Walking the Italian Riviera
The Cinque Terre are five small fishing villages strung along the rugged
coastline of Liguria. Until recently the villages were accessible only by
sea or by a footpath winding along cliffs, terraced by olive groves and
vineyards high above the Mediterranean. This spectacular pathway provides
several of the walking trails for this itinerary. The Cinque Terre are
framed by two areas of more worldly interest. To the west around the Gulf
of Tigullio are Santa Margherita and Portofino, bustling resort towns from
the golden era of the Italian Riviera. To the south is the Gulf of Poets, beloved by the English romantics such as Byron, Shelley and Keats,
with the beautiful villages of Lerici and Portovenere. Liguria is famous
for its simple and robust cuisine, with such specialities as pasta al pesto
and swordfish accompanied by a crisp white wines.
Day 1, 2 & 3
Santa Margherita: walk to the chic resort of Portofino; explore the unspoilt
Portofino National Park; visit the old sea port of Camogli and its Maritime
museum; walk to the isolated Medieval abbey of San Fruttuoso; taste the
celebrated local white wine Vermentino.
Day 4 & 5
Cinque Terre: walk along coastal paths, shady pine forests and olive groves
to the five famous villages; visit Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola; learn
how to make pesto and taste the famed sweet wine, Sciacchetrà.
Day 6 & 7
Portovenere: walk through pinewoods and small villages to Portovenere;
visit the 13th-century church of San Pietro; take a boat across the Gulf
of the Poets to Lerici; enjoy lunch fresh from the sea in a tiny fishing
village; farewell dinner overlooking the Mediterranean.
