The sandy beach
The only real beach on this coast.
Lee & Chantelle McArthur from SMiths, Bermuda — CC BY 2.0 · This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves. Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author. I would much appreciate if you send me an email tagooty@yahoo.com or write on my talk pag — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Emanuela Meme Giudic… — CC BY 3.0 · Emanuela Meme Giudic… — CC BY 3.0
**The only one of the five with a real sandy beach — the largest and the flattest** — at the northern end of the coast. ⚠ **It is unlike the other four**: **not a village on a rock but a town on a bay** — **with a long sandy beach of umbrellas and loungers**, **a level seafront**, **and real hotels**. ✅ **It is two towns**: the **old town** of narrow lanes and a striped church, and the **new town (Fegina)** with the beach — **separated by a short pedestrian tunnel**. ✅ **On its rock stands the statue of "the Giant"** — a huge Neptune carved into the rock in 1910, ⚠ **badly damaged by war and storms** and left without its arms. ✅ **And it is the best of the five for families and for staying.**
The only real beach on this coast.
A huge Neptune carved into the rock at the beach's end.
Narrow lanes and a church striped in white and green.
Monterosso al Mare, 19016 La Spezia, Italy
**The main coast path between the five villages — and its sections differ enormously in difficulty and status.** ✅ **What it is**: the **Sentiero Azzurro** is a coastal path linking the five villages, **about 12 km** in total. ⚠ **⚠ But it is not one continuously available route**: **its sections open and close constantly** because of rockfalls and slides — ⚠ **and some have been shut for years**; **check on the day and do not rely on a printed guide**. ✅ **The sections**: **Monterosso → Vernazza** — ⚠ **the hardest**: steep climbing and descent, **about two hours**, ✅ **and the finest views**. **Vernazza → Corniglia** — ⚠ **also hard**, about an hour and a half. **Corniglia → Manarola** and **Manarola → Riomaggiore** (the Path of Love) — ✅ **the easiest and shortest**, ⚠ **and the most often closed**. ⚠ **⚠ What you need**: **closed walking shoes** (not sandals — **entry in unsuitable footwear is barred and fines are issued**), **plenty of water**, **and a hat** — ⚠ **the path is exposed and hot**. ✅ **And a Cinque Terre Card** is needed for the charged sections. ⚠ **Do not start it in the afternoon in summer.**
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