Punta Palma
Punta Palma is a rocky promontory located slightly further north of the village of Prevo.
While Prevo is situated at 208 meters above sea level, as reported by various authoritative sources (Cinque Terre National Park, Parks.it, Rick Steves, etc.), Punta Palma, as can be easily seen from the photo below, is about 50 meters lower.
Reaching Punta Palma on foot today is impossible, whereas until October 25, 2011, the date of the sadly famous flood, it was still possible, albeit with a thousand difficulties and only by experienced and physically prepared individuals.
Today, you can reach Prevo by renting a boat, or by kayak or paddleboard. The visit is highly recommended as at the foot of Punta Palma, there is a cluster of encased rocks that almost create a small natural pool.
In ancient times, before the 1960s, when the provincial road was built, the inhabitants of Prevo used the old path leading to Punta Palma to transport the grapes and olives they had harvested. They would load them onto boats to be taken to Corniglia or Vernazza, where they were processed.
This route, in fact, was much more practical at that time than carrying the agricultural products on foot all the way to Corniglia or Vernazza, as the provincial road did not exist then. The only way to reach civilization, was to walk along what we now call the "Sentiero Azzurro," but at that time was referred to as "Strada Comunale", a name that can still be found on historical and military maps and that the elderly still living in Corniglia can testify.
