Another delightful itinerary is the one that goes through the Cinque Terre where the sea, the hills, the vineyards, the old fishing villages and the Genovese style churches add together to result in enthralling scenery. The 'Cinque Terre' are five small ancient fortified villages, inaccessible until some decades ago when a road was built. There are no cars and no noise but only nature. The population of each town is less than 500 except for Monterosso with 1000 inhabitants. The 'Cinque Terre' are all connected to each other (except Corniglia), by sea, by train and by trails along the coast which perhaps represent the best way to see the 'Cinque Terre'. The most famous and easiest trail (a twenty minute walk) is the "Via dell' Amore" (which needs no translation) which links Riomaggiore to Manarola; its name comes from all the rocks that are covered with the romantic writings of lovers from all over the world, or perhaps because along this trail many love stories blossom. It is definitely a road with the fragrance of love in the air.
You can either explore the villages on your own: in this case your driver will take you first of all to Portovenere and then on to Manarola where he will drop you off and arrange to pick you up in the afternoon at one of the villages
or
meet up with a tour guide* in Carrara and then drive along the panoramic road to Manarola; the view of the Cinque Terre from this road is wonderful. Short stroll in Manarola and reach Riomaggiore along the "Via dell'amore" to breath that special atmosphere. By local train to Monterosso, visit of the village and free time for lunch. By ferry to Portovenere passing by the villages of Vernazza, Cornaglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, visit of the village and free time.
Departure by ferry to La Spezia, where the driver will be waiting for us.