You will find your Cinque Terre vacation on Italy’s west coast — part of the Liguria region. It’s harsh, but it’s beautiful. “Cinque Terre” means — in a literal translation — “Five Lands” and is made up of Vernazza, Corniglia, Riomaggiore, Manarola and Monterosso al Mare. By avoiding traditional spots like Tuscany and Venice, you can escape the crowds and see more of Italy.

Cinque Terre is renowned for its natural beauty and steep landscapes, with little, if any, modern development. This authentic, historic backdrop where main signs of civilisation are the ancient terraces on the hillside built over centuries and leading to the azure blue sea is one of the big attractions here.

The topography necessitates in a most “Italian style” transport system, comprising boats, trains and well-worn paths, with cars mainly excluded from its boundaries. There are several transport options for access to the region. There is a train from La Spezia to Genoa, and also passenger ferries from Lerici, Portovenere, Genoa’s Old Harbour and La Spezia.

The five villages of Cinque Terre are joined by a long walking trail of varying severity. Manarola to Corniglia is the easiest portion, with Vernazza to Monterosso being the most demanding, while the other portions provide an interesting mix of easy and difficult terrains including olive groves, vineyards and open fields for your to enjoy during your Cinque Terre vacation. In general, the more varying and demanding the trail the greater the rewards in terms of astounding views.

Things to do on your Cinque Terre vacation include relaxing, hiking, swimming as well as cooking classes and wine tasting in the local vineyards. Accommodation varies from resorts and villas to unusual apartments and also B and B arrangements with locals. There’s a wide variety of traditional and modern local food and wine to try too!

A Cinque Terre trip has been featured on the Top Travel Content Europe, bringing you the best stories from independent writers on Europe travel to help you plan your European vacation.

Tags: cinque terre, italy, vacation

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