Welcome to a land of enchantment, where for centuries brightly coloured houses steered the route of seamen and oarsmen on their way home. The scent of the sea is pervasive, a bouquet of boats, nets, fish and sparkles pleasantly invading bays and hillsides, a melody accompanying the rhythms and the rites of the coast.
A rhapsody in blue and green, the riviera loved by poets and painters (from Eugenio Montale to Telemaco Signorini) will definitely cast a spell on you. Climate, colours, paths and traditions are the ingredients of an extraordinary habitat, which resounds with the echo of a hundred languages - tourists from all over the world explore the area on foot, by bike or by train, participating to a four-season treasure hunt among an array of wonders.
The name “Cinque Terre” derives from the succession of five coastal villages - Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore – ranking in the Unesco Heritage list. Protection is provided by a National Park, which plays a pivotal role in the preservation of the environment. Everywhere the work of man and the work of nature (as well as gods) peacefully coexist side by side. Medieval borghi clinging to the rocks, stairways climbing to the mountain’s ridge, vineyards and olive groves, dry stone walls and terraces are the magic setting of the perfect vacation among nature, history and art (not to forget the epicurean pleasures of food and wine). Charming scenarios are a marine feature, too: the seabed between Punta Mesco (Monterosso) and Punta Montenegro (Riomaggiore) is a precious chest plenty of rare animal and vegetal species (coral, gorgonia, poseidonia and any kind of fish you can think of).
In the course of your exploration do rely on public transport (both ferries and trains – the railway has been connecting the five villages since 1874), this definitely being a no-car area… The most suggestive introduction to the region is provided by the “sentiero azzurro” (blue trail), whose white and red way marks (Club Alpino Italiano, track 2) will guide your hike through the Cinque Terre. Your best bet is to trek westwards: start in Riomaggiore (right in front of the railway station) and head to Manarola, along the Via dell’Amore, then follow the descent of the sentiero azzurro to the wide beach in Corniglia. Ups and downs will take you to Vernazza and - further on - to Monterosso. Side trails abounding, do not miss the junction with the itinerary connecting Portovenere and Levanto (as well as the routes towards the Val di Vara) and the astounding wealth of panoramic belvedere and sanctuaries.
Car-addicts would better leave their vehicle near Monterosso al Mare (highway exit Carrodano), located at the western end of the Cinque Terre area. A renowned holiday resort – the beautiful beach of Fegina is a must-see - , it boasts an atmospheric old district complete with shady carruggi, churches, bell-towers and 16th/17th centuries buildings (not to forget the lively weekly mercato on Thursday). Poet Eugenio Montale - Nobel Prize winner in 1975 – described in his poems the landscapes of Monterosso, the ever-changing intensity of sunlight, and the hard fatigue of man, struggling against the most vertical of environments.
High on the hills, the Capuchin monastery and the church of San Francesco (17th century) offer great views and important art works (paintings by Van Dyck, Luca Cambiaso and Bernardo Strozzi). Another pleasant excursion (feet, bike, scooter, car: all will do) reaches the verdant surroundings of the ancient Santuario della Madonna di Soviore. Once a shelter for pilgrims and wayfarers, it still welcomes visitors with the quiet of its Via Crucis (feasted on August 14th). Last but not least, Punta Mesco proposes the steepness of enchanting panoramas and the ruins of a hermitage. Festivals and fairs include the sagra dei limoni in May and the sagra dell’acciuga in September.