The five tiny towns and their surrounding vineyards of Cinque Terre became an Italian national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The region was recognized, in large part, for “representing the harmonious interaction between people and nature to produce a landscape of exceptional scenic quality that illustrates a traditional way of life that has existed for a thousand years and continues to play an important socio-economic role in the life of the community.” Those words don’t begin to do justice to the beauty of the place, but they do hint at what makes this bit of coastland unique in all the world. The two major industries which provided sustenance to the people who eked out their livings here all those centuries — fishing and winemaking — have, in the last twenty years or so, been joined by a third: tourism. Certainly now there are more rooms to let, B & Bs, restaurants and cafes in the towns here. However, the physical landscape has prevented widescale changes and overwhelming growth. Whatever semi-flat land suitable for construction that exists here has long since been built upon, so the ranks of tower-like homes and stone churches and towers have not been defiled by modern hotels and storefronts. It is ironic, however, that where some of the terraced vineyards have been abandoned as their owners find less labor-intensive ways to make a living in catering to the tourist trade, the dry-stone walls which contribute to the unique character of the place are beginning to crumble and erosion occur, threatening that very landscape. Fear not, there are still plenty of vineyards in production, and we were fortunate enough to taste a sample of the local wines over lunch at Ristorante Gambero Russo in the town of Vernazza. The first was a crisp, fresh white, perfectly chilled and fruity without too much sweetness or acidity. One sip and I could feel myself relaxing as we sat at the side of the town’s tiny cove at the edge of the square, listening to the water softly lapping at the curve of sand just below us. Later our charming server, Andrea, brought us a liter of the house white, a smooth, almost buttery wine reminiscent of a luscious Chardonnay. Later I sought out a wine shop and selected one small bottle of one of the region’s renowned late-harvest wines to bring home to share on some special occasion with my oenophile husband. But that was at the end of my day in Cinque Terre, and I have gotten far ahead of myself. We began our day in Manarola and made our way down to the waterfront. As in all of the towns here, the buildings housing businesses and homes are at least four or five stories tall, packed closely together and stepping down the hillsides along narrow creeks and ravines to the harbor. We were told this was to aid in defending the communities against sea-going marauders of the past, but the balconies, windowsills and doorways decked out with grapevines and flower-filled pots softened what might have remained of more imposing facades. From Manarola we made our way along the famous Via dell’Amore (Lovers’ Way) to Riomaggiore, the most southerly of the five towns. Today the paved and graveled path is made safe with railings and a widened route, but it is still an impressive passageway literally carved out of the rocky cliffs just above the sea. Here we got an up-close look at those dry-stone walls as well as some of the native vegetation: enormous agave plants and cacti and flowering shrubs and vines. From Riomaggiore we would take a small public ferry boat up the coast to Vernazza, but only if the sea was just right. Even though it was a lovely, sunny day, our guide explained that if the waves were too rough, the ferry would not be able to pull in to the landing to board us. When we got down to the site, we understood what she meant. The “landing” was a slab of concrete that had been poured over the rocks at the water’s edge to create a semi-level surface. The boat pulls up and drops a gangway off the prow onto the pier, and the passengers scuttle across, just above the waves washing over the rocks. It wouldn’t take much of a wind or a rough current to make that maneuver impossible both for the boat and the passengers. Luckily for us the sea cooperated, and we chugged a few miles up the coast, enjoying a fantastic vantage point from which to take in the sweep of the Cinque Terre coast, its villages and terraced mountainsides. We bypassed Corniglia, another of the villages and the only one lacking an actual harbor at sea level; it is accessible only by foot or via the small railway line that links the villages with the outside world. Our visit this day would also omit a stop in the northernmost town of the five — Monterossa — and the one with the most accessible beaches. In Vernazza we were given at least two-and-a-half hours on our own to eat, shop and explore, and my sisters and I used most of that time for our leisurely lunch harborside. Soon enough we had to meet the rest of our group to board the train for a return trip to La Spezia to meet our motor coach for the rest of the trek back to Livorno. My brief sojourn in this lovely, remote region left me with the desire to return to spend more time there, for I never got the chance to really climb above the coastline and explore each town more thoroughly. It is a place I would enthusiastically recommend to anyone traveling to this corner of the Mediterranean; just be sure to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy all of it! — Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader Global Traveler has joined the world of social marketing. For breaking news, special offers and much more, fan us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @Gtmag!