Cinque Terre, Portovenere & Portofino

Cinque Terre, Portovenere and Portofino – all the highlights of Liguria in just one self-guided walking tour!

This tour takes you through the extensive footpath networks of the area, where you will walk from village to village, between forests and vineyards and through the spectacular terraced landscape overlooking the sea. You will have also the time to visit the historic towns of Levanto, Portovenere, beautiful Camogli, Santa Margherita Ligure and picturesque Portofino. And of course, you can explore the five charming villages which make up the ‘Cinque Terre’, little gems of colourful houses in a green landscape.

Liguria is a beautiful coastal region in Northern Italy. It is protected from the northern winds by a continuous protective backbone of high mountains, from the peaks of the Maritime Alps to the Apennines. That's why Liguria is famed for its exceptionally mild weather all year round and why it is the perfect place, despite the uneven terrain, for the flourishing of lush flora including the typical shrubs of the Mediterranean maquis, and also the tall trees that are a typical feature of Alpine flora. It’s capital city Genova ‘La Superba’ has ruled the Mediterranean for centuries, but for hikers, the area is most known because of the stunning Cinque Terre.

The area of the ‘Cinque Terre’ gets its name from the five picturesque villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The area, now a major National Park, is a unique part of Italy. For over a thousand years people have lived in this dramatic landscape, slowly altering its features and cultivating the steep hillsides that lead down to rocky shores. An extensive network of ancient mule tracks – which today can be used as footpaths – takes you through an extraordinary landscape of terraces, built by hand with stones and earth.

But the region of Liguria has more to offer: the small towns of Portovenere, with a wonderful island just in front of it at the entrance to the ‘Gulf of Poets’, and the lively Levanto, a charming medieval town with a broad beach, both nearby. Of course, there is also the famed Peninsula of Portofino, known not only for the colourful Portofino itself, the resort for the Italian jet set, but also for the abbey of San Fruttuoso, located in an isolated inlet of this beautiful coastline, and wonderful Camogli, the city of the 1000 sailing ships.

Walking here is an unforgettable experience!