Italy Retreat

I have talked to many people who have loved visiting Italy. It fills them on so many levels, (not just gastronimically) but on a deep soul level--the beauty is breathtaking because you are surrounded by gorgeous natural landscape, in addition to a people that are very welcoming.

These are some of the reasons I am teaching my 3rd annual workshop in Cinque Terre, Italy. We can all reconnect with ourselves by spending time in the natural beauty of an ancient land. It is a place where we can find deep contentment and freedom.

As written in the wonderful New York Times article in August 2007, "It's almost unfair how much intense beauty, great cuisine and amazing aromas are jampacked into such a compact space."

In fact, the only way to truly experience the sensory overload that this small area has to offer is by getting off those well-trodden paths.

There are benches where you can sit and admire the view or just watch all the people wandering by. There is a small restaurant on the Via dell' Amore where you can get something to eat and drink. Picnic tables with a spectacular view are located above the restaurant. You do have to walk up a number of steps to get to the picnic area.

Details about each of the paths that connect the 5 villages of the Cinque Terre is from the Discover Walking Blog.
It would take at least 5-6 hours to hike through all five of the Cinque Terre villages.

Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza: This is a difficult trail that is 2.5 miles (4km) with many up's and down's. It will take most people between 1.5 and 2 hours depending on how many stops you make to admire the view.

Vernazza to Corniglia: This is the most difficult of the four trails and has the least number of ocean views. It will take most people about 2 hours to hike this 2.5 mile (4 km) trail. The terrain is uneven in places and you will have to be able to hike up and down hills.

Corniglia to Manarola: This is an easy 45 minutes walk and you have an ocean view for the entire walk. The trail is less than 2 miles (3km).

Manarola to Riomaggiore: This .5 mile trail (.6 km) is an easy stroll on a paved walkway. It will take about 30 minutes to walk the path.

If you'd like to see more photos of the Cinque Terre and find out more about the September 10-18, 2011 workshop and travel experience that I'll be teaching, check out my website at ChangeLimitingBeliefs.com.

Photo #1: I climbed down to the rocks off the hiking trails. You can see some of the trails in the distance.
Photo #2: I'm walking on the path from Corniglia to Manarola (two Cinque Terre towns)

The next to the last village of the 5 villages (Cinque Terre) is Manarola. Although the towns are overrun by tourists , Manarola remains uncorrupted by tourism. There are only a few stores. The restaurant recommended by author Fred Plotkin, in Italy for the Gourmet Traveler is "Ristorante Marina Piccola, Via Discovolo 38. You can eat outdoors to enjoy a good meal, beautiful setting and atmosphere. The pesto is excellent; as are the muscoli ripieni. Grilled fish is very good, and the wine is from the Cinqueterre cooperative."

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the walk from Rio Maggiore to Manarola is an easy 20 minute stroll. For more adventure, we'd walk on some of the other trails in the Cinque Terre.

The walk from Manarola to Corniglia is 3km long and takes about 1 hour. Parts of this trail are again pretty easy, but it is steeper and at times the ground is uneven under foot. The most exhausting part of this section is at the end, once you arrive at Corniglia train station. The station is located at the bottom of the hill, by the ocean, but the town of Corniglia is located on top of the hill....and there are approx 365 stairs to climb up to get up to the village!!

The section between Corniglia and Vernazza is the most scenic part, through varied landscapes - you walk through olive groves and forest, and then along the cliff edge, with spectacular views coming into Vernazza. This section is 4km long and takes about 1.5 hours to complete.

The section between Vernazza and Monterosso is the most difficult. It is 4kms long and has lots of ups and downs and steep stairs. It is little less scenic than the others, but you do get a good view of some of the local vineyards. The fun of hiking the trails is that you know that you can find delicious gelato in the next town or enjoy a glass of wine or expresso to celebrate your accomplishments.

Have you been here. Any advice?