Charm of Italy by Rod Chase

In Italian, a trail is called a Sentiero. The one that connects the five villages of the Cinque Terre is the famous Sentiero no. 2 or Sentiero Azzuro. The five towns are unique and afford fabulous views from land and sea. From the sea, the towns resemble a sparkling necklace decorating the interesting Italian coast.

Since the thirties, the portion of the trail connecting Riomaggiore and Manarola (the southern- most section of the Sentiero Azzuro) has been called the Via dell’Amore or The Lover’s Road. It certainly is particularly beautiful with romantic views.

The 11 kilometer long trail takes about 5 hours to walk if not much time is spent enjoying the scenery. There is a total elevation difference of 500 meters between the highest and lowest points of the trail, and many parts are stony paths with steep stairs. But the Via del'Amore section takes only about 20 minutes traverse leaving lots of time to enjoy its beauty and drama and perhaps a bit of romance.

~ Rod Chase