Liguria is a region of northwestern Italy whose coastal strip lies on the Ligurian Sea and forms the Italian Riviera. The Riviera is full of beautiful beaches that extend from France in the north down to the town of La Spezia. The reason the weather is always so pleasant here is because the Alps protect the region by blocking the cold weather that comes down from the north.

The Cinque Terre (five lands) are five ancient, coastal villages that have come to be among the most popular areas of the Riviera for tourists. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides all put together form part of a national park. This means that there are now well-laid out walking trails connecting each village to its neighbors and you can visit them all on foot. One of them, called the Via Dell'Amore (the Lovers' walk) winds along the shore and is very picturesque and easy to hike. The stretch from the next town, Manarola, to Corniglia, is also easy to hike, although the main trail into Corniglia ends with a climb of 368 stairs. The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza can be steep in places but the trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is by far the steepest. Even though this last trail can be challenging, there are rewards since it goes through olive orchards and vineyards and offers the best view of the bay.

Many people prefer to vacation in southern Italy where the mountains tumble down to the beaches. One of those areas, maybe the most famous one, is Amalfi, located on the Sorrento Peninsula. The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline on the southern side of the peninsula and extends from Positano in the west to Vietri sul Mare in the east. The whole area is known for its rugged terrain, scenic beauty, and picturesque towns, each one of which has its own character and interesting places to visit. The Amalfi Coast Road itself is a big attraction because it winds around cliffs that hang over the sea. Nowadays, the road is so congested with vacationers that the full time residents are only allowed to drive on it every other day and share it with the tourists. It is so beautiful that you will see artists with their easels all around, especially on the beach. But if you go, don't expect sandy beaches; most of them are black shiney rock and people wear hiking shoes with their bathing suits. It is definitely worth the inconvenince, though!