Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre almost didn't happen for us. I had a burning desire to go there, having seen beautiful photos of it for years. But we almost skipped it because there was no easy and direct way to get there. We would be coming from Nice, France toward the end of a 7-week trip. We had been exploring all the options from buses to rental cars to private drivers to trains to flying and all of them presented a challenge. We finally decided on taking the train, I should say trains, since we would have to change trains a couple of times to reach our destination. Actually, it was our luggage that presented the biggest challenge, as it was too big, bulky and heavy to easily maneuver. I had visions of trying to get on and off trains and falling onto the train tracks or throwing my back out or dropping my suitcase and spilling its contents all over. We didn't speak any Italian, so would we get on the wrong train or miss our stop or get off at the wrong place and end up stranded? Somehow we managed to stuff all that train anxiety aside and we left Nice and started our dreaded yet exciting journey to 5T. It was as challenging as we thought it would be, although none of those horrid visions materialized. So glad we did it! The photos below say why! The villages look like a rainbow sherbet ice cream cone exploded and drenched all the buildings with beautiful color! This may be the coolest and most unique place I have ever seen!
Cinque Terre...or Five Lands...is just that, five fishing villages along the Italian Riviera. It has been a UNESCO site since 1997. You'll notice right away how clean and clear the water is. Our days were mostly bright and warm and the water, sometimes blue, sometimes green, sparkled in the sun.We based ourselves in Riomaggiore, the southernmost village, for our three night stay. When we arrived, I was blown away by its beauty and especially blown away by the view from our hotel room. See below. On our first full day, we visited Manorola and Corniglia. Our second day, we saw Monterosso and Vernazza. We spent a 1-2 hours in each village and that was adequate to get a feel for each, but it would have been easy to linger and spend more time taking it all in. They were all very enjoyable and beautiful! I would not want to cram seeing all five villages into one day. I think being rushed would ruin the whole vibe you come here for.
Taking the train from village to village is pretty easy. The trains ran every 15-20 minutes through midnight when we were there. I think there were a few trains though that did not stop in every village, so be sure to check the schedule if you're going to take the train.
Two things we didn't do, regretfully...take a boat ride and hike. There are plenty of boats available and plenty of trails between all the villages, but a couple of them were closed when we were there in May of 2023. One was a long-term closure due to a landslide, and I don't recall why the other was closed, but we opted to just take the train between villages. I'm sure the hikes are amazing and if I ever go back, I will be sure to do it. You can get the latest updates on trail conditions here.
Another thing I will do if I go again is be sure to try more of the foods this area is known for. Pesto is one of them, as it is said to have originated around here. I did have it once, but should have had more. Also, anchovies. I saw them on menus everywhere but didn't think they would taste good. They are apparently delicious. Also on my "next time" list, Tegame alla Vernazza-made with anchovies, potatoes, tomatoes and olive oil and I would try more focaccia-it originated near here in Genoa. Lemons are everywhere, so take advantage of all things lemon, as well as the gelato, which is also everywhere and is so much better just because you're in Italy!
Monterroso
Monterosso is the first of the five villages, north to south and is the largest. It's divided by a pedestrian tunnel into an old town (Centro Storico) and a more modern town (Fegina). The train station is near the newer section and it's about a 10 minute walk to the old town. We spent a couple of hours here, had lunch and explored mostly by the beach, and then went on to Vernazza. A popular thing to do here is take a cooking class to learn to make your own pesto pasta. Something I loved here at the beach was a huge statue on the rocks above the water. It's called Il Gigante (see below).
Monterosso is probably best known for its flat and easily accessible long beaches. And umbrellas. Lots of umbrellas, blue and white on one beach, orange and green on another. We spent a couple of hours exploring, but I think we missed a good part of the town. We stayed right along the water and there was a whole section behind the main road of both the old town and the newer area that we didn't explore. We missed out on a lot of great little cafes, restaurants and shops. But what we did see we liked a lot!
Vernazza
Vernazza is the second village north to south and is known as the "jewel of Cinque Terre". We stopped here after seeing Monterosso, spending a couple of hours in each. You can walk right down to the water and there is a very small beach where you can take a dip if you're so inclined. Another plus here is the train stop is conveniently right in the town. Some of the stops require a bit of a walk, but not this one. There is a medieval fortress on top of the hill, Castello Doria. A turret remains from the original castle and the view from there is beautiful. It served as a watchtower for pirates and also as a lookout in WWII. We did not have any meals here, but I had an amazing ice cream cone. I did discover and become hooked on Stracciatella, similar to chocolate chip, on this trip.
Corniglia
Corniglia is the smallest village and the only one not right on the water. It sits high on the cliffs 100 meters (300+ feet) above the sea. You can get to the top by bus or by walking up a lot of stairs. A lot of stairs, like 383. This also makes it the quietest village. We took the bus. It's a very short ride, but we were packed in like sardines. I'm glad we went up because it is just as charming as all the other villages, full of narrow streets, cute shops, cafes, restaurants, bars and a couple of churches. You get a gorgeous view of the sea. Off in the distance in one direction, you can see Vernazza and Monterosso, in the other direction you can see Manorola. The layout in Corniglia is simpler than the others, not as many side streets. On a hill above the village is a restaurant recommended by Stanley Tucci. It's called Ittitursmo and it's a bit of a hike to get there, but the views and the food are supposed to be well worth it. We spent about an hour here in Corniglia, after visiting Manorola. We would have stayed longer, but wanted to get back to Riomaggiore in time to eat dinner and get our spot for viewing the sunset.
Manorola
Manorola is the 4th village north to south. Some say this is the one that appears most on Instagram. An upper section overlooks a lower section and there is a big open square when you can admire the sea view. You can get to the water in the lower section, but we did not see a beach. There are walkways along the rocks at the water's edge. There is also an area above the upper section, but it looked like it was mostly residential buildings so we did not go up there. If you plan to eat dinner here, be aware that a couple of the restaurants close at 8:30 and may not take reservations. We did not have dinner, but did have gelato...again! 👍
Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore was our base while in Cinque Terre. It is the fifth and last town of CT north to south. We spent three nights here at Allo Scalo dei Mille and the location was spectacular. We were right above a marina...the one you commonly see in photos of Riomaggiore. We could see tons of small fishing boats stored right below us and our view was amazing! Old tall and narrow colorful buildings, restaurants, shops, galleries and the best part...the Mediterranean right under us. We could literally throw a stone and hit it. And the sound of the sea lapping against the shore while we slept was so soothing and peaceful! Getting to our room was not so easy though. Between the train station and the marina, we had to navigate a long pedestrian tunnel and a lot of stairs and steep ramps. And once we got to the hotel, more steep stairs. Luckily, our host had warned us about all this and told us about someone we could hire to transport our luggage from the train station.
Sunsets in Riomaggiore were great! Right across from our hotel, we could walk up some stairs to a perfect viewing spot. People would gather there and on all the jagged rocks below at sundown. Beautiful! We tried to time our dinners so we would be finished in time to get to the viewing area in time for the free show.
FOOD. All of our dinners were here in Riomaggiore. The first night, we dined at Trattoria La Grotta on the main street. We shared a huge fish on a giant plate with a side of large potato slices and some pasta with pesto sauce. Really good!! The second night, we ate right across from our hotel at Ristorante dau Cila. We shared seafood pasta and a fish dish over vegetables. Both were great.The third night, we ate at Rio Bistrot, also right by our hotel. This is a Michelin Guide restaurant and it was booked but somehow we managed to get in. I had seafood over a great sauce with vegetables. A five course "tasting menu" for a fixed price is also available. We kept watching the wait staff bring out the courses to our dining mates and everything looked so good, we wished we would have gotten it. Although what we ordered was very good, too.
Roberto! He was our hero! He met us at the train station and was able to carry our two suitcases and two heavy bags all at the same time! He saved us. There were a lot of uneven surfaces and stairs, especially a very steep one leading to our room. I think we paid him 20 euro on arrival and again on departure.
One of the highlights...from high above the water, we witnessed a marriage proposal. A couple on a boat had quite an audience as the future groom got down on one knee and popped the question. The crowd cheered them on. It was really fun to watch!
