). They exist in a separate, suspended dimension; they’re there, but they’re almost a secret: you’d get a 4 in geography if you didn’t list them, but you can’t even touch them with an oar. You’ll have to deal with the Navy, which calls the shots here. Gazing at them from the sea is an almost metaphysical experience: islands that can be seen but not touched, presences rather than places, the Ligurian version of Neverland.

In Byron’s Cave

Before leaving Portovenere behind, the boat slows down once more, this time to slip close to the coast into Byron’s Cave: a rocky crevice carved out by the sea where, according to legend, the English poet would dive in to swim to Lerici, defying the currents and common sense in the name of poetry. Here, the echo of the water striking the stone takes on a different tone; it becomes both sombre and sacred, as if the myth had truly left an acoustic imprint in the cave. A few minutes’ sail further on, on the Palmaria side, lies the Blue Grotto: light filters through a submerged crevice, transforming the water inside into an almost unnatural, luminescent, fairy-tale blue. A microcosm of light and silence reserved for those arriving from the sea – an experience no coastal walk could ever replicate.

Like castaways at Le Rosse

There is a cove between Portovenere and Campiglia: it can only be reached by sea. Here, a dip in the sea becomes a voluntary shipwreck, a little contemporary ‘Robinson adventure’. One dive, two strokes and you’re back on shore: no beach clubs, no rows of parasols. Nothing but round, reddish stones, and crystal-clear water where blue blends with red. Soon, this experience will become part of your understanding of what it really takes to be happy. The dips are the slow, relaxing heart of this trip: an unscheduled moment of well-being, decided by Alessio and Gianni – something no itinerary app could ever replicate. For an hour, the world beyond the Gulf of Poets simply ceases to exist.

Viewed from the water, the Cinque Terre are five invisible towns

Then the sea treats us to the most cinematic sight of the whole day: the Cinque Terre alined up along the water’s edge, one after the other. Few people are used to seeing them from the sea; they’re usually viewed from the train, so much so that you can’t recognise them from the water. Which village is that one with the colourful houses that seem to be right on the water’s edge? Riomaggiore. In Manarola , on the other hand, they look as though they’re made of papier-mâché, just like in a nativity scene. Then there’s one that isn’t on the water: it’s Corniglia. And that tower – perhaps an old lighthouse? It is the castle of Vernazza. Finally, Monterosso: the giant who isn’t tickled by the sea. Seen from a distance, they are no longer just postcard images, but an archipelago of inaccessible coves, balancing acts amongst rocks and vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a legacy of hard work entrusted to the care of all humanity.

Torre Scola and the final plunge into the ‘blu dipinto di blu’

The homecoming, like the final chapter of an adventure novel, is what stays with you: Tino and Tinetto appear on the horizon once more, and then the solitary silhouette of the Torre Scola, a stone sentinel on an almost mythological islet – a tiny Ligurian island that doesn’t really exist except for those who know how to look for it. This is where you take the last dip of the day, in waters as blue as can be, before heading back to Portovenere as the late afternoon light bathes the façade of San Pietro in amber light.

Lunch on the terrace, with the gulf aglow with lights

Before long, you’ll have a sailor’s eye: in fact, from the sea you’ll be able to see the terrace of the Grand Hotel Portovenere. And this is where the journey comes to an end, just like any good sea story: around the table, with the gulf still lingering in the air. Palmaria grows dark in the distance, San Pietro lights up, and the fishing boats set off from the little harbour for the night.
They say there’s a moment when the whole bay is bathed in magic: and it’s true. Every 17 August, for the Festivity of the Madonna Bianca, in Portovenere, the entire village, including the Church of San Pietro and the cliff face, is illuminated by over 2,000 candles and torches to commemorate a miracle: in 1204, the parchment depicting the Virgin Mary and the Baby Jesus began to regain its colour. If you’re looking for a moment to reflect on your memories or share authentic content on social media, a lunch or a fine-dining experience with a view is just the thing. The menu changes with the season and the local area, featuring raw local fish, pansotti and focaccia – which is almost a ritual here – whilst the service on the terrace offers that elegance without formality that is the true hallmark of contemporary Ligurian hospitality. If you’re looking for a truly exclusive experience, why not try the Oyster Farm Tour? And you’ll relive it all through your taste buds: the colours of Fezzano, the salty taste of the islands, Byron’s Grotto, a dip at Terre Rosse, the Cinque Terre seen from the sea in a delicious glass of white wine, whilst darkness falls over the Gulf of Poets and offers you one last, peaceful moment of wonder.

We would like to thank Kalòs 5 Terre Portofino Boat Tour and Grand Hotel Portovenere for this article