Buongiorno!
Cinque Terre is a stretch of centuries-old seaside villages along the Italian Riviera coast line. It is made up of 5 villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Each village consists of beautiful colorful houses and each small town has it’s own vibe. We traveled around by using the train that shuttled between the 5 villages which only took a few minutes each time. We arrived around 12 pm in Cinque Terre and stayed two nights which we felt was the perfect amount of time before moving on to the next leg of our honeymoon!
Where We Stayed:
We stayed at a air B and B referred to as Camera Paradiso con vista mare in the first village of Riomaggiore for both nights and loved it! Our suite had everything we needed and had an amazing balcony we sat on each morning and night with incredible views of a small harbor and sea.
Where To Eat:
Breakfast- at II Pirata dells Cingue Terre (Vernazza)
Lunch-at Nessun Dorma (Manarola)
Dinner- at Ristorante Daucila (Riomaggiore)
RIOMAGGIORE
We were so happy we decided to stay in this village. It seemed to have the perfect mix of italian charm and fun things to see and do. It also apparently has some of the best restaurants in Cinque Terre. Riomaggiore is also logistically the easiest because its the first village from the train station in La Spezia where you will need to catch trains to travel out of the area.
VERNAZZA
Vernazza was the first village we ventured to beside the one we stayed in. This village is known as one of the truest “fishing villages” left due to its big harbor and no car traffic. We grabbed breakfest at II Pirata dells Cinque Terre which is owned by two Sicilian twin brothers.
After we finished eating we took our time and explored the shops and alleys of the village and eventually made our way to probably the most popular spot in the village, the harbor. There are also a lot of restaurants around this area but we were so full from our breakfest we couldn’t eat anything else. We then found a trail that took us high on the hillside that offered the most epic view of the harbor and village. This is where you want to get your pictures!
MONTEROSSO
This village is actually the most visited one due it’s sizable sand beach and resort like vibe. It’s kind of split into two different sections by the Aurora tower. One side is the old town and the other is the more modern resort area. We walked along the path that bordered the beach and jus took in the sights and once we arrived in the other side of the tower we grabbed some fun beach drinks at a restaurant with outdoor seating.
MANAROLA
Manarola claims to be the oldest out of the five towns. One of the biggest attractions here is the Church of San Lorenzo built in the 1300s because it’s bell tower was a post to watch for potential pirate raids back in the day. Then we hiked to a spot called Nessun Dorma. This had maybe one of the BEST views in Cinque Terre. We sat cliffside and ordered bruschetta and aperol spritz’s and soaked in the view. They also have a pesto making class!
CORNIGLIA
First things first. It takes 382 steps to get to this village. Is it worth it? Yes. It is the only village that isn’t adjacent to the sea and also the quietest probably due to the climb. We did it though and of course awarded ourselves with cold drinks once we reached the top. Like the rest of the villages there are restaurants and winding alleys that fun to explore here.
