Portovenere and Cinque Terre

Your two-day tour of the magical Italian Riviera begins by checking into the five-star Grand Hotel Portovenere. After lunch, enjoy a guided tour of Portovenere on the Gulf of La Spezia. Brightly colored houses line the harbor, and medieval streets ascend to Doria Castle. An ancient gate leads to the main street filled with quaint shops. Atop the promontory is the Church of San Pietro, once the site of a temple of Venus for which the village is named. You may also visit Byron’s Cave, one of many locales that inspired writers such as Lord Byron to spend time here, giving the area its alias, Gulf of Poets. The next day you will explore the delightful villages of Cinque Terre, ingeniously built into isolated cliffs overlooking the coast. Begin at picture-perfect Riomaggiore, where colorful houses are perched on terraced hills that plunge toward the sea. Next is Vernazza, an elegant fishing village featuring more color in contrast with a medieval fort and castle. The largest of the Cinque Terre villages and your final stop, Monterosso is reached by boat and has gorgeous beaches, rugged cliffs, turquoise waters and charming hotels and eateries.