During your trip to Italy most of the sights you will see will probably be ancient ruins or buildings and structures still standing from centuries ago. Cinque Terre is a strip of coastline near La Spezia and it is gorgeous for its rocky cliffs looking over transparent water. The translation of the name would simply be, “The Five Lands”, so you can guess that there are five villages along this coastline that are as just as beautiful as the nature itself. The town names in order from the most southern village are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso al Mare.
In order to reach this national park it is necessary to get a train from La Spezia station which takes you to one of the five towns. The ideal way to visit the coastline and all five towns is to walk from one to another. To complete the whole trip you would need on average approximately 4.5 hours. The paths range from flat boardwalks to steep steps. There is a map at each village showing the difficulty of the walk so you can pick and choose if you are unable to complete the whole walk in one go. Other ways to get between the towns are by ferry or by train. With your national park ticket you have included as many train trips as you need between the five towns so this makes it very easy for those who are just interested in visiting the villages. Do note that the train travels mostly in a tunnel between Riomaggiore and Monterosso therefore it is impossible to see anything from the train. It is mainly used as a shuttle transport service.
The architecture is unique in these five spots as little terraces and villas have been scattered over the hillside century after century. It has left the park with a postcard like aspect as some of the towns feature beautifully painted pastel colour homes. Obviously during the summer months the European World Heritages Listed site is full of people wanting to bath. There are numerous little bays and small beaches where you will be able to relax and cool yourself off.
There are also numerous walking paths taking up the cliffs and mountains along the coast which give you an amazing view of everything down below. These paths are sometimes quite steep and can often be a challenge in the midday heat. This national park offers you everything that you could ask for, amazing Mediterranean water, Italian architecture and good food. Among the five villages there are lots of little hotels and B&Bs that can offer you a chance to stay there overnights and relish these locations by night. Cinque Terre is a must see location if you are in the Tuscany/Luguria regions. Make sure you plan a trip there as you will not be disappointed.
