EARLY SUMMER HIKES
PHOTOGRAPHS: ANNE RHETT PHOTOGRAPHY, JUSTIN FOULKES
Getting out on the trails of the Cinque Terre is an ideal way to find fresh perspectives on this stretch of Italy’s Ligurian coast, especially as the namesake five villages experience peak visitor numbers as we move into summer high season. Just make sure you have proper footwear for the trail: this is universal hiking advice in any case, but now local authorities – fed up with having to rescue walkers stranded on precipitous tracks in flip flops – are warning of fines of up to €2,500 (£2,150) for the inadequately shod. Some 75 miles of local paths run along vine-clad, sea-view terraces, or up to hilltop sanctuaries. Although a few routes are currently closed because of rockfalls (including the famous Via dell’Amore – one that might actually be gentle enough to tackle in sandals), you’ll find graded suggestions for alternatives on the national park website.