“Cinque Terre”. Two short words, a little tricky to pronounce but a place name, none the less, that we have all heard of….
Even for those less well traveled, this region of Italy’s North Western coast conjures images (or memories for the lucky ones) of some of the most stunning seaside towns and sparkling emerald coastline in the world. The five villages – Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore and their surrounding hills and coastline are a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is little wonder that millions of travelers flock here every year to eat Spaghetti Vongole under those yellow and white striped umbrellas and swim in the cut glass waters of the Italian Riviera. With Milan and Turin just a 3 hour train ride away, the Cinque Terre is an easily accessible region of Italy to get to, and despite it being a very popular tourist destination, it has managed to remain miraculously unspoiled. Rose, faded ochre and apricot coloured buildings perched on craggy hilltops, terraced vineyards, ancient cobblestone pathways with panoramic views and always, that ever present sparkle of the warm Mediterranean sun shimmering off clear deep blue water – it is the stuff of idyllic dreams.
Photography—James Broadbent at Chasewild | Words—James Broadbent and Caroline Waldegrave
