Continuing Around Palmaria Island

We continue hiking around Palmaria Island, walking away from Forte di Cavour and the resident goats.  The path is flat for a while as we cross the top of the island.

Continuing across the island

Leaving the fort and the goats behind

Soon we're able to see La Spezia in the distance and we then start to descend to catch the shuttle ferry back to Porto Venere.

La Spezia in the distance

Descending

At the bottom of the hill, we walk out on the pier and wait for the shuttle ferry.

Island fire truck

Porto Venere across the water

Local sea life

Ferry approaching

We reward ourselves when we reach Porto Venere with lunch at Al Gabbiano overlooking the harbor:  octopus and potato salad, pizza Porto Venere (anchovies), and pizza diavola (spicy sausage).

Octopus salad

Pizzas

After lunch, we catch the larger ferry up the coast back to Monterosso al Mare, stopping at the other Cinque Terre towns before reaching Monterosso, the northernmost town of the five.

Leaving Porto Venere

Cruising up the coast

Porto Venere and Isola Palmaria in the distance

Passing other towns

Arriving back in Monterosso

It's been a great day with a lot of variety:  Porto Venere, Isola Palmaria, two ferries, lunch.

Palmaria Island

Isola Palmaria (Palmaria Island) is the largest of the three islands in the Gulf of La Spezia and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the village of Porto Venere across the channel and the smaller islands of Tino and Tinetto.  Even though Palmaria is a small island (1.89 sq. km., .72 sq. miles), it features multiple landscapes with Mediterranean vegetation facing the gulf and shear cliffs facing the sea. 

We take a ferry down the coast from Monterosso al Mare to Porto Venere where we catch a smaller shuttle ferry to Palmaria.

Ferry leaving Monterosso

Looking back at Monterosso

Calm seas today

Passing the other Cinque Terre towns

Along the coast to Porto Venere

We take a quick stroll in Porto Venere, before hopping on the shuttle to Palmaria

Walk through Porto Venere

Shuttle to Palmaria

Map of Palmaria and hiking trails

Arriving in Palmaria, we walk along the coast a bit and then start up to the top of Sommità dell'Isola Palmaria, 189 meters (620 feet) up.  The views of Porto Venere across the channel change dramatically  as we climb.

Porto Venere from sea level

Heading up

Looking up the coast toward Monterosso

Porto Venere from higher up

We continue climbing with occasional views of the sea.

Continuing to climb

Glimpses of the sea

Approaching the top, we reach Forte di Cavour which dates back to the Napoleonic period of the Ligurian Republic.  Built in the mid-1850s to hold 330 soldiers and many 240mm howitzers, the fort served as a defensive system for the Gulf of La Spezia.  The abandoned structure is now inhabited by goats who ignore us as we walk by.

Caretakers of the fort

We pass through and continue on to the other side of the island.