Cinque Terre

Vernazza gets most of the press, and the view as you approach the town from the path is amazing. But that’s not the whole story! The five towns that comprise the Cinque Terre are all breathtaking.Tucked into a rugged section of coastline in the northwest corner of Italy, the Cinque Terre or Five Lands are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Over the centuries, people have built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape overlooking the coast. Access to the area is by sea or walking paths.

This was a destination that had been in my places-i-want-to-go file for several years. My 50th birthday seemed like a good occasion to visit Cinque Terre. The trip was our first time in Italy so I researched companies that would provide a guide for us. I found Cicilismo Classico, a bike touring company based in Boston that also did a few hiking trips.
It was an excellent choice. Marco was our guide for a week in mid-September.

We walked,

hiked,

and ate well!

The scenery was spectacular.
This was the view from our restaurant one day at lunch.

Most days followed a terrific pattern of a hearty breakfast, hiking all morning, a delicious lunch with wine, then hiking back to our hotel in time for dinner.

One day we hiked to the San Fruttuoso Abbey, then departed by boat—the only two options for accessing the abbey.The pesto lasagna at lunch was like nothing I had ever tasted before!

The scenery was breathtaking and hiking from town to town was a fantastic way to enjoy the view and work up an appetite. This trip is in our top ten list!