Porto Venere, Cinque Terre and the Islands

The landscape of the Cinque Terre and Porto Venere, together with the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, has enchanted poets and illustrious visitors for its beauty. First of all, Eugenio Montale who describes the villages as “nestled between the cliffs and the sea”. This stretch of the Ligurian coast is in fact a succession of rocky walls overlooking the sea, with varied colors and different shapes. Each village has its peculiarity, Corniglia land on the hills surrounded by terraces planted with vines, Riomaggiore, with its houses painted in typical pastel colors, Vernazza with its tower overlooking the sea, Manarola with its extraordinary panorama and Monterosso the most visited with wide beaches. It was inscribed in 1997 on the UNESCO World Heritage List that defines it as a cultural site of exceptional value illustrating a traditional way of life that has existed for more than a thousand years and continues to play an important socio-economic role in the life of the community. Inhabited since the Neolithic era, later rural settlements developed in panoramic and strategic points and around areas of worship or sanctuaries. Over the centuries these sanctuaries have remained as spiritual places of reference for the communities of the seaside villages, so much so that each of them has its own Marian sanctuary connected to the coastal center by steep paths. The Via dei Santuari unites all the Sanctuaries of the Cinque Terre and is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in the landscape of this area of Liguria. The tourist offer of the province of La Spezia is made concrete by the variety of circuits. Museums, castles, fortresses, Roman streets, archaeological sites, churches and sanctuaries capture the visitor and immerse him in the local culture and traditions. The scent and taste of the sea are assured by the tasting of the excellent food and wine products.