Our summer in Italy still holds the title for Top Trip of All Time, a magical mix of culture, adventure, unforgettable meals, and quality family time. But if anything beat us on that trip, it was the heat. Italy in July isn’t for the faint of heart, and by the time we reached Cinque Terre, we were in desperate need of a cooldown. Thankfully, the turquoise waters of the Ligurian Sea offered the perfect solution.
A Rocky Start (Literally)
We kicked off our Cinque Terre stay with an early morning hike from Monterosso to Vernazza, a path famed for its views and equally memorable for the blistering heat. It didn’t take long before that hike earned a place on our Epic Travel Fails: Hiking Edition list. For the rest of the day, we stuck to the trains between villages. Quicker, yes. Cooler? Not so much. Picture hot metal boxes packed with equally hot tourists. It got us from A to B, but we knew we needed a new plan.
Day Two: Boats, Beaches, and Bold Ideas
Day two brought a much better idea: exploring by boat. Highly recommend this, by the way. After a refreshing morning swim at Vernazza’s beach, we wandered over to the harbor and found a local willing to take us out for the day. Best. Decision. Ever.
We spent hours cruising along the coast, snorkeling in hidden coves, floating in warm waters, and basking in the scenery. Then, mid-afternoon, our captain casually asked, “Any interest in cliff jumping?” Cue five teens turning slowly toward the adults, eyes wide with excitement, and just like that, Family Challenge #6 was born: Cliff Jumping in the Cinque Terre.
Take the Leap
The first jumps required a bit of effort: swim to shore, climb the rocks, leap into the deep. But every teen and both dads dove straight into the challenge. Literally. The moms, perhaps wiser (or simply more cautious), opted to stay on the boat. They grilled the guide on jump safety, scanned for rocks and currents, and documented every triumphant splash. Ally had some shark concerns (bless), but after a few eye-rolls, we were all in agreement, the fun outweighed the fear.
The next hour was a soundtrack of whoops, squeals, and splashes. Daniel was first off the rocks every time, followed closely by Adam and Quinn. The dads proved their bravery with a couple of solid jumps before retiring with their pride intact. Reese and Madison took a few false starts (a lot of “1… 2… 3… NOPE”), but eventually made the leap. By the end, it was clear: once the kids had a taste, they were hooked.
Jumping Becomes a Way of Life
From that moment on, cliff jumping became the theme of the trip. Any free moment was spent scouting new spots, talking about previous jumps, or actively jumping. It was the highlight of the trip for the teens, hands down.
📝 Challenge #6 Scorecard: Cinque Terre Cliff Jumping Edition
| Name | Result | Comment |
| Adam | ✅ | Dove like a dolphin and came up grinning. Repeated five times. |
| Ally | ❌ | Preferred to stay shark-free and document from a safe, dry distance. |
| Daniel | ✅ | First in, last out. Basically became a cliff jumping ambassador. |
| Jon | ✅ | Solid dad energy: one and done, but made it look cool. |
| Madison | ✅ | More hesitation than launch, but conquered the fear with flair. |
| Mandy | ❌ | Honorably declined, but gave A+ moral support and epic photos. |
| Patrick | ✅ | Gave a TED Talk on proper jump form mid-leap. Legendary. |
| Quinn | ✅ | Jumped like it was her job. Bonus points for stylish splashdown. |
| Reese | ✅ | Took some coaxing, but leapt like a champ (eventually). |
Top Jump Spots 🪨💦
If you’re headed that way and feeling brave, we highly recommend checking out the harbors at Manarola and Riomaggiore. Both were teen favorites, with plenty of safe spots and crowds of other jumpers to gauge safety.
Final Words of Wisdom
Of course, a friendly reminder: cliff jumping isn’t without risk. Only jump where it’s deep enough, check for obstacles, and pay attention to currents. We watched other jumpers before taking the plunge and made sure to stay within our limits. Better yet, hire a local guide, they’ll show you the best (and safest) spots.
Italy gave us food, history, and scenery in spades, but cliff jumping? That gave us stories we’ll tell forever.
Go Together Life 
Leave a comment