Article - Cinque Terre (Liguria)

[Pauline]

An article in the weekend newspaper.

The Guardian - Cinque Terre: on the trail of Italy's famous five
After storms devastated Italy's Cinque Terre three years ago the paths joining the area's picturesque towns are open again. Our writer swoons over these amazing coastal hikes.

Bad storms hit this area in October 2o11, and there was a lot of damage. They recovered quickly and were open for business the next summer.

We have visited Liguria a few times, twice staying in Levanto just north of the Cinque Terre (an excellent base for visiting the Cinque Terre), and we walked the Cinque Terre trail. I like this area a lot. The Cinque Terre villages are beautiful and so is the trail. It can be a bit "nose to tail" in parts in high season, but is still a really fun (and not that easy) walk. I remember counting 700 steps up on one part of it. You can also walk from Levanto to the Monterrosso, the first Cinque Terre town.

Cinque Terre means Five Lands, referring to the five villages.

 

[Pauline]

Photo from the Cinque Terre trail looking down on Vernazza (from 2003).

 

[Heidi]

Gorgeous photo Pauline! I'm pleased to have had the Cinque Terre experience back in the late '80's when a dear patient of mine ( one of my travel heroes ) absolutely insisted Jim & I must visit Cinque Terre on our upcoming trip to Italy.

We were so pleased we did; we were charmed! Walking those quiet, peaceful trails was a treat. Sitting in a cafe' on that little harbor in Vernazza, we listened to a local dog sing howl when the church bells rang....

I've never been back ~ I don't think I would like to see the changes from the ravages of Nature & mass tourism

 

[Pauline]

Even when we visited in 2003 and one earlier trip, it was pretty crowded. You were lucky to have visited earlier Heidi. I am grateful for all the time we spent in Tuscany in the 90s. I am sure it is still great, but perhaps a bit more upscale and busy? But Tuscany is much bigger and can handle extra people. The Cinque Terre towns are small.