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ECOCLUB® |
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ISSN 1108-8931 |
International Ecotourism Monthly |
Year 4, Issue 45, Feb. 2003 |
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Special "The
Cinque Terre National Park of Liguria, an example of Italian style
ecotourism"
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Italy is not only famous as a world popular tourist destination, but
also a country that boasts its vast diversity across its region. Its
cuisine is one of the world's most renowned. Moreover, the Ligurian
"Pesto", a favourite sauce made of various natural
ingredients, is often used in various pastas and sandwiches, and
represents a fanfare of Italian cuisine.
Liguria is one of Italy's provinces. Located in the north-west of Italy, it is known for its rugged coastline and steep hills-ranges stretched right from the coastline. Various marine resorts decorate this coastal region. Towards the eastern end of the province, near the town of La Spezia, there are a few romantic and traditional villages, as well as some of Italy's most beautiful countryside and marine areas. That is the National Park of Cinque Terre, translated as "five villages". It is one of the world's heritage site listed by UNESCO.
Ecotourism is big business in the Cinque Terre National Park. The marine harbour area is well protected by various forms of regulations, but activities like fishing is permitted and is also popular with the locals. Hiking is the prime activity through the park with its trails criss-crossing the region. Exotic plants like the cactus, and lemon trees plantations on the terraced farmlands can be seen along the hiking trail. Moreover, the National Ppark is very well managed. Signs are clearly marked and trails are easily visible. The trails and the signs are frequently maintained. After a long walk, it couldn't be better to settle on a nice Italian meal at the town of Monterosso! For those who do not want to walk, frequent local trains are available to take tourists between the five villages.
Liguria, including the Cinque Terre National Park, is probably one
of Italy's most beautiful regions. It tells a successful story of
Italian's tourism management and the country's commitment to
ecotourism. The success of the Cinque Terre National Park as a
world-class tourist destination is an example for other countries to
follow. It integrates its ecology and nature to tourism, making it one
of the most beautiful "off the beaten track" destinations
for both local and international visitors alike to enjoy and to
experience what Italy can offer. Stephen Mak, based in Oxford, UK, and an Expert Member of
ECOCLUB.com, is a correspondent, travel writer, concert pianist and
the Director of Vision Ecotour Ltd. ECOCLUB welcomes similar submissions, for guidelines please see http://ecoclub.com/news/information.html |
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The
five "terre", or the five villages, are Monterosso, Vernazza,
Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. They are directly connected by
hiking trails and local trains only, but not by cars or buses.
Although they are similar in terms of their small size, colorfulness,
laid back and romantic atmosphere, all of them have distinctive
characteristics. Most of the village houses are decorated in red,
orange, pink and yellow. Riomaggiore is located in such a steep slope
that nearly no house is built at the same level. Manarola is famous
for its lemon-plantation, with lemon trees grown in its terraced
farmlands up the hills. One can even see an interesting decoration of
the Nativity up on the top. Vernazza and Corniglia are both similar to
Riomaggiore. The only difference is that the villages are smaller in
scale and size than Riomaggiore. Monterosso is the largest of the five
villages and has the liveliest atmosphere. Moreover, it is the only
village in the National Park area that has a proper beach.
In
the National Park, there are many hiking trails linking the five
villages together along the coast, featuring majestic coastal scenery.
The most popular one is the Via Dell Amore, translated in English as
"the Lover's trail." This trail is very clearly marked and
even novice hikers can easily finish the 12km journey in about 5
hours. It costs 3 Euro to hike the whole section of the trail, payable
at the tourist information centre. The easiest section of the trail
starts from Riomaggiore and finishes at Manarola, a merely 1.5 km that
takes around half an hour to complete. This part of the trail is
basically a paved walkway that goes along the coast. Walking in the
direction from Riomaggiore to Manarola, the village of Manarola can be
clearly seen halfway through the trail. However, once go beyond
Manarola, the walk requires more physical strength. The most
challenging part is the Vernazza-Monterosso section. The 4km journey
takes approximately 2 hours to complete. This part of the trail has
long and strenuous uphill stretches, through carved rocks and winding
narrow paths. Besides the Riomaggiore-Manarola section, it is not
recommended to hike at night or to travel alone in the rest of the
hiking path (especially the Vernazza-Monterosso section). It is
because the path is not lighted up and it can also be very slippery.
Getting
to the Cinque Terre National Park is easy, as it is within easy reach
by frequent trains from Genoa (Genova in Italian), the capital city of
the Liguria province. Genoa has an international airport and also has
flight connections from Rome. Various cheap budget airlines fly there
daily from London. Genoa is a bustling city full of history. It was
the birthplace of Christopher Colombus, the famous explorer who
"discovered" America. His "birthplace", claimed by
the sign of the house, can be found near the castle gate of the city.
Moreover, Genoa is also an important seaport of Northern Italy and
many cruises can be seen in the harbour. It is a joyful experience to
take a stroll along its waterfront with the breeze of the harbour as
well as the nicely decorated commercial buildings surrounding the
harbour front. The world-class aquarium is another great attraction.
Furthermore, the city is decorated with various plazas. Piazza Ferrari
is centrally located and decorated with a gigantic water-fountain. The
most important shopping avenue is Via XX Semtembre where tourists and
locals alike fill the area.
