Overview
The five villages are no longer the isolated hamlets they once were, but there’s still a feeling of authenticity, with few roads, perfectly preserved architecture and a network of stunning coastal and mountain trails.
Description
Tucked away in a particularly mountainous kink at the eastern end of the Italian Riviera, the villages of the Cinque Terre (pronounced chin-kwe ter-re, with a rolled 'r' sound) were shaped by their profound isolation. Today the villages’ exquisite ruggedness still presents a few challenges for accessibility.
The easiest way to reach and travel between the villages is by train. A train line that runs along Italy's west coast connects all five villages with Genoa, Pisa, and Rome. The closest airports are in Genoa and Pisa. To reach the Cinque Terre from Milan you change trains in Genoa, and from Florence, you change in Pisa.
La Spezia, Liguria
Italy
URL:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/italys-fabulous-five-planning-your-visit-to-the-cinque-terre