Cinque Terre
"The beauty of a small tour is flexibility."
Cinque Terre is a string of seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline. In each of the 5 towns, colorful houses and vineyards cling to steep terraces overlooking the Ligurian Sea. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a national park with a beauty and charm that has been preserved for centuries.
Monterosso al Mare
Relax by the Sea
Monterosso is one of the five small villages that dot the Italian Riviera. Each one is unique, but Monterosso has the best beach. Some of the things we can do: take a boat along the coast to visit Portofino, Portovenere & the Cinque Terre... hike past vineyards, lemon & olive groves... sample the local wine, limoncello & sweet wine called sciacchetra... learn to cook a local dish... visit a vineyard... shop in nearby towns for handcrafted Italian goods...rent a beach chair for some R&R... or visit the Leaning Tower nearby in Pisa. The trip can be geared to your interests. The beauty of a small tour is flexibility.​​​ The maximum number of people I am looking for is ten, so we can still get into small restaurants easily, move around without a large group and keep the feel of the tour more intimate.
The nice part about visiting Cinque Terre in the spring or fall is that the towns are not as crowded, airfare is cheaper & the weather is perfect for outdoor dining, hiking & an afternoon "passeggiata" stroll for a gelato.May is a wonderful time to be in Cinque Terre due to the many festivals happening during this month. The annual salted anchovy festival and lemon festival attract people from all over the world. The weather is perfect for the beach and hikes are refreshing. In September, the grapes are being harvested for the "vendemmia" and the weather is still warm enough to take a dip in the turquoise Mediterranean Sea. You can go on an invigorating hike, enjoy a meal by the sea and have some beach time all in one day.
Nestled Nearby
There are so many gorgeous destinations in addition to the Cinque Terre we can explore in a day if you are interested. Some of these include: Portofino, Portovenere, Santa Margherita (known for it's wine), Sestri Levante, Pisa, Chiavari, Portovenere, Camogli, Pietrasanta and so many more.
Accommodations
The accommodations we provide are small, family-run hotels in Monterosso al Mare. The rooms include breakfast every morning and the option to dine outdoors under lemon trees and grapevines. They are conveniently located to everything we will do.
All of the rooms have a European double bed and private bath. All rooms include a hairdryer, telephone, wifi, satellite t.v., air conditioning, mini bar and safe. Rooms may be requested with two twins if friends want to share accommodations. A central yet quiet location. Linens and beach towels are provided.
Local Delicacies
The olive trees are about ready to be harvested, orange nets lay beneath the silvery green trees ready to catch the ripe olives, fresh succulent figs served all by themselves or with paper thin slices of prosciutto, and porcini mushrooms are in season. Anchovies are one of the specialties of this region served many different ways, delicious, not like the ones on your pizza in the states. Mangia!
