They are five villages, five enchanting lands, each with a soul all its own. Liguria's Cinqueterre are a set of ancient seaside villages suspended high atop the cliffs on the rocky crags overlooking the Mediterranean. Linked by an age-old coastal pathway, the only way to really appreciate the magic of the area is to walk from one to the other, as countless generations of rugged Ligurians have done before.

Carved out of solid rock by hand, the villages are surrounded by scrupulously maintained, terraced vineyards, whose flourishing beauty is artfully defined by centuries-old stone walls. The Cinque Terre provide one of the most pleasantly surprising landscapes in all Liguria, strung between La Spezia and Levanto (a sixth Cinque Terre), like pearls on a chain.

The sea has such a powerful effect on the local ambience, that the walk connecting Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia ,Vernazza and Monterosso is actually referred to as the "THE AZURE WAY". A good 5 hours should be allowed to reach each of the five lands on foot, not counting stopovers. For the faint of heart (or those with small children) the trip can be undertaken by train, using the local commuter trains that run between La Spezia and Sestri Levante on a regular basis.