School field trips 2012

Six reasons for students to visit the Cinque Terre

  1. The Sea During your stay in Levanto, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the coastline and waters of the Maritime National Park with our experienced and unique local guide and captain, Marco.  Born and raised here, he will open your eyes to the wonders of the sea, passing along wisdom, passion, and love for the Mediterranean. 2. The Land We take you along some of the most famous walks in the world, like the Lover’s Walk, but we also head off the beaten path along trails that will give you a sense of the real Liguria, high above the sea, where traditional farmers still cultivate grapes and olives and painstakingly build dry stone walls and terraces. 3. Culture Thanks to our guides, you will get insights into real Italian culture.  Erica, an Italian language teacher with years of experience, will teach you some tricks for surviving modern Italy.  Doug, an American who has lived in Italy for 10 years, is the perfect guide to give you an outsider’s perspective on Italian society.  And at all moments, your tour can be conducted in Italian or English, as your group chooses. 4. Architecture The Cinque Terre are five traditional villages built into steep hills above the Mediterranean, unique to the world.  The geography of the land lends itself to tiny alleys, steep stairways, hidden entrances, and spectacular views – the hallmarks of Ligurian borghi.  With the mountains above and the sea below, the villages have to live in constant harmony with nature. 5. The Environment Two of the Cinque Terre, Vernazza and Monterosso, were severely damaged by the floods of October 2011.  When we visit Vernazza, a local expert will teach you how these floods and mudslides were created, what could have been done to avoid them, and how important the care and maintenance of the natural environment is to these villages and this region. 6. Local Knowledge Your guides live in this area year-round and know every inch of it, not just in terms of trails and towns, but also in terms of the best focaccia joints, the best hidden beaches, and the best local experts.  We believe that it is only through contact with locals that you can truly learn about a place.

For the daily itinerary click here