Sunday Escape: Cinque Terre Special

A natural paradise clinging on cliffs overlooking the sea, full of bays, beaches, winding streets and tall houses, narrow and colorful huddled on each other, full of wonderful medieval villages, terraces, characteristic sanctuaries, artisan shops and scenic trails all from to discover.

The Cinque Terre, that is Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are this much more.

These countries, part of the smallest National Park of Italy and since 1997 UNESCO World Heritage Site, represent the most unspoiled and fascinating natural part of Liguria and the Tyrrhenian coast.

Nss takes you between the wild nature, the colors, the flavors and the aromas of a piece of Italy loved by tourists from all over the world.

 

About

Monterosso al Mare

Among all the Cinque Terre is the least rugged and steep, the only one with a real beach and bathing establishments, and, for this, the most welcoming and tourist. Its caruggi unveil a fascinating architecture: the Church of San Giovanni Battista with its gothic polychrome marble façade; the ancient oratory of Santa Croce; the church of San Francesco which houses a painting attributed to Van Dyck and the Capuchin Convent.

The statue of the Giant, 14 meters high and depicting Neptune supporting the spur of a rock overlooking the sea is the most "instagrammatic" glimpse.

 

Manarola

A unique landscape, where colored houses and terraces where olive trees are grown seem to be fused with the rock. A walk in Piazza Castello and Piazzetta De Andrè, to enjoy the tranquility, maybe at sunset, are a must.

 

Vernazza

Vernazza is the coolest and most vibrant village, with its myriad of rainbow houses, the many inns, small bars, the small square full of outdoor tables overlooking the small port full of colorful boats.

The church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia, located on the beach, deserves a moment of your holiday.

 

Corniglia

To reach this little village perched at the top of the hill it is necessary to take the Lardariana, a climb of 377 steps. The effort will reveal an intricate pattern of streets, shops of yesteryear, like those selling handmade pottery, but above all, the Church of San Pietro from which you can admire a breathtaking panorama.

 

Riomaggiore

The historic center is dotted with characteristic medieval style houses, set in a continuous salts and descents of caruggi. The one, however, that made Riomaggiore famous in the world is the way of love, a walk dedicated to all lovers who can walk and swear eternal love on a road overlooking the sea.

 

What to do

Hiking

This piece of Liguria is known, especially among foreign tourists, for walks.

The paths that connect the hinterland are 44, some simpler, others more challenging, but the main ones are: the Alta via delle Cinque Terre, an ancient mule track; the "Via dei Santuari" which allows you to discover the five sanctuaries of the Park; the Blue Path, which connects Levanto to Porto Venere through all the villages of the Cinque Terre. The stretch of this route between Riomaggiore and Manarola is called Via dell'Amore.

 

Go kayaking or snorkeling

Another way to experience the sea, made simple by the many places that rent kayaks and offer visits to the seabed.

 

Getting lost

Get lost among the ciàn (the strips of arable land supported by dry stone walls) of Manarola or among the narrow streets of the other villages.

 

Eat

Taste the anchovies of Monterosso, fried, marinated, stuffed, in the "tian" with potatoes, in salt as an appetizer accompanied by bread and butter or dressed Ligurian.

Altrie traditional dishes? Muscles marinara or stuffed, the "mesciua" (soup of legumes and cereals), mixed fried in foil eaten street food style, ...

 

Best beaches

Fegina beach. In the new part of Monterosso, it goes from the statue of the Giant of Punta Mesco to the Faraglioni, it is wide, sandy, with small pebbles. In 2007, the American magazine Forbes included it among the 25 sexiest in the world.

 

Porto Pidocchio beach. It is located along the cycle path of Framura and is a tiny cove of pebbles near a rocky wall, but, despite its name, the sea is beautiful. The beach is also equipped for climbing.

 

Guvano beach. This isolated piece of gravel, located between Corniglia and Vernazza, is described as a place where clothes are optional or better where it is easy to meet some nudist. Unfortunately Corniglia is the only one of the Cinque Terre to not have direct access to the sea, but its most famous beach can be reached via the path in about an hour's walk, or from the Corniglia station through the Genoa-La railway tunnel Spice, you'll know you're in the right place as soon as you see a nude figure at the entrance.

Beach of the Canneto. It is in Riomaggiore, between Punta Castagna and Punta del Cavo. Reachable only by sea, on one side offers a beautiful natural waterfall of fresh water.

 

Bloggers tips

- Take a lesson to learn how to make pesto at the No Dorma restaurant in Manarola, which is also one of the places with the most impressive view.

- Enjoy a little rest with a good drink in one of the many bars and restaurants in the square of the Oratory of the Disciplinati di Santa Caterina in Corniglia.

- Explore the many vineyards in the area and maybe stop for a picnic.

 

Fun Facts

- The names of the Cinque Terre reveal their Roman origins.  Manarola means Little Ara of the Mani, Vernazza comes from the term "Verna" (native), Riomaggiore takes its name from the Latin Rivus Maior, while Monterosso from Mons Rubens and Corniglia, however, was named in honor of Cornelius.

- Eugenio Montale, George Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Richard Wagner, fascinated by this area of Italy, have repeatedly sketched it in their works.

- The Cinque Terre sea is the ideal place to spot dolphins and whales.

- In the Cinque Terre the anchovies are called the "pan do mâ", the bread of the sea, and, according to tradition, from 29 June, the day of St. Peter's, begins their most abundant fishing season.

- In May the streets of Monterosso host the lemon festival, a festival where to satisfy the throat and taste jams, limoncino, cakes and lemon creams.

- From 8 December until the end of January, more than 300 illuminations are lit at sunset on Mount Manarola. They are a unique crib in the world, built since 1976 by a retired railwayman of the place.