Portovenere

Portovenere, on the Italian Rivera and located in close proximity to the famous Cinque Terre, is known for its picturesque harbor. Known mostly to the Italians, that is. Many tourists sadly skip over this seaside village, favoring the brightly colored houses of the Cinque Terre instead.
Far less crowded Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, Portovenere has its own colorful houses that line the harbor. Here you’ll also find the picturesque black and white striped church of San Pietro, which sits dramatically on a rocky promontory, narrow Medieval lanes that snake up to the hilltop 12th-century Doria Castle, and the rocky alcove known as Byron’s Cave, where the poet Lord Byron himself used to swim. There are also many shops selling local wares – wine, ceramics and olive oil – making for plenty to do in Portovenere. 
All the exploring will no doubt have you soon following the scents of grilled fish to one of the many restaurants. The Gulf of Poets is famous for its mussels (cozze in Italian) and they are most often prepared two ways locally: spaghetti alle cozze or cozze ripieni, the latter of which involves stuffing the mussels and simmering them in a tomato sauce. Hiking is a popular post-meal activity here, and many people begin their adventure on Trail 1, which connects to Trail 3 or 3a and leads right to Riomaggiore in the Cinque Terre. Or just relax and take it all in from the water on a hop-on, hop-off ferry. 

Practical Info

Perhaps why so many tourists skip over Portovenere is that it is not accessible by train. The easiest way to reach Portovenere is on the hop-on, hop-off ferry that runs from April through September and connects Portovenere with all of the Cinque Terre villages, except Corniglia. Most tourists arriving to the area do so by train via La Spezia, from where a bus can be taken to Portovenere. Unfortunately, the bus does not leave from the La Spezia train station and you will need to walk for about 15 minutes into town to the Arsenale.