Cinque Terre – the Five Lands

Who doesn’t love Italy, right?

And I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Italy.

My 8th wedding anniversary is next month and my husband proposed in Rome.

And Cinque Terre has been popping up everywhere lately…and so I decided to investigate….

Cinque Terre (meaning “five lands”) is the five towns of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore on the Italian Riviera. It is five amazingly beautiful villages in the Liguria region connected by ferries and trains – no cars. Or you can walk. It only takes a few hours. This area is a magnet for hikers. For a journey back in time. A UNESCO Heritage site, these villages are untouched by modern development.

The villages of the Cinque Terre were first established to evade pirates. All, except for the smallest and most remote village of Corniglia, sit on water. 370 steps take you up to the town of Corniglia where apparently the area’s best wine can be found.

Once fishing villages, Cinque Terre now depends on tourism and somehow they have managed to grow grapes on the steep hills. They are known for several wines, one being a sweet dessert wine called Sciacchetrà. And being on the Mediterranean, there are beaches – sandy ones, nudist ones.  Most people seem to recommend the sandy (and resort-like) beaches in Monterosso al Mare (Monterosso by the Sea). But the
“secret” clothing-optional beach called Guvano is by Corniglia. There is an entrance fee of about 5€.

Last October, the villages of Vernazza and Monterosso were hit by devastating mudslides, some reported $133 million in damages. Vernazza is called the crown jewel, receiving over 2 million annual visitors (almost 1/2 from the United States). Check out the Save Vernazza website for more details on the rebuilding and fundraising efforts.