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For decades, yacht
charterers have adored the tiny port of Portofino in Italy. Portofino was once
a charming fishing village on the rugged East coast of Italy. Its popularity as
a quaint and colorful town has now made it a famous port of call for luxury
yachts, sailboats and charter boats. Portofino is a tiny town of cobble-stone
streets, framed by hills of silvery, ancient olive groves. From the top of the
hill, the views of the harbor and coastline are breathtaking. Cafes, boutique
shops and “gelatarie” spill out into the harbor piazza. The portside cafes are
a great place to sit and watch the glamorous yachting world go by. Very
carachteristic is the mountain of Portofino that goes down to the sea crowning
the rocky spur of Punta Chiappa and the
wonderful San Fruttuoso bay, guardian of the well known “Cristo degli Abissi”.
Further down the
Italian coast, you'll sail upon 'Cinque Terre' - A succession of five coastal
villages, all with the same spectacular views of the seas. These villages are
less expensive and sophisticated, than their more popular sister, Portofino.
There is a stunning and famous walk along this coastal route, linking the five
towns, called “Via dell’Amore”. Cinque Terre are five miles of rocks, hundreds
of kilometres of nature, crystal clear sea, viticulture, thousands linear
kilometres of dry-stone walls (without any cementing agent) and extensive
network of paths. These are the co-ordinates of Cinque Terre (literal
translations: Five Lands), referred to the five small villages of
Monterosso, Vernazza, Riomaggiore, Corniglia and Manarola.
Monterosso, in the Cinque Terre is just behind the typical terrace the
viticulture lands. The main attractions are the beautiful beaches and seaside,
with its rocks on the deep water of the sea. The village is made by an ancient
part and a modern one, divided by a medieval tower. In the old part you can
find the Saint Francis Church, that contains many pieces of art. On the hill
you can find an old Sanctuary. The modern side of Monterosso is more touristic
and full of touristic resorts like hotels and restaurants.
Founded in the 11th
century, Vernazza developed through the century a strong marine
tradition. The existence of many rich architectonic elements, shows that
Vernazza was socially and economically superior to the other villages of Cinque Terre. From Vernazza there is a nice path that
leads to Monterosso, leaving the centre and going toward the
cemetery. The path is a bit hard in the first part, with a long down hill at
the end towards Monterosso. Extremely nice is the nature you go
through walking along the path that sorrounds Vernazza, with its spices and
flowers.
Riomaggiore was founded in the 8th century by some
Greeks escaped from the persecution of Leone II. In 1276 Riomaggiore went under
the domain of Genova. The village grows around the river
Riomaior, and has a medieval structure with houses and towers developed more in
high than weight.
In the recent years the economy of
Riomaggiore has changed, becoming a very important touristic site, but still
conserving its agricultural tradition. In fact, the shape of the land with its
fertile terraces was fundamental for the development of cultivation of wine,
olive trees, fruits trees as oranges and lemons. A very important production of
this land is the famous wine Sciacchetrà, a quality white sweet wine famous all
over the world.
Corniglia differs from the other Cinque Terre villages because is based on an elevate
position above the sea. It is more similar to the inland villages respect the
one built by the sea. It is located on a Cape , like a big terrace on the sea,
from where you can admire the wonderful panorama of the coast. The main
activity is the agricultural production. The Saint Peter Church, built in 1334,
is one of the more interesting gothic architecture you can visit at the Cinque Terre. A very panoramic path trough the nature
gets to Vernazza.
Manarola is a village with very ancient origins.
Very particular is the little port in front of it, repaired from the sea by two
big rocks. It can only guest small boats. Manarola is considered to be the most
peaceful and quite village of the Cinque Terre, where you can find nice relaxing walks
in the short path surrounding the village. From Manarola it starts a small path
that gets to Corniglia, by a fifteen minutes walk. At the end
you can admire a beautiful beach with with rocks typical of Cinque Terre.
Every year for Christmast, the 8 th of December, the people of Manarola prepare
the biggest lighted nativity in the world on the hill in front of the houses:
more than 200 figures and 12.000 lamps.
Onboard
your yacht and with our chefs you will enjoy the “fruits” that the territory
offers: flavoured olive oils, famous ligurian wines, fresh fish that your cook
will purchase each morning on the “pescherie” (sea-food shops) close to the
ports and excellent “focaccia” (the typical ligurian bread stuffed with all
kind of ingredients like cheese, vegetables, meat, etc…).
This stretch of
coastline is scenic and spectacular. The Italian coastline can make an
enchanting charter yacht location. Yacht charters for the Ligurian coast,
generally start in San Remo or Genova, perhaps even further back up the French
Riviera. From this northern point in Italy, it's easy to follow the coastline
down toward Elba, Tuscany's stunning National Park Island. Further south is
Civitavecchia, the gateway to Rome and her splendid architectural and
historical gems. The types of yacht charter available in Portofino & Cinque Terre
include all the main types such as motoryachts, sailingyachts, catamarans,
luxury yachts and off-course the ever increasing super yacht charter. Like most
of the Mediterranean, the Italian yacht chartering season generally runs from
April to the end of October.
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