Have you ever been told that something is so amazing that you HAVE to do it?

Do you jump right in? I always need a bit more information than just “amazing”.. and especially when it comes to doing something physical. But walking the Sentiero Azzurro (or “Blue Path”) that connects the five coastal villages of the Italian Cinque Terre definitely deserves its amazing reputation. Despite not usually being motivated to take 5 – 6 hour hikes, I’ve done this one 3 times!

In addition to the fantastic coastal setting, what makes it so enticing for me are the moments along the hike when a vista of one of the villages unexpectedly pops into view. When walking the path south to north, those incredible views are discovered only when looking back over your shoulder. I remember the surprise element being so intense, and even when knowing those views were over my shoulder on subsequent hikes, it still delivered. The houses bunched together on rocky cliffs, as if holding on for dear life, as the sea’s waves crash against the rocks – breath-taking!

So I’ve started a series of Mini’s taken from my photos of those “wow” moments looking back over my shoulder along the Sentiero. First one I’ve finished is Corniglia, the middle and smallest of the 5 villages, and the only one without water access by ferry.  I hope that one day I’ll get all 5 villages painted, but for the next few weeks, I’ll be working on 3 of the most memorable.

Oh yeah… and I highly recommend you walk the Sentiero Azzurro – it’s AMAZING!

#34 – Corniglia, Cinque Terre – sold