Best Weekend Getaway: Cinque Terre

"A meal with a view in Vernazza's main water-side castle Any meal served in an eleventh century castle overlooking the sea has to be good. But dinner at Belforte in Vernazza (Cinque Terre) is an experience to be rivaled by few others. Daniele can tell you about the most recent catch, the housemade pesto, and the choice half-carafe of local wine. Come early. And just linger. Enjoy all the courses. You will pay mightily for the food, but the sunset over the Ligurian sea is simply priceless. (You can also rent the castle apartment for that extremely special occasion!)"

"Via dell'Amore, Riomaggiore One of the highlights of my trip to Italy was walking Cinque Terre. I would travel back to Italy just to do this walk again. My favorite part was the Via dell'Amore, or Walk of Love that went from Riomaggiore to Manarola. This is a picture of one of the many tunnels built into the mountain. The walls were covered with this amazing grafiti. The colors were so vibrant and bold. Right after this tunnel is where you start to see the thousands and thousands of locks couples in love would add with their names on them. Such a romantic and spectacular walk. By Jennifer DeLap"

"Mussel mayhem While Vernazza and Monteroso were nearly devastated by the floods and mudslides of October 2011, Manarola luckily fared much better. Only now nearly back to normal, the villages welcome visitors to enjoy the bounty of her waters --- especially platters heaving with tender, plump, briny orange mussels. Down a plate on the terrace of the trattoria, and watch the town unfold on the main street in front of you."

"And you thought chickpeas were only for hummus Made from chickpea (ceci) flour, olive oil, water, and salt, this delicious 'flat bread' is a specialty of the entire Ligurian coast. Find these warm breads topped with rosemary, garlic, and/or other more traditional pizza toppings. Enjoy straight from the very hot oven (we used to make these at the restaurant I worked in in Genoa , and I still have the burn scars on the inside of my arms to prove it!), or save half for a perfect next-day breakfast."

"A path worth searching for Sometimes it's nice to get off the beaten path. You can take the normal pathways around Cinque Terre (and they are spectacular in their own right) but you can also veer a bit off the normal journey and take the 'high road' to catch a glimpse of some breathtaking vistas. Leaving Riomaggiore through the back road on foot, keep walking up hill until you see a small set of stairs under the main road that lead down to a grass path. Follow this path under the stone bridge, and begin your ascent up through the vineyards and terraced gardens. When you reach the top, soak up the unrivaled sea views. From some out-perches, you can see four of the five villages at one time."

"Sciacchetrà in the Sky Climbing the Sentiero Azzurro (or the Blue Path, given the gorgeous ocean views you get from almost every bend) you traipse by countless terraced vineyards producing the Vermentino and Sciacchetrà that this region is so famous for. And keep your eyes peeled for the small roller-coaster-like buggies that help transport the grapes from the cliffside vines to the processing facilities down in town!"