Cinque Terre walking holiday, Italy
| country: | Italy |
| location: | Cinque Terre |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 7 Sep, 14 Sep, 21 Sep, 28 Sep, 5 Oct, 19 Oct 2009: 29 Mar, 12 Apr, 26 Apr, 3 May, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 7 Jun, 14 Jun, 21 Jun |
| price: | From £845 - £875 (8 days) excluding flights. Price includes twin share accommodation (comfortable hotel), tour leader, transport, some meals (7 breakfasts, 3 dinners) and sightseeing |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This fantastic trip shows you the best of Liguria as well as the highlights of Florence, Pisa and Lucca.
The Cinque Terre - or ‘five lands’ in Italian – is named for the five picturesque villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Today, the Cinque Terre offer a glorious natural and historical setting that is best explored on foot. An extensive network of ancient mule tracks take you along the coast through an extraordinary landscape of stone & earth terraces, built by hand.
Many of the terraces are still under cultivation and are still producing the celebrated white wines of the region. While agriculture, including grapes, olives and citrus fruits, was the historical backbone of the region, the village inhabitants also made a living from the sea. We will explore this magical part of Italy by both land and sea, enjoying hiking, swimming and boat trips by day and in the evening, we can settle in for a traditional Ligurian fish stew washed down with a glass or two of local wine.
For nearly 30 years, we have led the field in small group adventure travel. See the iconic sights as well as get off the beaten track to discover the 'real' country, and come away understanding something more of the world. Our innovative and interactive itineraries include as much as possible to ensure that you get the most out of your valuable time away, but also contain plenty of time to relax and explore by yourself. Traveling in small group, and by private transport, means that you will have the company of other like-minded travelers, your holiday will be safe and stress-free and that the impact on environment and community is kept to a minimum.
As part of our responsible travel policy we also employ local leaders and actively avoid international hotel chains, preferring to give our patronage to authentic, centrally-located and owner-managed establishments whenever possible. Our locally born and raised leaders are great fun and will be a great part of your holiday because of their intimate knowledge of the sights, culture and customs, history and language of their homeland. Once you have traveled with a local leader you will understand that there is no better way!
The Cinque Terre - or ‘five lands’ in Italian – is named for the five picturesque villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Today, the Cinque Terre offer a glorious natural and historical setting that is best explored on foot. An extensive network of ancient mule tracks take you along the coast through an extraordinary landscape of stone & earth terraces, built by hand.
Many of the terraces are still under cultivation and are still producing the celebrated white wines of the region. While agriculture, including grapes, olives and citrus fruits, was the historical backbone of the region, the village inhabitants also made a living from the sea. We will explore this magical part of Italy by both land and sea, enjoying hiking, swimming and boat trips by day and in the evening, we can settle in for a traditional Ligurian fish stew washed down with a glass or two of local wine.
For nearly 30 years, we have led the field in small group adventure travel. See the iconic sights as well as get off the beaten track to discover the 'real' country, and come away understanding something more of the world. Our innovative and interactive itineraries include as much as possible to ensure that you get the most out of your valuable time away, but also contain plenty of time to relax and explore by yourself. Traveling in small group, and by private transport, means that you will have the company of other like-minded travelers, your holiday will be safe and stress-free and that the impact on environment and community is kept to a minimum.
As part of our responsible travel policy we also employ local leaders and actively avoid international hotel chains, preferring to give our patronage to authentic, centrally-located and owner-managed establishments whenever possible. Our locally born and raised leaders are great fun and will be a great part of your holiday because of their intimate knowledge of the sights, culture and customs, history and language of their homeland. Once you have traveled with a local leader you will understand that there is no better way!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | (Sun) Arrive in Florence, the cultural capital of Italy and the gem in Tuscany's town. |
| Day 2: | Travel to the Cinque Terre. Our first walk is along the coast towards Monterosso, a colourful village with blue, red and yellow houses that cluster behind the beachfront (2-3 hours). |
| Day 3: | Train ride to Riomaggiore, the most southerly village of the five villages of the Cinque Terre. We walk along the ridge path to Portovenere. During our walk we follow the contours of the coastal cliffs, pass terraced vineyards and enjoy the wonderful views of the coastline. (5-6 hrs). |
| Day 4: | Walk the famous Sentiero dell'Amore (Lover's Walk). We enjoy some of the best views of the region as we approach Vernazza, dominated by its old fortress. (4-5 hrs). |
| Day 5: | Walk along the wild coast to the villages of Bonassola, Framura, a collection of ancient hamlets on a hillside, distinctive because of its red rocks, and Deiva Marina. This walk along the coast takes us through several charming little villages, where we have time to drink coffee or just relax (4-6 hrs). |
| Day 6: | Train ride to Santa Margherita. Walk through the hills to Portofino, one of the most typical Ligurian seaside villages and a popular resort for the jetsetters. It is then on to the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, an 11th century jewel that is set in a secluded cover and reachable only by boat or on foot. Return by boat to Camogli (4-6 hrs). |
| Day 7: | Travel to the Renaissance town of Lucca, built on Roman foundations. Train to Pisa, visit the main monuments and walk through the historical town centre where we find ourselves surrounded by local Italian students, instead of foreign tourists (3 hrs). |
| Day 8: | (Sun) Trip ends in Pisa after breakfast. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Experience the Cinque Terre through the eyes of a local, as your Italian tour leader gives you a first-hand insight into the exotic and colourful tapestry that makes up this vibrant area. Wandering around historic towns and visiting secluded coastal villages imparts to travellers an awareness of these valuable historical gems and the importance of them being preserved and protected, so that they can be enjoyed and appreciated by future generations.
The people living in the region also have a rich and enduring culture, which is unveiled on this trip. Equally important, your local tour leader helps you to understand the traditions of these proud people, ensuring you don’t commit any cultural ‘faux pas’. To support tour programs in Italy this operator is training their tour leaders on a variety of issues, from environmental awareness to First Aid. This not only assists in the conduct of a tour but also provides leaders with important life skills. By only employing tour leaders born and bred in the regions they visit, they are supporting local economies. This operator prefers to give their patronage to small owner-managed hotels rather than those from international chains, as they feel these places offer quality and character and also directly benefit local people. Through offering employment and steady revenue, tourism can ultimately make a real positive difference to local communities. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |