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Cinque Terre
The territory of Cinque Terre includes the coast tract from Punta Mesco, nearby Levanto, until Punta Montenero, nearby Portovenere, around 10 Km east from La Spezia: 15 Kilometres of land and rock slipping between sea and nose.
The Cinque Terre, five small villages clung to the rocks, five hamlets of an incredible beauty whose inhabitants succeed with their work in winning the few generous soil, transforming steep slopes in fertile terraces for grapevines and olive trees.
Bays, small beaches, grottoes, cliffs overlooking the sea, terraced hills, corals, anchovies and even the whales of the Cetacean Sanctuary: these are some of the reasons making of Cinque Terre a territory to visit and to preserve.
Set to mountain crests degrading towards the sea, the five villages of Cinque Terre Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore have been standing for centuries in their isolation, which helped to maintain the beauty and the charm of a unique landscape.
Cinque Terre does not mean only Vernazza!
Riomaggiore is the first village you meet coming from La Spezia. The village takes its name from the stream Rivus Maior flowing along the built-up area. This little town is very famous because of the “Via dell’Amore”, which starts from here. This wonderful promenade overlooking the sea leads until Manarola.
Manarola is located between two spurs, where the small village with the marina is kept. Not to miss is the luminous crib that every year, approximately from 8th December to 20th January, is get ready on the hill overlooking the village. The structure is really a wonder, composed by thousands of white and colourful lights.
Corniglia is the only one of Cinque Terre not directly by the sea: it is located at the top of a high cliff overlooking the beach. The village can be reached through the famous staircase “Lardarina”, composed by almost 400 steps, or using the buses of the National Park of Cinque Terre. From far, looking towards Corniglia, you can see the bell tower of the Parish church dedicated to Saint Peter, one of the most important examples of ligurian Gothic.
Monterosso is the biggest and the most western town of Cinque Terre. The hill of San Cristoforo divides the old town, characterized by the typical “carruggi”, from the modern quarter overlooking the small beach. Monterosso had in the past a great importance in the maritime commerce and you can see it still nowadays visiting the remains of the castle and the Aurora Tower.
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