Swim, stroll, shop, and sail, then say arrivederci to your new Ligurian friends and depart for the e

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If you’re Italiano at heart, this far-ranging adventure is for you. Its string of destinations stretches from the sun-splashed beauty of the Italian Riviera to the country’s sapphire-blue Alpine lakes. En route, you’ll find the real Italy, a land filled with history and panoramic scenery, old-world charm, and sophisticated towns like Portofino and Bellagio. In the Cinque Terre, you’ll walk through five distinctive villages along the Mediterranean coast, pausing to admire the magnificent vistas and stopping at local trattorias for mouthwatering meals of pesto and fresh seafood, wine and gelato.
Swim, stroll, shop, and sail, then say arrivederci to your new Ligurian friends and depart car rentals cancun mexico for the enchanting foothills of the Italian Alps, a stunning landscape where snowcapped giants ring the legendary lakes of Orta, Maggiore, and Como. Between boat excursions, centuries-old paths will lead you to terraced vineyards, medieval hamlets, lakeside villages, and historic villas whose priceless artworks and flower gardens put the best of Italy on display.
car rentals cancun mexico This is a custom departure, meaning this trip is offered on dates that you arrange privately with the provider. Additionally, you need to form your own private group for this trip. The itinerary car rentals cancun mexico and price here is just a sample. Contact the provider for detailed pricing, minimum group size, and scheduling information. For most providers, the larger the group you are traveling with, the lower the per-person cost will be.
After meeting at your charming in-town hotel, a brief public bus ride takes you to the village of Nozarego, the starting point for an approximate two-hour afternoon walk to the seaside resort of Portofino. From the charming sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve (situated at 500 feet above sea level), a 10-minute ascent over the luxuriant green hillside, followed by a short level stretch, brings you to the hamlet car rentals cancun mexico of Gave and its restored chapel, the Oratorio di San Gerolamo. From here you enjoy a wonderful view over the Abbey of Cervara, a national monument of Italy dating to the 14th century, before continuing on to Portofino in one of two directions—the route decided upon by your guide(s).
The first option rewards you with a less challenging walk along a shaded, cobbled path past farmhouses, through terraced olive groves down to Paraggi, a tiny coastal town bordered by a beautiful sandy beach. An easy paved promenade, shaded beneath the canopy of a Holm oak forest, winds along the sea delivering you to the cobblestoned streets of Portofino.
The alternative option departs the hamlet car rentals cancun mexico of Gave along an undulating path before reaching Acqua Morta and Acqua Viva, two small streams, the second so-called car rentals cancun mexico because it gave life to a series of 35 olive, chestnut, and wheat mills (one of which is now a visitor’s center), while the former did not have any mills along its course. Reaching Olmi, the highest point of today’s car rentals cancun mexico walk at 885 feet, you begin the long descent down a paved path into Portofino, passing by the chapel of San Sebastiano and enjoying splendid views along the way.
The picturesque village of Portofino, nestled into a cove between hills, was rediscovered by the jet set shortly after World War II and is considered to be among the most beautiful Mediterranean ports. Where once only fishing boats docked in the emerald-green inlet, now yachts arrive from around the world. You may choose to relax at an open-air café in the main piazza overlooking the colorful boats bobbing in the harbor, while indulging in a paciugo—a heavenly cup of strawberry and vanilla gelato (Italian ice cream) topped with fresh berries and cream. car rentals cancun mexico There is time to independently explore the small streets and browse the town’s boutiques and shops. For stunning car rentals cancun mexico views of the entire bay and the Tigullian gulf, you can walk from the famous village square, simply called La Piazzetta, up to the Church of San Giorgio. Perched high above the town, this church contains relics of St. George, Portofino’s patron saint. From here continue to another lookout point at the Castello Brown, a castle dating to the 16th century, before moving on to the very tip of the promontory and the Punto del Capo (Portofino car rentals cancun mexico lighthouse).
You return to Santa Margherita via a 20-minute ferry (time- and weather-dependent) or bus ride before gathering for a welcome aperitivo and orientation meeting at your hotel. Dinner tonight is a welcome feast at an inviting family-run restaurant in town. Bountiful seafood antipasti may be followed by the classical Ligurian primo, pansoti con salsa di noci (cheese-filled pasta topped with walnut sauce).
After a satisfying breakfast of coffee, bread, car rentals cancun mexico cheese, car rentals cancun mexico yogurt, and fruit, you transfer by public bus to the tiny and picturesque village of Ruta, at which point you enter the Regional Park of Portofino for an approximate four-hour morning walk. An initial 45-minute, 500-foot undulating yet steady ascent along a shady trail punctuated with a series of rough steps brings you to a spectacular ridgeline trail commanding an enchanting view of the Bay of Tigullio to the east and the Bay of Paradise and city of Genova to the west. Continuing car rentals cancun mexico beneath a canopy of chestnut, pine, and oak trees, you traverse the Portofino promontory—ascending 160 feet over a 40-minute period—and arrive at Semaforo Nuovo (“New Signal Station”). At 1,300 feet, you are rewarded with radiant coastal views.
Refueled with a snack and water break, you set off on a beautiful cliffside path overlooking the Cala dell’Oro Bay and the Bay of Fruttuoso. The dirt trail—bordered by fragrant car rentals cancun mexico Mediterranean macchia, myrtle, and berries—gently climbs and descends for just over an hour at which point you reach Pietre Strette (“Narrow Stones”), an area of narrow canyons surrounding the 1,500-foot summit of the forested ridge. Over the next hour you descend several stony switchbacks and old mule paths (elevation loss of 1,500 feet) to sea level and the hamlet of San Fruttuoso. This secluded haven, which can only be reached on foot or by boat, is picturesquely situated in a small, rocky cove. Under ownership and protection of the National Trust of Italy, procedures have recently been taken to recognize this hamlet as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Following car rentals cancun mexico an optional swim in the inviting clear blue waters of the San Fruttuoso Bay, you sit down to a much-anticipated lunch—perhaps a fresh green salad along with the region’s signature dish, homemade pasta with pesto. car rentals cancun mexico Following lunch, car rentals cancun mexico you may accompany your guide(s) on a fascinating visit to the Abbazia di San Fruttuoso, a 10th-century medieval abbey.
This afternoon, you may choose to continue car rentals cancun mexico on a scenic two-hour walk to Portofino; otherwise opt to indulge in a bit of la dolce vita by taking a boat back to Santa Margherita (with a possible stop in Portofino). car rentals cancun mexico This evening you reunite at a fine seaside restaurant for a delectable dinner of typical Ligurian specialties, complemented by the region’s crisp white wine.
This morning a one-hour train ride brings you to the splendid seaside resort of Levanto, with breathtaking sea views along the way. Upon arrival at this ancient town, known as the “Gateway to the Cinque Terre,” you set off along its curved and colorful main street to visit its medieval frescoed loggia and Chiesa di Sant’Andrea (Church of Saint Andrew), exemplary of 13th-century Ligurian Gothic style with its façade decorated in black-and-white bands, and a magnificent rose window crowning the main door.
You may opt out of the day’s scheduled walk and enjoy an independent afternoon by taking a train directly to Monterosso al Mare, the first of the Cinque Terre villages and the day’s final destination. Alternatively, depart on the afternoon walk from Levanto’s medieval walls on a long, gradual car rentals cancun mexico climb along an ancient trade route passing through olive groves and terraced vineyards. The trail eventually levels off for an easy stretch with spectacular views before beginning another rigorous ascent over rough steps through oak woods. A much easier stretch of trail ensues through a pine forest culminating at the promontory of Punta Mesco. At 1,000 feet, your hard work is rewarded with an amazing bird’s-eye view of all five villages of the Cinque Terre. A final steep 45-minute descent down large stone steps delivers you to Monterosso al Mare and your family-run hotel set amidst a garden of towering palm trees, just around the corner from Fegina Bay and the best beach in the Cinque Terre.
After settling in to your new home for two nights, you stroll to dinner at Ristorante La Lampara, a lively, local restaurant where you are welcomed by the legendary and charismatic chef-owner Luigi Corciulo (“Ciak”) with a dazzling array of seafood antipasti—freshly-caught prawns, squid, sea snails, steamed mussels, and the highly-prized anchovies from Monterosso served fried, stuffed, marinated, or salted!
“The Five Lands” of the Cinque Terre are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore: five small, remote villages strung along the coast northwest of La Spezia. They are linked by boat, rail, and footpath, allowing you to customize your walking experience over the next two days. Today’s scheduled walk, and arguably the most spectacular, begins in Monterosso, and continues for approximately two hours along a well-established footpath while offering views of the Ligurian Sea. After an initial lengthy climb up a steep cliff-side stairway of several hundred steps, the trail winds up and down through groves of lemon, orange, and olive trees and beautifully terraced vineyards supported by hundreds of miles of hand-built dry stone walling. Known as mura a secco, these walls are a testament to the centuries of labor involved in shapi