ⒸAlessio Maffeis.
Around the world there are countless towns where color is the protagonist: houses in pastel tones, in a single tone or flooded with urban art among which to get lost in order to take the best Instagram photograph. Yet few compare to Cinque Terre, or the multicolored paradise that overlooks the Ligurian Sea, in Italy, through five irresistible villages.
Introduction to Cinque Terre
Often, we have seen on the Internet the image of a typical Italian town overlooking the sea and invaded with colors, which is accompanied by the name of Cinque Terre. However, this town is usually Manarola, the most famous of the five corners that make up these Five Lands located in the province of La Spezia, in northern Italy and bathed by the Ligurian Sea.
Five towns that respond to the name of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Romaggiore and whose history dates back to the XNUMXth century. Given the orographic characteristics of this area, the area also known as Ligurian Riviera, the first known nuclei, Monterosso and Bernazza, deployed an agricultural activity in the different "terraces" formed in the mountains despite the constant attacks by some Turks who forced the locals to erect different fortresses and control towers.
As early as the XNUMXth century, the construction of a train line between the different towns and the city of Genoa It allowed to attract numerous onlookers despite the abandonment of typical agricultural activities that today are in the process of recovery.
In this way, the colored map of Cinque Terre, designated a natural park, is divided between five delightful villages where you can stroll through its streets, start hiking routes trekking or inspire your typical Mediterranean charm.
The villages of Cinque Terre
In order to organize your visit to Cinque Terre as well as possible, below we explore, one by one, the towns that make up this curious area and that you can visit by linking buses through the recommended Cinque Terre Card.
Monterosso
Officially Monterosso al Mare, this town is the westernmost and the most populated in Cinque Terre, with countless services, restaurants and hotels. If you also want to enjoy some of the Best beaches off the north coast of Italy, here you will find some of the most beautiful inlets in the area.
When it comes to its most famous attractions, Monterosso has the Church of San Juan Bautista, located in the old town and made up of different chapels from the XNUMXth century, in addition to the home of the Nobel Prize for Literature Eugenio Montale o the Il Gigante statue, which represents the god Neptune and was erected in 1910.
Vernazza
The second westernmost town behind Monterosso is Vernazza, located on a curious cliff hugged by the sea where you can enjoy the most exquisite marine environment of Cinque Terre.
Among the attractions you can visit in Vernazza we find the Church of Santa Margarita de Antioquia, built in the fourteenth century in the Gothic style; their vineyards and olive groves, which provide the area of one of the best oils in Italy; or an old town with colorful houses and matching umbrellas where you can have an aperitif with the best views.
Corniglia
The central town of Cinque Terre is the smallest of the five, but no less fascinating for that. Despite not having direct access to the sea, Corniglia offers a calm and peaceful atmosphere as well as charming places such as the Church of Santa Caterina and the Parish of San Pedro. As a curiosity, when accessing it you can choose to climb the 377 steps of the Via Lardavina, or take a tourist bus that connects you with the town.
Manarola
And we come to the town that you have seen so many times on the Internet and social networks. Favored by a profile of colored houses overlooking the sea, Manarola forms the great attraction during any tour through Cinque Terre thanks to its mythical houses in pastel tones. The same ones that the poet Lino Crovara already described "as a hive on the rock, a nest of seagulls on the waves, a town where the slight whisper of the waves caresses the attentive ears of the soul."
A poetic labyrinth where, paradoxically, the town is the attraction itself. So enjoy the aroma of its streets, the traditional atmosphere or the delicacies offered by its famous focaccia before reaching the last town on the route.
Riomaggiore
The easternmost of the Cinque Terre towns is also known for its colorful houses, although it is a quieter place than the previous two.
Its attractions include the Church of San Juan Bautista, built in 1340; the Riomaggiore Castle, at the top of town since its construction in the XNUMXth century; or a port of colorful boats that invite you to sit on a terrace and watch life go by taking the best seafood.
Cinque Terre and the crowds
Cinque Terre is made up of different towns that, at times, are not able to host the almost 2.5 million visitors it received in 2015.
This was the main reason that led the local tourism board to limit the capacity of the Cinque Terre natural park to 1.5 million tourists since 2016, especially when it comes to protecting this World Heritage Site by Unesco where its local atmosphere suffers from the waves of tourists. And it is that, as the president of the park, Vittorio Alessando suggested "it may seem an eccentric measure, even when the trend is to increase tourism, but for us it is a question of survival."
A highly recommended regulation that encourages you to enjoy a peaceful trip, in which every detail counts.
If you are looking to get to know one of the most picturesque corners of Italy, book a week from Genoa to lose yourself in this paradise of color and history where you will want to stay forever.
Would you like to visit Cinque Terre?