This tour avoids whirlwind
schedules and the lightening pace. It invites the traveller
to know Italy with the calm of the focused observer.
We achieve this by basing the
tour in just two intriguing destinations of great character
and small friendly communities.
Twenty days in two strikingly
different parts of Italy, with one leader for painters and
another for 'lookers'.
Vernazza
Cinque Terre, Portofino, Santa Margherita, Portovenere
and hilltop villages of Levanto – 14 days
Vernazza
A jewel of the Mediterranean, the Cinque
Terre have adorned the Ligurian Riviera since ancient times.
These five picturesque towns – Monterosso,
Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore – are accessible
only by boat, walking track or, from our base, a short train
ride.
They have preserved their character as fishing
villages, ports and hilltop fortress towns in the face of
piracy and foreign incursions.
Now World Heritage listed, they
are a feast for painter, photographer, walker or traveller.
Each town has its own distinctive character: perched on a coastal
spur or huddled in the valley of a stream. Their multi-coloured
buildings seem to jostle for space.
Monterosso
Manarola
Fishing boats feature on the
beaches, in the piazze and even line the streets under which
freshwater streams flow to the sea.
Immediately beyond and above the
villages, winds a steep maze of elaborate terraced vineyards
held by thousands of kilometres of dry-stone walling.
Riomaggiore
Our
base for the two weeks is at the gateway to the Riviera. Our
hotel spoils us with exceptional Ligurian cuisine. the antipasto
is a special delicacy.
Antipasto in Levanto
Levanto
Close by are attractive local
subjects to paint or explore, elegant villas, an expansive beach
and of course the local fishing boats.
Santa Margherita
We ferry past the Cinque
Terre to the colourful fortress town of Portovenere (Port of
Venus), looking out over the Gulf of the Poets – celebrated
by Byron and Shelley.
Our private
coach takes us to the picturesque ports of Santa Margherita
and Portofino.
Portovenere
Portofino
Near Portofino
Monterosso al Mare
Legnaro
We also head
into the hills to explore the beautiful little hamlets dotted
around the hinterland of the Cinque Terre.
