Cinque Terre, Italy is actually a region comprised of 5 cities located right on the coast of the Meditteranean near the city of La Spezia. They are all very small and usually contain only 1 central street running through the hilly village.

The region produces a lot of wine, mostly white. Other than the wine production, the main source of capital for the town is through tourists. It has gotten quite popular in recent years, especially among Americans. It is easy to recognize why, with the region's off-the-beaten-path atmosphere.

We stayed in the first of 5 towns, RioMaggiore. It was very quaint and beautiful. This town did not have quite as many restaurants or pubs as at the other end of the 5 cities, but it made up for it with a more authentic atmosphere and cheaper accomodations.

We were put up in someone's apartment for the first pair of nights. Many locals tend to do this to cash in on the newfound tourist waves. Once we saw the town, we found one of quite a few apartment renting agencies where we were able to land a huge apartment with stove, refrigerator, tv, dining room, bedroom, and any other amenities that you can think of which I've left out. We had this family sized apartment for 60 a night. What a great deal!

The biggest activity by far is the hike through the mountainous coast to each of the 5 cities. There are different hiking paths with varying degrees of difficulty. If the easiest path is taken, the hike can be completed in around 5 hours. We decided to do this the first day and of course it rained. The rain makes the hike a little dangerous but we got through it ok.

Obviously, we started the hike from RioMaggiore. The first part of the hike in this direction begins with the Via dell' Amore. This is the easiest section of the hike (and is very romantic) right along the coast from RioMaggiore to Manarola. Once we finished this easy section of the hike, we continued into more mountainous terrain, stopping at each of the cities to get a feel for what they could offer. We finished in the last of the cities (Monterossa) and had a great dinner along the coast. Later on, we caught a train back to RioMaggiore that runs to each of the 5 cities throughout the day.

Larissa and I decided to go back to the Via dell' Amore, as we didn't get the full romantic effect in the rain on the previous hike. The walk was gorgeous and was a very special place for the two of us along this European trip. Larissa and I found some stairs leading down to some discrete rocks, close to the waves crashing, just to watch the sky light up pink at sunset.

The food is excellent in Cinque Terre, especially Monterossa and Vernazza. The seafood is great as the towns are right along the Meditteranean. The wine is good, especially if you prefer white wine. Obviously many reds are available too, as Cinque Terre is very close to the Tuscany region.

The only negative thing about Cinque Terre is the mosquitos. They are stealthy and vicious: pure evil. Larissa counted and at one time had a count of 81 bites all over her body.

If you are looking for a romantic getaway, Cinque Terre is highly recommended as long as you remember bug repellent.