“… Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia, nests of hawks and gulls,Manarola and Riomaggiore are progressing from west to east the names of the few villages or parts of the villages, so holed up in the rocks and the sea …”
(From “Out of the House” of Eugenio Montale)
Thus, the italian poet Eugenio Montale describes these small fishing villages, founded around 1000 not by farmers but by fishermen who, in order to survive,overcame their atavistic distrust of the immensity of the sea, that had been their enemy for centuries, and settled along the coasts to become expert sailors.However, they did not entirely abandon their rural culture and with uncommon strength of will succeeded in taming such an impervious land.
Since then and to this day, with undiminished tenacity,generations of men have transported thousands of cubic meters of earth and thousands of stones to build kilometers of dry stone walls,terraces and vineyards that make unique this stretch of the Ligurian coast.
At first, the five villages were just fiefdoms, properties of the most important families of Liguria until they passed under the rule of the powerful Maritime Republic of Genoa around the middle of the 13th century. And Genoa will provide these small colonies of fortifications, walls , towers and churches of extraordinary beauty and understated , refined work of craftsmen Antelami
To have a Cinque Terre Tour it means finding this world intact, in the gestures of the farmers handed down from father to son,in the hard life of fishermen, in the rough and edgy character of this people , related to his territory from the unchangeable relationship of love and hate .
Discover Cinque Terre with our specialized tour guides and hiking guides !
PORTOVENERE AND CINQUE TERRE PRIVATE TOUR : THE GREAT BEAUTY !
Private tour with local guide for cruise passengers from Portovenere and La Spezia :
Departure by boat from la Spezia to PORTOVENERE After 25 min we will reach Portovenere, “the harbor of Venus”. Then walking tour of this medieval village , built in 1113, with its typical pastel-colored houses and narrow streets. Departure by boat from Portovenere to VERNAZZA , the most charming village of Cinque Terre . During the boat ride you ll’be able to see all the Cinque Terre villages along the coast absolutely unique. In VERNAZZA we will discover the typical narrow streets of the village and the ancient Church of Santa Margherita dating back to 1318 . Then you can have lunch and your local guide will give you all the information you need about the best restaurants ! After lunch back to Portovenere or La Spezia by boat .
PRICE UP TO 10 pax 300 EURO
WHAT’ S INCLUDED
Personal licenced local tour guide.Taxes .
WHAT’ S EXTRA
Cinque Terre boat tickets ( train tickets in case of boat tour cancellation ) restaurant ,meals, souvenirs, entrance fees where requested
Most shops and restaurants accept credit cards, but smaller shops, cafès , souvenirs shops are cash only
PLEASE NOTE :
Sometimes , the boat trips can be cancelled due to the rough sea. Adjustment will be made on the spot to ensure maximum comfort.