Boats from Portovenere, landing points, the beaches of Punta Secco and Pozzale, the walk around the island, forts and the three-islands tour.
Palmaria is the island facing Portovenere, separated from the village by a channel a few hundred metres wide known as the Bocche. It is the largest island in Liguria and part of the Portovenere and Cinque Terre UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as the Porto Venere regional nature park. There are no cars and no roads: you arrive by boat and explore on foot. This guide explains which boat to take, where to land, where to swim and how to walk around the island.
The only way is by sea. From the Molo Doria in Portovenere, the boatmen’s cooperative shuttles to the island all year round: in season roughly from 9am to 7pm about every half hour, and in July and August with return boats until around midnight. In winter there are fewer sailings and boats only run when the sea is calm. The ticket office and timetable board are at the entrance to the village, near Piazza Bastreri. Always check the time of the last boat back.
Boats stop at three points, and picking the right one shapes your day:
From spring to autumn Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti also links Palmaria with La Spezia and Lerici, handy if you are staying on that side of the gulf and want to avoid driving to Portovenere. In Portovenere you can also hire boats and dinghies, with or without a skipper.
The easiest beach: pebbles and small stones, a beach club, a bar and very clear water, looking straight across to Portovenere and San Pietro. It is packed in August, but it is the only one with facilities and the best choice with children.
At the southern tip, facing Tino, Pozzale is a wilder bay of smooth pebbles. You reach it by boat or on foot along the trail, with a steep descent at the end. Above the beach are the old quarries of portoro, the black marble with golden veins extracted here since ancient times.
Cala Fornace, on the east side, can only be reached from the sea, like several coves among the rocks: you need a rented boat or a kayak. The Spiaggia dei Gabbiani is closed to swimmers because of rockfall risk; respect the signs.
The island loop follows trail 510: a circuit of about 6 km with 245 m of ascent, taking 2–3 hours depending on your pace. It starts at Terrizzo and can be walked in either direction. The western section runs above the cliffs, with views of the open sea and the coast towards the Cinque Terre; the southern part drops towards Pozzale and Tino.
Palmaria was a military island for a long time, and it shows. Near Terrizzo stands Forte Umberto I, from 1887, restored and open only for events. Higher up, Forte Cavour from 1861 is abandoned and closed to visitors. Along the trail you pass gun batteries, old military posts and the Punta Carlo Alberto viewpoint, with the best view of the village. Off the north-east tip lie the ruins of the Torre Scola, a Genoese tower destroyed by British warships in 1800.
If you have no time to land, the three-islands boat tour circles Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto in under an hour, passing the western cliffs and sea caves. It leaves from Portovenere and, in season, from La Spezia and Lerici.
Tino is a military zone with a navy lighthouse: you can only land around 13 September, the feast of San Venerio, the hermit who lived there in the 7th century and is the patron saint of the gulf. Boats leave from Portovenere and La Spezia, must be booked and have limited places. Tinetto, a rock with remains of ancient monasteries, can only be seen from the water.
FAQ
A few minutes: boats leave from the Molo Doria and cross the Bocche channel. In high season they run about every half hour.
Yes, the Portovenere boatmen run all year, with fewer sailings and only in calm seas. Most bars and restaurants on the island are closed, though.
Punta Secco is the most convenient, with facilities and a view of Portovenere. Pozzale is wilder and quieter, facing Tino.
Two to three hours for the loop on trail 510, about 6 km. Add time for swimming stops.
Yes, but there are very few places. Most visitors sleep in Portovenere or La Spezia and visit the island for the day.
Where to stay
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Riviera di Levante › Golfo dei Poeti
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