Cinque Terre

I'm trying to switch back and forth from traveling tips to great places to visit in Italy, so here’s some information on one of my favorite spots, Cinque Terre (The Five Lands).

I feel like it’s not very well known to tourists, unless you really do your research! Cinque Terre is made up of five small towns built into the rocks and is located on the coastline. They are separated by hills (mountains to me), so in order to get from town to the other you can either hike or take a short train ride. If you can, I would recommend hiking. It takes at least 5-6 hours to walk to all 5 of the towns, so I would give it a full day of your time. There aren’t any railings along the dirt trails, so at some points you’re walking on a 2 ft.-wide path on a steep mountainside with nothing to hold on to! I guess that’s what I loved about this place so much; it’s so natural and beautiful, and just the most amazing thing to experience. The first trail was the longest (about an hour and ½ long), and at one point in the third trail we had to walk up 113 uneven, stone, ancient-looking steps that were also built into the mountain (don’t forget to breathe!).

Hiking alongside the ocean made the trip worth every aching muscle I had at the end of the day. I’m not exactly the “outdoors” type, and I got the nickname “princess” during this trip, so if I loved it then it’s got to be worth it!