Cinque Terre, or Five Lands, refers to the five small coastal villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso in Liguria, Italy.
This string of seaside villages are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and linked by the Sentiero Azzurro cliffside hiking trail.
The southern-most village is Riomaggiore, with its stone castello that was considered ancient in the mid-500s, and busy the Via Colombo. Head to this main street for Italian fare ranging from succulent fresh fruit, Italian cheese and cold meats, plump olives and delicious ice cream. Boats head into the night fishing for anchovies, while the bars of restaurants hum with the noise of locals and visitors, adults and children alike.
The main streets of Manarola is lined with covered boats and swimming here in the bluest of waters is easily accessible. There are plenty of places to eat (you must try fresh anchovies served with olive oil and fresh bread), and the Blue Trail has a small picnic terrace with wonderful views about half-way down its steps, that lead to sea level for a swim.
Corniglia, next along the Blue Trail, sits at the top of a hill which can be reached by public transport, or by climbing the Lardinia – 33 flights of steps (supposedly 365 steps in all, one for each day of the year). Named after the Roman family Genus Cornelia, who once owned the land, this middle village is the only one of the five with no direct sea access.
Moving north, the trail continues to Vernazza, with its tiny hamlet of Prevo, the highest point of the route, 208 metres above sea level. The village is a maze of tiny streets that wind their way through the village, meeting on the main street. The beach here is not the best in Cinque Terre for swimming, but exploring the warren of routes and the two clock towers, which are prominent in this little village, is worth doing.
The final village, Monterosso, has two towns connected by a short tunnel. The new town (originally called Fegila) was developed in the latter half of the 20th century. The old town is similar to its cousins of the Cinque Terre, and the large sandy beach is lined with cafes and restaurants.
Getting to Cinque Terre
UK airports serve three airports from which you can reach Cinque Terre: Pisa, Genova and Firenze. Local trains serve Genoa, from which Milan is around two hours away.
Each of the villages has a train station (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Moterosso Al Mare), and local services run frequently. It is possible to reach each of the Cinque Terre villages by train, or alternatively travel the coastal route by boat.
