The Ligurian Coast:Cinque Terre-Day 1

As the well known tourist guide, Frommer's, describes it the Cinque Terre "is about as beautiful a coastline as you're likely to find in Europe." And in our limited travels we agree! Here, olive groves and vineyards cling to hillsides, proud villages stand perched above the sea, hidden coves are nestled at the foot of dramatic cliffs. It's simply spectacular! What's also terrific about the Cinque Terre (named for the region's five neighboring towns; Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore) is what's not here -- automobiles, large-scale development, or much else by way of 20th- and 21st-century interference. The pastimes in the Cinque Terre don't get much more elaborate than walking from one lovely village to another along trails that afford spectacular vistas; plunging into the Mediterranean or basking in the sun on your own waterside boulder; and indulging in the tasty local food and wine.

Here's a brief summary of our visit to this beautiful corner of the world...

From Portofino, we continued our drive east along the Ligurian coastline to the town of Levanto, about 30 minutes east. We stayed at great B&B called the Villa Margherita which is well situated just a few minutes' walk from the beach, restaurants and shops and a mere 10 minute walk from the train station. This meant we were able to be car free for our entire stay.

On our first day, we caught the train in Levanto and rode it to the first stop, Monterrosso;the western most village of the Cinque Terre, where we began our hike. The train ride took about 4 1/2 minutes but had we decided to hike to Monterosso it was described as a "not for wimps" 2 1/2 hour hike!

After a brief look-see of the village, which didn't impress us all that much, we pressed on as we were anxious to get started. Along the coastal trail, we were quickly rewarded with stunning views....which would last for the day!

Here, after getting some elevation, we have a nice view looking west toward Monterosso...




Along the trail, there were many steep stairways going through and between terraced vineyards and small gardens with vegetables and citrus trees...

After nearly about an hour of climbing up, we started our descent into Vernazza. This lovely, picturesque seaside village is described as the Cover Girl of the Cinque Terre. It is a well deserved title! Here are some photos as we got closer and closer to the town....

The restaurant where we had lunch, Trattoria Gianni Franzi, is located on the plaza under the group of multi-colored umbrellas you can see below...

And once we arrived, we were not disappointed in the least! As you can see, the town is truly picturesque....

the people watching was wonderful...

and the pasta was DELICIOUS!

As this was to be our 'light' day, after lunch we had our daily gelato and took the train back to Levanto where friends were waiting for us at Villa Margherita. Stay tuned for "Day 2 in the Cinque Terre" when we hike the entire 5 towns.

Interested in more photos? http://picasaweb.google.com/susiebates/CinqueTerreDay1?authkey=949r-TvdQ4A

Villa Margherita: http://www.villamargherita.net/

Trattoria Gianni Franzi: http://www.giannifranzi.it/