Italy Retreat

Monterosso al Mare
The La Dolce Vita Women's Retreat will be here in Monterosso al Mare, the most northern town of the Cinque Terre. Beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and plentiful small hotels and restaurants make Monterosso al Mare, the largest of the Cinque Terre villages (population 1,730), busiest in midsummer. The village center bustles high on a hillside. Below, connected by stone steps, are the port and seaside promenade, where there are boats for hire. Of course, the extraordinary hiking trails are easily accessible from the town connecting all the other four villages that comprise the Cinque Terre.

The medieval tower, Aurora, on the hills of the Cappuccini, separates the ancient part of the village from the more modern part. The village is encircled by hills covered with vineyards and olive groves, and by a forest of scrubby bushes and small trees.
Monterosso has the most festivals of the five villages, starting with the Lemon Feast on the Saturday preceding Ascension Sunday, followed by the Flower Festival of Corpus Christi, celebrated yearly on the second Sunday after Pentecost. During the afternoon, the streets and alleyways of the centro storico (historic center) are decorated with thousands of colorful flower petals set in beautiful designs that the evening procession passes over. Finally, the Salted Anchovy and Olive Oil Festival takes place each year during the second weekend of September.

This year, the Salted Anchovy and Olive Oil Feast will take place during the last day of the La Dolce Vita Italy Retreat, on Saturday, September 19, 2009 so we'll be participating with the locals during this celebration.

Have you traveled to any of the Cinque Terre villages? Would you like to join us Sept 12-20?