The tiny Italian seaside town just as pretty as its famous neighbour but without the crowd

Porto Venere, in the Liguria region in northwestern Italy, is a beautiful small town, with all the charm of the more famous Cinque Terre but with fewer visitors, allowing tourists to relax and enjoy the area. 

Its brightly coloured buildings and inviting have a true Italian flavour which you won’t find anywhere else.

The best way to get to the area is to fly to Pisa, which is the closest airport and then from there the drive takes an hour and a half.

One visitor took to Tripadvisor to say: “Porto Venere is popular but as its Cinque Terre brethren, possibly because access is harder as there is no train station. 

“The name of this sailor’s village is derived from the temple dedicated to the Goddess Venere that stood where the Church of San Pietro stands today which is an interesting visit, as is the castle.  

“Porto Venere is tiny with one pedestrian path through town, and a promenade with vibrantly coloured buildings cascading down to a lively waterfront.”

Porto Venere typically attracts more internal Italian visitors rather than tourists from other countries. 

There is a range of shops and restaurants in the area. If you want to have a luxurious stay, the popular five-star hotel, Grand Hotel Portovenere has incredible views of the marina and the town.

If you do want to visit the famous , you can still get a boat there from Porto Venere.

A must-see in the area is the San Pietro Church which has a unique look. One traveller said on Tripadvisor: “It is an interesting and very old romanic church. The interior is quite simple considering other old churches from that time, but the whole church is very interesting. When you climb the hill, you have a beautiful panoramic view of the area.”

The church has been called “striking and dramatic” and should not be missed.