Living Local: A Taste of Cinque Terre Pesto & Mussels
-
Port
Portovenere, Italy
-
Activity Level
Strenuous Activity
-
Excursion Type
All
-
Wheelchair Accessible
No
-
Starting At (prices in USD)
$500
-
Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
-
Duration
Approximately 5 Hours
-
Meals Included
Meals included
The Ligurian coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere is a cultural landscape of great scenic and cultural value. The layout and disposition of the small towns and the shaping of the surrounding landscape, overcoming the disadvantages of a steep, uneven terrain, encapsulate the continuous history of human settlement in this region over the past millennium.The Ligurian coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere is a cultural landscape of great scenic and cultural value. The layout and disposition of the small towns and the shaping of the surrounding landscape, overcoming the disadvantages of a steep, uneven terrain, encapsulate the continuous history of human settlement in this region over the past millennium.The Ligurian coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere is a cultural landscape of great scenic and cultural value. The layout and disposition of the small towns and the shaping of the surrounding landscape, overcoming the disadvantages of a steep, uneven terrain, encapsulate the continuous history of human settlement in this region over the past millennium.
The Ligurian coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere is a cultural landscape of great scenic and cultural value. The layout and disposition of the small towns and the shaping of the surrounding landscape, overcoming the disadvantages of a steep, uneven terrain, encapsulate the continuous history of human settlement in this region over the past millennium.Board a small private boat from the pier in Portovenere and head towards the islands of Palmaria & Tino. Your captain circumnavigates the small islands as your guide explains their history.
These waters are home to a briny mussel farm -- a chance for you to learn how these tasty little shellfish are cultivated and how the local inhabitants eat them at every opportunity. Meet the mussel farmer and watch as he loads the freshly-harvested catch onto a floating work station.
Back on land, in a small vehicle, you'll navigate the winding roads above the villages of Cinque Terre -- picturesque roads once traveled only by farmers, horses and carts. Stop en route for stunning views of three of the Cinque Terre villages. A farmer meets up with you here and tells you (through an interpreter) how his livelihood is still very much part of local tradition here in Liguria. Follow the farmer on a pathway along the terraces (closed to the public) past the village church.
Continue to the local wine-producers association and sample three different wines produced on these very hillsides. Produce grown in the immediate vicinity is offered for tasting, and you will also enjoy a dish of trenette al pesto (handmade pasta and sauce). You'll also taste the delicious, delicate mussels harvested from the farm you visited this morning. Pine nuts or pistachios, olive oil and basil -- the key ingredients in pesto -- are grown on terraces toed into the hillside.
A short downhill walk brings you to Manarola. Enjoy a stroll through this Cinque Terre village you before the drive back to Portovenere. Guests who wish to stay in town (Manarola) to shop or explore independently are welcome to do so but must make their own way back to the ship.
Please note: Wear sturdy non-skid walking shoes.