CINQUE TERRE - (Liguria region)
The five villages include Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola & Riomaggiore
The town and the beautiful surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once a tourist area for backpackers and hikers, but since the 1970s, many of the local buildings, that appear to hang from the side of the terraced hillside have become very nice vacation rentals and some new modern accommodations.
Walking the trails between the towns is one of the more scenic workouts that you can imagine.!! The trails wind through local gardens and farms of olive groves and grape vines. (We were fortunate enough to come upon a lovely local farmer who insisted we try some of his grapes - BUT, do not feel that you can help yourself to anything without an owner giving his permission, remember, this is their livelyhood).
Cinque Terre is a very special place with great travel memories.
Jim’s Useful Italian Phrases
My collection of some useful phrases to help with restaurants and getting around - using a bit of Italian.
ITALY
Useful Web Links
A collection of interesting website links that will give insight to many Italian locations
CINQUE TERRE
Location Map
The Cinque Terre region is large area that really extends from Velanto down to La Spezia
Cinque Terre is Breathtaking from the Water
Taking a boat ride that ferries between the towns of Cinque Terre (and also down to the town of La Spezia) is a great way to see the coastline from the water - that is when you really get a feel for the buildings hanging from the hillside. But, beware the gangplank used to board and disembark as it can be a little treacherous in rough water.!!!
It is also quite a sight to see the famous Carrara Marble Quarries near the town of La Spezia. The pure white marble used since Roman times for everything from landmarks like the Pantheon to Renaissance sculptures like Michelangelo’s David
Save Some Steps - Hiking in Cinque Terre
Deciding which direction to hike in Cinque Terre, and which trails, depend greatly on what kind of hiking you are looking for. If you are just using the main lower trails between the towns, it is good to note that the hike from Corniglia has a zig-zag 400 step staircase running down to the train station in Corniglia, in the direction of Manarola. (This tip was first suggested by travel guru Rick Steves)
UPDATE - many of the Cinque Terre trails are still closed (at time of writing) from landslides, so you need to check what is open before planning your hikes.
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