“Cinque Terre is perfect; it’s lovely.”

Historically, the five villages of Cinque Terre—Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso—could only be reached by sea. Today, they are one of Italy’s best-known and most visited locations. Tourists fill the narrow streets in summer, drawn to the azure water and whimsical nature of the brightly colored houses perched along rocky cliffs.

Using public transport to reach the sea, Cinque Terre was the perfect place for a self-support sea kayaking trip that escaped the crowds but still let Jens Klatt, Barbara Leider and Ingrid Schlott sample the beauty—and gelato—of the Ligurian Coast.