Have you heard of the Cinque Terre?

In 2006, our first-ever motorhome stop in Italy was at Ceriale on the Riviera de Ponente. The site was typically Italian in that it was tightly-packed, expensive, but friendly. Having been shoe-horned into a ‘pitch,’ we got to know ‘Arry and Reena whose caravan was levered into the neighbouring slot. Being Dutch, they were seasoned travellers and it was from them that we first heard of the ‘Cinque Terre’.

As we were to learn, the Cinque Terre is made up of five villages, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso, perched on Italy's Ligurian coast between Genova and La Spezia. The area is a national park accessible only by train, boat or on foot.

We camped at ‘La Sfinge’ above Deiva Marina. From June to September a free bus service takes campers to the station, from where you can take the train to the five towns. You buy a ticket to cover the journey to Sestri Levante and a pass (day or longer) for the park

We got off the train at Manarola and walked along the cliff path known as the ‘Via dell’ Amore’ to Riomaggiore. We liked it so much that we walked back again and then on to Corniglia, a longer walk, which ended in 365 steps up to the town. After a light lunch, we caught the train to Vernazza for a walkabout before returning to Deiva.

 Next day we returned to visit the fifth town, Monterrosso, which has the best beaches of the Cinque Terre. The towns are all delightful, even when bustling with tourists. The cliff walks vary in length and difficulty; however, the towns are also accessible by boat. There are other footpaths across the park for ‘real’ walkers.

 For more info go to http://www.parconazionale5terre.it

 We originally submitted this as a letter to C &CC magazine, but it was never published. Recently, we responded on another forum to a query seeking info about the Cinque Terre. If you’re planning a trip to Tuscany we hope this may be of interest.