Rada di Portovenere

Also called Rada del Terrizzo, the Portovenere anchorage is located within the Gulf of La Spezia at its southwestern end. The anchorage is located exactly between the coast and the island of Palmaria, which together with the other islands of the La Spezia archipelago protect it from the south-easterly swells.

The anchorage has easy depths of between 2 and 8 meters at varying distances from the coast. When maneuvering within the Terrizzo anchorage, it is important to pay attention to fish farms and rows dedicated to mussel harvesting, from which you should keep a safe distance.

During the daytime, passing traffic disturbs the anchorage in no small way, which still remains ridged by almost all wave motion.

The crosswinds of the Portovenere anchorage blow along the 2nd and 3rd quadrants during the summer period, while during the winter period the landfall is mainly exposed to grecale and tramontana winds.

From the northeast, access to the anchorage is easy both during the day and at night, and in all weather conditions; from the southwest, however, the anchorage is accessible through the Portovenere Channel, which is recommended to be avoided in southwesterly winds. The Portovenere channel is also impassable for vessels with a draft greater than 3.5m.

In addition to the varied tourist and social attractions offered by the pretty village of Portovenere, the anchorage’s location is distinguished by the area’s high nature value. The proximity of the Cinque Terre National Park and the Portovenere Regional Nature Park offers boaters the opportunity for countless hiking trips along the nature trails available along the two parks. Water quality, on the other hand, is certified by a long tradition of blue flags awarded along La Spezia’s coastline over the years, as well as by the proximity of the adjacent Cinque Terre Marine Protected Area.

On land, it is worth a walk along the carruggi of Portovenere, which together with the Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto islands of the La Spezia archipelago have been recognized by Unescu as a World Heritage Site. Particularly striking is the Church of St. Peter, located atop the promontory of Arpaia on which the remains of ancient fortifications stand and which overlooks the anchorages and the island of Palmaria on one side, and Byron’s cave, where the poet used to go in search of inspiration, on the other.

Directly exposed to the winds and waves that crash against the rocks on which it is built and drop steeply to the sea, the Church of St. Peter offers views of the horizon and sunsets so intense that they make the anchorages of Portovenere one of the most romantic destinations for boaters.