Portovenere is where the Ligurian Riviera ends and the open sea begins: the promontory marks the transition from the sheltered Gulf of La Spezia to the exposed Tyrrhenian approaches, and the sailing conditions change noticeably as you round the point. This makes Portovenere a natural staging post for sailing itineraries moving between the Ligurian Riviera and the Tuscan coast: a departure in settled Tramontane conditions from Portovenere can have a sailing yacht off Elba or Giglio the following morning, or heading north past the Cinque Terre toward Portofino on a comfortable reach.
Italy carries approximately seven sailing charter yachts suited to the Ligurian and northern Tyrrhenian passages. The gulf of La Spezia provides sheltered day-sailing for light wind days and easy anchorages at Lerici; the outer Ligurian coast and the passage south to Elba suit days when the breeze builds. A skilled sailing crew at Portovenere reads the forecast carefully and times the departure from the gulf to make the most of the conditions.
Charter rates for sailing yachts in Italy run from approximately 10,000 to 50,000 euros per week, with the advance provisioning allowance of about 30% covering food, wine, modest fuel, and berthing in Portovenere or the La Spezia marina. Portovenere’s outer anchorage is free or very low cost; the inner harbour is smaller and charges accordingly.
The Gulf of Poets, as La Spezia’s gulf was known to the nineteenth-century literary community that settled here, is a rewarding and underutilised sailing ground: well-sheltered in most conditions, with good anchorages, beautiful villages, and the historical atmosphere that explains why Byron swam across it on a wager.
