| Palmaria (Porto Venere) | |
 | |
Location  | |
| State | Italy |
|---|---|
| Region | Liguria |
| Territory | Porto Venere |
| POSTAL CODE | 19025 |
| Website | http://www.isolapalmaria.it |
Palmaria is a district of Porto Venere
To know
| «From Capo Corvo full of viburnums the pines vedess'io of Palmaria than with the mourning of its nocturnal marbles is lonely " |
| (Gabriele D'Annunzio - Laudi) |
Palmaria Island (In Parmæa in Ligurian), is found in Ligurian Sea, at the western end of the Gulf of La Spezia; with its area of 1.89 square km it is in fact the largest island of theSpezzino Archipelago and of all the five Ligurian islands.
Located in front of the village of Porto Venere, from which it is separated by a narrow arm of the sea called The mouths, is part of an archipelago also made up of the islands of Tino he was born in Tinetto. Its territory is part of the municipality of Porto Venere.
Since 1997 the Palmaria island, together with the other islands Tino and Tinetto, Porto Venere and the Five lands has been included among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The island has a triangular shape: the sides facing Porto Venere and the Gulf of La Spezia are those in which the human presence is greater and gently slope down to sea level, covered by the typical Mediterranean vegetation; the side facing west, ie towards the open sea, is instead characterized by high cliffs overlooking the water, in which there are many caves.
As for the western side, which is the most difficult to access, the Blue Grotto, which can be visited by boat, and the Grotta dei Colombi, which can only be reached by rappelling down with ropes, are worthy of note.
On the island there are also many buildings of a military nature and of great historical interest: on the top, inaccessible as a former military territory and currently in a state of neglect, the Conte di Cavour fort (or Fort Palmaria), the experimental battery now used as environmental education center and battery Semaphore; at Punta Scuola, the armored tower Umberto I - which was equipped with two 400 mm Krupp guns, that is, with the highest caliber for the time -, used as a military prison after World War II and recently renovated and the remains of the Albini battery; scattered throughout the island, various bunker dating back to the Second World War and the remains of coastal and anti-aircraft artillery positions mostly inaccessible as they were abandoned and submerged by vegetation.
Also important is the presence (in the southern part of the island, called Pozzale) of an abandoned quarry, once used for the extraction of the precious black marble with golden streaks called portoro. In the area there are still the remains of the cranes and hoists used to move the marble blocks, as well as the walls of the miners' homes.
How to orient yourself
Palmaria: full screen map.How to get
- A local transport service, via barcaroli, continuously connects the Palmaria island to the nearby one Porto Venere.
- In the summer months a maritime transport service is active with the help of boats and ferries that connect the island of Palmaria with the neighboring centers of Lerici, Spice and the main localities of the Five lands.
How to get around
To get around it is necessary to go on foot using the many paths present on the island.
What see
It is possible to see the following structures from a distance but access is prohibited for safety reasons
- Fort Palmaria.
- Cala Fornace battery.
- Schenello battery.
- Torre Umberto I.
0. 
Sat-Sun 10-17. - Battery Cava Carlo Alberto.
- Traffic light battery.
- Conte di Cavour battery.
0. 
Sat-Sun 10-17.What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Average prices
- Il Pozzale Restaurant, Via Pozzale, 22, ☎ 39 0187 791103.
- Locanda Lorena, Via Cavour, 4, ☎ 39 0187 792370, fax: 39 0187 766077.
Where stay
Average prices
- Locanda Lorena, Via Cavour, 4, ☎ 39 0187 792370, fax: 39 0187 766077. Low season (from 1/3 to 31/5) € 130.00 per night - High season (from 1/6 to 1/9) € 150.00 per night.
- La Casa Del Pescatore B&B, Pier Tosi, ☎ 39 0187 791199.
