Cinque Terre tour

Declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, the area which comprises the towns of the CINQUE TERRE is a veritable oasis of nature characterised by vineyards and olive groves clinging to terraces carved into the steep hillside almost directly above the sea. The best way to explore the area is to walk along the coastal footpaths which for centuries have provided the principal thoroughfares across the Cinque Terre. These magnificently scenic, twisting pathways which hug the coastline for some 12 kilometers, pass through each of the five towns; nestled in tiny bays or perched on dramatic spurs of rock directly above the sea. Our journey commences with the easternmost of the five lands, that of Riomaggiore , which can be reached by car from La Spezia and then you reach Manarola taking the " via dell'Amore ", the most famous of the pathways through the Cinque Terre. From Manarola the "Via delle Trasparenze Marine" leads to Coniglia . The pathway offers a magnificent display of sea, sky and Mediterranean vegetation which, as walkers near the town, transforms in a dense coastal wood of chestnut, holm oak and pine trees. Yet another pathway winds its way past dry stone walls and olive groves to reach the town of Vernazza with its tower-houses, the Torrione and the imposing Doria Castle. Finally, there is Monterosso , the western most town of the Cinque Terre.