Cinque Terre National Park, Italy

This UNESCO World Heritage Site was built over a thousand years by peasant farmers who transformed the steep cliffs into fertile terraces to grow excellent agricultural produce. Because of the delicate balance between natural elements and human toil, this area is now a National Park with a myriad of paths linking the various villages of the Cinque Terre and their neighboring hilltop hamlets. From these paths there are stunning views overlooking the Mediterranean Sea as well as places where you can jump into the Sea with showers provided to wash off the salt when you emerge. This is a Protected Marine Area as well if you like to scuba dive.

Because we were there at the height of the 2008 summer season, I recommend taking a train to either Monterosso al Mare at the northern end or Riomaggiore at the southern end of the park. We got a parking ticket because our Italian was not good enough to understand the restrictions. Otherwise, come EARLY to park closer to one of the towns. And come early if you want to walk to all five coastal villages in one day. Purchase a Cinque Terre card which covers Park entry, unlimited trains from any of the five villages and all the museums. The Park’s website: www.parconazionale5terre.it.

We started at Riomaggiore, the southeastern village. There is a long, lovely mosaic mural from the railroad station to the beginning of the path which is the easiest walk to the next village. It is wide and flat and picnic tables invite you to enjoy the local treats and the view. It takes about 30 minutes. From Manarola to Corniglia takes more than an hour and some of the view is obscured by old buildings which, hopefully, will be removed. The next village is reached by a steeper path with fewer ocean views and takes about 90 minutes. From Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare is also steep and takes about 2 hours but the town itself is flat and has a long, lovely beach.