The Cinque Terre National Park plans to ban inappropriate footwear
Flip-flops forbidden in the Cinque Terre
If you’re planning a stomp around the rugged Cinque Terre coastline, make sure you pack sturdy footwear. The area’s National Park authority plans to introduce fines for walking the cliff paths without appropriate footwear, as rescue teams have become exasperated at the increasing number of call-outs to save ill-prepared day-trippers. This celebrated stretch of Liguria is a big draw for tourists. Up to 2.5 million visitors each year descend on its five pastel-coloured towns and hike the paths that link them – but many of them are woefully under-prepared for tackling the narrow, rocky trails. A new public information campaign will encourage tourists to prepare better for their hikes, and fines from €50 to €2,000 will be brought in for those breaking the rules. “People come here thinking they are at the seaside, but the paths above the villages are like mountain trails,” Patrizio Scarpellini, head of the National Park, told the Telegraph. “First we will introduce the information campaign, then we’ll start issuing fines.” Last year’s rescues included a German family who tried to negotiate the paths with a pushchair, and an Italian man walking a cliff trail with his leg in plaster.