A Backroads Tour of the Italian Riviera

Luxury Adventures: This is a unique opportunity to take a vacation with family or friends that will provide everyone with a relaxing, a pleasurable, and a healthful experience all rolled into one very stimulating tour package. Backroads is among the premier active-travel companies worldwide, as it offers pre-planned and customized vacations throughout the world for travelers who prefer to remain active while vacationing.

Backroads' active tours are centered on biking, hiking, walking, rafting, rowing, and sailing along with sightseeing. Premium luxury lodgings or deluxe camping is available. These journeys are real getaways from the everyday pace. The escapade can be either frantic or calm or both, as guests select the activity level of their adventure. Activity levels are placed in five categories that range from a leisurely two to three hours per day and go all the way up to a vigorously challenging seven or more hours.

By foot, boat and train, the Cinque Terre & Portofino Walking & Hiking tour gives travelers a very up close and intimate look at the compelling and romantic Italian Riviera. The intriguing combination of both old- and new-world elegance makes the coastline of the Ligurian Sea very captivating to visitors. The five villages ("Cinque Terre") of Liguria, Italy, are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarolo, and Riomaggiore. There are landmarks doting the landscape that date back to the 10th century.

The tour begins in Genoa and winds through the five villages from northwest to southeast. Travelers hike along the legendary Via dell Amore and the Portofino Harbor. They visit the Monte Portofino Natural Park and see the area's vegetation of sprawling olive groves, fig trees, and pine forests. There is a boat ride to the famous Benedictine abbey of San Fruttuoso, and the opportunity to swim in the turquoise waters of the Ligurian Sea. Vacationers dine on fresh seafood, pasta al pesto, and white wines for six days. So, the walking and hiking throughout the day serves as a measure of damage control for weight-conscious guests who overindulge a bit.



Luxury accommodations are available in Portofino at the intimate Hotel Splendido. Portofino is the most elegant village on the Italian Riviera. The Cinque Terre & Portofino Walking & Hiking tour is designed to enable guests to mix healthful activities and cultural experiences at their leisure.

There are numerous active tours from which to select. Choosing just one may be the most difficult task of all, as Backroads offers active-luxury tours to various parts of Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and all of Europe. Have at it!

For LxM James Rothaar