Cinque Terre, Italy

As I mentioned in our last post we were so fortunate to have four friends come visit in July. It's always fun to travel and we had the perfect size group to head to Cinque Terre, Italy for a few days of beach fun, some hiking and open ocean kayaking.

Cinque Terre, Italy is actually an Italian National Park with five villages situated on the rockey cliffs along the Mediterranean.

Normally, I am a little gun shy about going to Italy. The big cities tend to be over crowded with tourists, Sri Lankan umbrella vendors and pushy locals. Cinque Terre was total opposite. It was a bit crowded, but it wasn't over priced and it was absolutely beautiful!!

The big goals for our few days in Cinque Terre included hiking the 6 mile coastal trail that connects all five villages, a day at the beach and taking advantage of the great cuisine. Following a day of traveling we woke up early for the 6 mile hike along the picturesque coast.


After leaving Monterosso our first stop was Vernazza, the posterchild village of Cinque Terre.


After an endless up-hill climb to reach Vernazza we took advantage of the cool waters in the bay for a swim. After getting refreshed we took a little breakfast and set off for our next village.



Along the trail the girls found a cactus with a little college spirit.

Here the UGA alum pose with this unusual member of the Cactaceae family. I wonder if this cactus can party too?

Our trek up to Corniglia was stunning. As we pushed through the lush vegetation we were able to get periodic glimpses of the upcoming town.

Following a BSFG (brief stop for Gelato) we picked up the trail again towards Manarola.


After working up another sweat we stopped just short of Manarola to jump in and swim.


Although it may look shallow the water was actually 30 to 50 feet deep and crystal clear.

We finally made it to Riomagiorre, which was our final stop on this hike. The last few hundred meters into the town are along Lover's Lane.


Lover's Lane can be quite romantic. Recently married young couples come here and lock a padlock to the railing or along the scaffolding, which lines the path. After they lock the lock, they step to the edge of the 100 foot cliff and throw the key into the ocean, which signifies that nothing can ever unlock their hearts.



After a long day of hiking we were pretty tuckered out and the best way to head back to our village..was of course by boat. Indeed, I never get on a pleasure boat without some type of refreshment. We all shared a chilled bottle of the local white wine. Quite a fine day boys!





Coming up the rest of our time in Cinque Terre, which includes some beautiful architecture and a relaxing day at the beach.