Things to do in La Spezia

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Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is located on the Riviera Ligure and consists of five fishing villages built on cliffs: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Travel between the villages is mainly by coastal railway, ferry, and hiking trails, which has helped preserve the old appearance of the fishing villages: red, yellow, orange, and pink houses are stacked layer by layer along the steep slopes, extending all the way to the rocks by the sea. Each of the five villages has its own highlights: Monterosso al Mare is nestled in a bay and features a rare, expansive sandy beach in this area, perfect for swimming; Vernazza embraces a natural small harbor, and looking down from the Ruins of Doria Tower on the heights behind the village, the entire bay is in full view; Corniglia is the only village of the five that is not directly on the sea, sitting alone on a cliff top about 100m high; the colorful houses of Manarola are embedded in dark rocks, and at dusk, the village and the sea in the same frame make for a classic photo opportunity; Riomaggiore is located at the southern end of the five villages, with its main street sloping down to a harbor filled with small boats. The hillsides also hide another aspect of this coastline: over hundreds of years, ancestors built extensive dry-stone walls on the steep slopes and created layers of terraces to grow grapes, turning the cliffs into arable land. The sweet wine Sciacchetrà, made from air-dried grapes, is produced in small quantities and is a representative local sweet wine; paired with Monterosso al Mare anchovies, Genoese-style pesto, and focaccia, it makes for an authentic Ligurian seafood meal. The classic coastal hiking route connecting the villages offers an overlook of the entire colorful coastline from above the cliffs.

Selected for Best Things to Do in Liguria

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore is an iconic village at the southern end ofCinque Terre. The town is nestled between the mountains and the sea, with colorful, well-arranged houses cascading down the steep cliffs on both sides, complemented by the surging sea to create a distinctive Mediterranean fishing village character. The village has hilly terrain, with quaint streets winding along the hillside, connecting the castle on the slope to the small pier by the coast. Fishing boats come and go by the sea, and the cliffs embrace the blue water, showcasing a rich coastal atmosphere. Climb to the high points on the hillside for a panoramic view of the town's colorful rooftops and the sea meeting the sky. The Via dell' Amore connecting neighboring villages is built along the cliffs as a coastal trail. Strolling here, with cliffs and rocks on one side and the vast ocean on the other, the unique view of the mountains and sea offers a rich natural experience.

Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre

Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre links the five cliffside fishing villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso from south to north. Although small in area, it is one of Italy's rare national parks with a permanent population: thousands of residents have lived within the park for generations, and the dry-stone terraced walls and vineyards layered on the hillsides are the landscapes they have cultivated over centuries between the sea and the mountains. The park's vineyards also produce the locally unique sweet wine Sciacchetrà. The villages are built between the mountains and the sea, each with its own unique natural and architectural character: colorful houses cascade down the steep cliffs toward the sea, set against the deep blue waters to create a distinctive Mediterranean coastal landscape. The villages are connected by a coastal railway, and the trail network totals over 100 km, making hiking the main activity here: the blue trail follows the cliffed coast, and the cliff-hugging Via dell' Amore connects Riomaggiore and Manarola, running entirely along the sea. Inland, there are ancient mountain and forest paths that lead to an old Marian pilgrimage site. The park also includes a marine protected area, and around Vernazza you can swim, snorkel, or kayak.

Manarola

Manarola is located in the province of La Spezia in the Liguria region of Italy and is one of the most iconic coastal settlements in the "Cinque Terre." The town is built between the mountains and the sea, extending along steep cliffs toward the Mediterranean. Its buildings are densely stacked, with brightly colored houses creating a rich, layered view under the sunlight. The terrain is notably uneven, with narrow alleys and stepped pathways running through the entire settlement, integrating it seamlessly with the surrounding natural mountainside. The area surrounding Manarola is filled with terraced vineyards and olive groves. These man-made terraces spread out in layers along the hillsides, forming the foundation of local traditional agriculture and shaping a unique relationship between the people and the land. The town has a long history and has long relied on fishing and winemaking for its livelihood, with its traditional sweet wine being particularly well-known and distinctive.

Via dell' Amore

The Path of Love is a narrow path connecting Manarola and Riomaggiore. It is the shorter and more suitable one of the hiking trails in the Cinque Terre, taking only 20 minutes to walk the whole way. Although the road is not long, the scenery is very pleasant: there are huge stone walls and terraced fields on one side, and cliffs on the other side, and the sound of sea water hitting the shore seems to be close to my ears. The Road of Love was originally built for the needs of the railway construction between the two villages. This is not romantic, but it does not affect it as a sweet spot in the Cinque Terre: dense concentric lock walls, oath-carved cactus Ye, the messages and graffiti on the porch, as well as the couples approaching in twos and threes, express the beauty and magic of love all the time and everywhere. The stone chair carved into the silhouette of a kiss is a symbol of the road of love, and you must not miss the photo here.

Corniglia

One of the five towns of the Cinque Terre. Corniglia is built on a coastal rock, at a higher altitude in the Cinque Terre; the town's colourful four-storey buildings contrast with the grey and black of the rock, adding a lot of flair to the town's dramatic location. Fieski, the town's main street, is lined with charming homes and shops.

Parco Naturale Regionale di Porto Venere

Castello di San Giorgio

São Jorge Castle exhibits local archaeological findings from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages, including architectural fragments from Roman Luni and stone pillar fragments from the ancient Ligurians. Standing atop the castle, you can take in panoramic views of the surrounding scenery.

Manarola viewpoint

Castello di Riomaggiore