Cinque Terre

see all photos »

The Cinque Terre was one of my last stops in Italy. Literally meaning 'the five lands', it's a place that gets very little airplay back home in Oz even though it's part of the Italian Riviera. It's made up of five bewitching villages along a ten kilometre strip of coastline. The hillsides to which they cling, tumble steeply to greet the deep blue, Ligurian sea, and create some dramatic and very pretty scenery.

I stayed in Riomaggiore. It was kind of magic to arrive late in the afternoon and just watch the soft amber sun cast its colour over the quintessential, quaint italian houses in this village. The amount of tourists was kind of mind boggling though. Apparently it was an Italian public holiday and they were enjoying the beginning of their long weekend. it seemed like every boulder along the seashore was covered in a sunseeking body.

five bewitching villages along a ten kilometre strip of coastline

see all photos »

I did the requisite hike along this popular piece of coast. I started at the other end, Monterosso and made my way to Vernazza, then Corniglia, Manarola and finally back to Riomaggiore. By eleven o'clock the crowds were a little suffocating, but I ventured on, the scenery was magic and well worth the effort.

I met a nice bunch of travellers at the hostel I was staying at and we ate dinner and drank Chianti together every night. We were all keen hikers but nothing like some of the Italians, who set out with trekking poles that we considered absolutely unnecessary for the pissy walks around the Cinque Terre.

Anyway I loved the Cinque terre but it's my next destination that really rang my bell.