Camping La Sfinge

The spectacular Cinque Terre National Park, Italy's first, is one of the most popular places in the land for seaside and nature spotting hols: aim to bag as much time here as humanly poss. The park includes five villages accessible by train: Monterosso (35 minutes), Vernazza (40 minutes), Corniglia (45 minutes), Riomaggiore (50 minutes) and Manarola (an hour and 10 minutes), all very much worth a look. There are lengthy coastal trails to tackle too, such as the Via dell’Amore or Lovers’ Way, connecting the five Cinque Terre villages via stunning views over the sea. Closer to home, the little seaside resort of Deiva Marina has sandy beaches surrounded by green mountains, teeny coves only reachable by boat, and nature trails in the hills all around. Book a fishing or whale watching trip at the Deiva Marina tourist office, or set off on a hike into the hills – one trail runs alongside the coast for more seaside views and another snakes inland and up the Apennine mountains. Snorkelling, diving, windsurfing and canoeing are also easy to access close by. Climbing is available 200 metres from the site.