Cinque Terre

Today we took a ferry boat tour to Cinque Terre. The Cinque Terre area is a popular tourist destination. Over the centuries, people have built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the Ligurian Sea. Paths, trains, and boats connect the villages as cars can only reach them with great difficulty from the outside via narrow and precarious mountain roads. The “five villages” are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. We stopped in Vernazza and Monterosso, and then the neighboring Portovenere. This area is a UNESCO heritage site and not only iconic and picturesque, but full of history. The Disney movie Luca is set here. It was way too busy and over crowded, but one day I’d still like to hike between towns. But in the off season!