Liguria, Cinque Terre II

Cinque Terre: 5 Lands Like No Other II

Monterosso is the furthest west of the five towns and is lined with vineyards and olive groves. You'll find plenty of cliffs and clear water here. Limonblu is a unique beverage you will want to try or buy a bottle.

 Vernazza's natural stone pier curves into the water almost mimicking the "Italian boot." Lovers of Roman history will be interested to know that a watchtower still remains as this was one a strategic location.

Corniglia is built further up into the hills than the other four towns, so naturally the views are some of the best. It is a town for history lovers as this may be a pre-roman settlement. First, from this town you will have a view of Elba Island, the once exile of Napoleon Bonaparte where was named Emperor or Elba. This town also has a nice stretch of beach and unique shopping opportunities. When you approach this town from boat, the view of the town and cliff cut buildings is spectacular and affords probably the best view of the vineyard cliffs.

Manarola is a larger town with a great deal to do. For starters, you should visit San Lorenzo, an early 14th century church. Ladies you will have to wear pants or a long skirt to cover your legs and dress decently.

Riomaggiore is perhaps the most quaint and romantic of the five towns with its wide and ancient streets leading to beautiful overlooks of the ocean which are spectacular n the evening. The coffee shop stays open late, as do the restaurants, and it is just a charming town at all hours of the day or night.

"Via dell'Amore" is the path of love from Romaggiore to Manorla with covered sections that have arched lookouts so you never miss a view. Along the path of love, this stone bench lined with beautiful red flowers affords a breathtaking view of the sea both day and night.

While you can't take the town home with you, you can snag some local wine, olives, handcrafted pottery, and whatever else you can fit in your backpack! Enoteca Internazionale is a store within Monterosso that sells a wide selection of wines from this area, as well as local olive oils. A similar store can be found in Riomaggiore. The two main wines from the region are Cinque Terre (a dry white wine) and Sciacchetrà (a dessert wine.) They also produce grappa, limoncello and lemoncino (a dessert wine made with lemon peels.) Extra virgin olive oil is another end product from the area and is made with Razzola olives grown in the Cinque Terre and along the coast.

From all you've heard it might not surprise you to know the tourist population of this area grows every year not from advertising but from word-of-mouth. People are so taken by their experience that they want other people to go there and those people tell other people and so on (not to mention that encore visits are always on the agenda of former visitors!).

The best months of the year to visit this region are April, May and June. July and August are not only the hottest months of the year in the Cinque Terre, but also the hottest months for tourism. If you like to avoid crowds and scorching heat go early in the year, but if you enjoy the hustle and bustle of crowds and like sun-bathing and seaside activity you'll love the area in July and August. It doesn't matter when you go really, just go!

Be Sure to read Cinque Terre I