Cinque Terre has become a huge tourist destination in the last couple of years so when I landed in Italy I had to check it out to see if it was leading up to the hype.
It did!
Monterosso beach
Even in the light rain and cloudy sky the five towns that make the Cinque Terre were breathtaking. Unfortunately due to the weather I couldn’t hike between the villages as the trails were closed. As great as it would have been to hike the train rides between the villages and along the coast are just as lovely.
After purchasing a Cinque day pass for €13 at the La Spezia train station I was on my way. The Cinque Pass is highly recommended as it gives you unlimited travel on the regional train network between La Spezia and Levanto, access the hikes (when they aren’t closed) and wifi at the stations.
I decided to take the train from La Spezia to Monterosso al Mare and make my way back through the towns. Monterosso was a very quiet town in the morning. Most other tourists got off in the previous town so it was lovely to be able walk along the beach without much interruption. An Aussie girl working at the Hostel I was staying at gave me a tonne of advice and one of them was that the Monterosso beach was one of the best in Cinque Terre. Compared to the others it is huge and well looked after.
Tip: ensure you have cash on you, there is only one ATM for the village at the train station.
View of Vernazza
Vernazza is the next town and one not to be missed. I had wanted to complete the hike from Monterosso to Vernazza as this was highly recommended to me, however as previously explained due to the weather there was no hiking. Vernazza is a completely photogenic little village. As soon as you step off the train you are greeted to cobbled streets and colourful houses. There are quaint wine and gelato shops on the main road leading down to the waterfront. There is a beautiful stone church and a path around the cove to overlook the city.
The alleys from the waterfront are picture perfect
Cornelia is a lovely village and completely different than the others. It is sitting high on the cliffs with no direct line to the water that I found, with many more vines and orchard gardens. From the train station there is a mini bus that can take you into town. I decided to do some stairs sprints up to the village instead. Once you arrive in the village there is a wonderful lookout over the cliffs, this also seemed to be the cheapest village in regards to food and drink. There were also much less tourists and a much more hippy, relaxed vibe.
Views from Cornelia above
Manarola is very similar to Vernazza being photogenic, with colourful houses and by the water with a small beach. Hiking up to the viewpoint there is a small garden that offers beautiful views on the village which can get a little bit crowded around lunch time. I also had lunch in Manarola, it was very expensive but absolutely fantastic. I had mussels and squid stuffed with Parmesan and spinach. There are also a lot of tourist shops on Manarola which were open when I was there.
Riomaggiore was my last stop before heading back to La Spezia and my Hostel. This is the biggest village on the Cinque Terre and I have to admit my least favourite. By the time I arrived it seemed more crowded and a little less beautiful than the others. A lot of the shops and bars were also closed by the ocean and so I found a place to sit and have a drink before heading home.
It’s easy to see why this has become a hot spot for tourists in Italy and I am excited to go back in summer when the hikes are open, though slightly worried with how crowded the villages could get over summer.
