Italy Guide
Liguria
The Cinque Terre
The stupendous folded coastline of the Cinque Terre (Five Lands) stretches between the beach resort of Lévanto and the major port of La Spezia. The area is named for five tiny villages – Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore – wedged into a series of coves between sheer cliffs; their comparative remoteness, and the dramatic nature of their position on a stunning coastline, make them the principal scenic highlight of the whole Riviera richly deserving of their recently acquired Unesco World Heritage status. They do inevitably get very crowded in summer and all the villages have lost some of their character to the tide of kitschy souvenir shops and overpriced, under-quality restaurants, but even in August you really shouldn't bypass the area – the scenery is breathtaking and there is some lovely walking between villages.
Much of the area is now officially protected as the Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre, the website of which, 
www.cinqueterre.com , also operates a hotel booking service. You can also book apartments and hotels through Arbaspaa ( 
0187.760.083, www.arbaspaa.com ) based in Manarola.
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