THE PLACES OF LIGURIA
Il Parco delle Cinque Terre
Mediterranean plant and animal life nestling in a splendid oasis with a unique, absolutely priceless natural heritage.
The Cinque Terre National Park was officially created in 1999, two years after the area obtained UNESCO recognition as a World Heritage Site, with a view not only to promoting this superb natural resource, renowned worldwide, but also to safeguarding and recovering the area and preventing damaging hydrogeological events.
The Cinque Terre National Park occupies an area of 4300 hectares of Mediterranean maquis. Over the centuries Man has created 7000 km (roughly the length of the Great Wall of China) of terracing, altering the contours of the hills, so as to obtain land that could be planted with the vines and olive trees that remain the main source of the culinary delights the Cinque Terre has to offer.
THE PLACES OF LIGURIA
Il Parco delle Cinque Terre
Mediterranean plant and animal life nestling in a splendid oasis with a unique, absolutely priceless natural heritage.
The Cinque Terre National Park was officially created in 1999, two years after the area obtained UNESCO recognition as a World Heritage Site, with a view not only to promoting this superb natural resource, renowned worldwide, but also to safeguarding and recovering the area and preventing damaging hydrogeological events.
The Cinque Terre National Park occupies an area of 4300 hectares of Mediterranean maquis. Over the centuries Man has created 7000 km (roughly the length of the Great Wall of China) of terracing, altering the contours of the hills, so as to obtain land that could be planted with the vines and olive trees that remain the main source of the culinary delights the Cinque Terre has to offer.
The coasts of the Cinque Terre – as well as being a veritable monument to Man’s ability to adapt to the surrounding environment and an unrivalled natural and landscape treasure – boast the highest density of protected areas and natural parks in Italy, with a total of three devoted to safeguarding and protecting the natural oasis that is the Cinque Terre.
The park area also comprises the Cinque Terre Marine Protected Area. Just as the Mediterranean maquis, the hills sculpted with terracing and the steep cliffs dashing down into the sea are home to a huge variety of plant and animal life, the seas are also bursting with an enormous number of fish and molluscs, as well as vast expanses of seagrass.
In addition, the sea of the Cinque Terre is part of the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals, with the presence of some 2000 blue whales recorded in its waters offering further proof of the wealth and variety of sea creatures living in freedom here, also including dolphins and sperm whales.
The coasts of the Cinque Terre – as well as being a veritable monument to Man’s ability to adapt to the surrounding environment and an unrivalled natural and landscape treasure – boast the highest density of protected areas and natural parks in Italy, with a total of three devoted to safeguarding and protecting the natural oasis that is the Cinque Terre.
The park area also comprises the Cinque Terre Marine Protected Area. Just as the Mediterranean maquis, the hills sculpted with terracing and the steep cliffs dashing down into the sea are home to a huge variety of plant and animal life, the seas are also bursting with an enormous number of fish and molluscs, as well as vast expanses of seagrass.
In addition, the sea of the Cinque Terre is part of the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals, with the presence of some 2000 blue whales recorded in its waters offering further proof of the wealth and variety of sea creatures living in freedom here, also including dolphins and sperm whales.