Parrot Time Magazine

This UNESCO World Heritage site is made up of five villages on the coast and the surrounding hillsides. The towns have been carefully built on man-made terraces of this rugged coastline over the centuries and are interconnected by trains, boats and paths.

The area was ruled by a Tuscan family in the 11th century, during which time various local tribes of people moved down to the rough cliffs and began to carve a place for themselves. They built the first houses out of dry stone walls, hewed level terraces out of the rough slopes, and planted olive, vine, and lemon trees. When they were often attacked by pirates and barbarians, they built watchtowers and appointed guards.

The houses were painted in a large variation of colours because the fisherman wanted to be able to easily see their houses from their boats. Most of the families relied upon fishing for food and trade.

They survived for many centuries this way, both against attacks and natural disasters such as storms and floods. Thanks to the construction of a railway line in the 14th century, they were able to end their isolation from most everyone else, but it also led to a turning away of many traditional activities. Poverty increased, forcing many citizens to emigrate.

The decline was reversed the 1970s when the development of the tourist brought back wealth to the community, and it remains a very popular tourist destination today. It still suffers from weather problems, with one of the most recent being in 2011, when nine people were killed by flooding from torrential rains.

Can you name this city and country?

Last month's answer: Angkor, Cambodia