Along the Ligurian Coast

The days of having the Cinque Terre to yourself are long gone.

The string of villages along the Ligurian coast in Italy is far too exposed. Rick Steves waxes poetic about the charm and the food, and the masses come. Even in the offseason, the streets are jammed with visitors gawking at the colorful little harbors. You should not let that deter you from visiting, however.

I've been wanting to go since I heard about it a few years ago (on a Rick Steves show, I must admit).

The towns, from north to south, are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, all surrounded by and built within rugged hillsides.

The name Cinque Terre means five lands, or in this case, five towns that were individual fiefdoms during pre-Roman times. Because rough terrain made access difficult, these towns developed wine and food cultures that were mostly unhindered by outside influences. Even today, they remain largely car-free. The only invaders are tourists.

Other than Corniglia, which is on a bluff overlooking the Mediterranean, the towns all sit along the water. They are linked by a train running from La Spezia in the south to Genova in the north. I started my journey in La Spezia.

First step: train tickets. Shouldn't be too hard, right?

A walking path also links the five picturesque towns. As Cinque Terre is a World Heritage site, you can't just traipse about willy-nilly. You must pay to walk on the trails; an all-encompassing Cinque Terre Card gives you unlimited train travel between all five towns, access to the hiking trails and an afternoon on a rental bicycle.

When you are traveling by train, the stations come very quickly, sometimes no more than a couple minutes apart.

I flashed through the first four towns on my journey north. Much of the trip is in tunnels, then you burst out into the sun at the next stop and duck back into darkness.

Eat fish, watch ocean

When I finally arrived at Monterosso al Mare, I stepped into a scene straight out of St. Tropez. Beautiful pastel-colored hotels and restaurants front the lovely beach, where you can rent a chaise lounge and an umbrella for the afternoon. The bright blue of the Mediterranean and the rows of beach umbrellas looked like something that would have stopped Monet in his tracks.

In Monterosso, I arrived to find a festive street market near the waterfront. Local art, food and crafts were there for the browsing and buying. The region is known for its crisp, clean white wine, which can be found easily at street markets or local stores, as can good local olive oil. Ceramic art -- much of it bas-relief objects in blue and yellow -- and paintings of local scenes were also on display.

After fortifying myself with espresso and pastry at a cafe near the market, I was ready for lunch. I walked back to the station and headed south to Vernazza.

Vernazza has a proper harbor, with a breakwater and a smaller patch of sand. The piazza is on the waterfront, and I splurged on a delicious lunch of grilled octopus, veal and pasta with pesto, washed down with a local wine and all within 20 feet of the sea. The wine had a label with four simple icons on it, translating to "eat fish, watch ocean." I couldn't agree more.

Heaven in a cup

Vernazza is possibly the most picturesque town of the five. Tiny streets wander down from the train station to the harbor, lined with charming shops and restaurants. This is tourist country, so there are few great deals, but the view really is worth it. From the waterfront in almost every town, you can look up or down the coast and see the other towns. The train winks in and out of view as it passes between tunnels.

I didn't visit Corniglia, I'm sorry to say. It's a beast of a climb up a staircase with about 20 switchbacks, or a long wait for a shuttle bus, so I headed south instead. The trail between Corniglia and Manarola is pretty rough, so hiking shoes are recommended, but I saw people in flip-flops, as well. After about a 45-minute walk to Manarola, it was time for a cold bottle of water and some gelato.

Cinque Terre Gelateria e Creperia is widely recognized as serving the region's finest gelato. Considering the number of gelato shops I saw, that's an impressive feat. The chocolate gelato they serve is like heaven in a small cup.

Next, it was off to Riomaggiore, the southernmost town. The trail, known as the Via dell'Amore, or the Way of Love, takes about 15 to 20 minutes and is well paved and easy. It's so easy, in fact, that along the route you can stop for an espresso or grappa (a regional specialty) at Bar dell'Amore, which perches on the hillside overlooking the Mediterranean.

Riomaggiore is the final town on the trail. Watching over it is a castle, dating to the mid-12th century, that yields a stunning view of the area -- if you're brave enough to climb the steep road behind the train station. Like the other towns in the Cinque Terre, it has a wonderful assortment of small hotels, restaurants and waterfront views. The Via dell'Amore ends on the train station platform, so if you're tired from all that walking and gelato, you can clamber aboard the train and be whisked away.

I recommend that you save a little energy, however, and explore the town.

In the end, the train and my feet were all I needed for this trip -- and to understand why it is such a tourist hot spot.