The first time I saw the blue expanse of the Ligurian Sea, I thought to myself, “Oh f*** me now.” Rick Steves was so right when he wrote in his guide book how the train ride teased you with quick views of the water. It surely was a great foreplay to the climactic view I saw when I stepped off the train.
Cinque Terre are five coastal villages, hence the translation of the name being Five Lands. The five villages, located on the Italian Riviera in Northern Italy, are (from North to South) Monterroso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The main activity is the five-hour hike through the villages (all of which are also easily accessible by train). There’s also beaching and swimming, of course.
Don't miss eating the pesto sauce for which Cinque Terre is famous. Jars of it are widely available in the markets.
Don't miss eating the pesto sauce for which Cinque Terre is famous. Jars of it are widely available in the markets.
Every morning, the bells sound off at about 7 or 730AM. The village wouldn’t shut up after that. Because of this, I was forced to wake up at 8 or so, but never have I woken up to such a beautiful morning.
The hike was exhilarating! I made frequent stops during the hike to pace myself, but mostly because I was enchanted by the view at every turn. The main trail followed the sea and the blue water followed me all the way from Riomaggiore to Vernazza. When I got far enough away to the next village I could see the village before and what an amazing view that would be.
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| Buongiorno! |
The hike was exhilarating! I made frequent stops during the hike to pace myself, but mostly because I was enchanted by the view at every turn. The main trail followed the sea and the blue water followed me all the way from Riomaggiore to Vernazza. When I got far enough away to the next village I could see the village before and what an amazing view that would be.
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| Start easy with the Riomaggiore-Manarola trail, or the Via Dell'Amore ("Lovers Walk") |
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| The Manarola-Corniglia trail gets progressively tougher |
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| The Corniglia-Vernazza trail |
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| More of the Corniglia-Vernazza trail - watch your step! |
All of the villages are breathtaking, quaint, charming, and everything I had expected and more.
The hike could've been a total of five hours, as it is advertised, if you don't take time to visit any of the villages, but what fun would that be? Take the time to enjoy yourself in Cinque Terre. Buy a pass for more than one day, or if you're ambitious or short on time, start early so you can soak in some of the late afternoon sun by the time you get to Monterosso. You can find price details for this hike here.
The hike could've been a total of five hours, as it is advertised, if you don't take time to visit any of the villages, but what fun would that be? Take the time to enjoy yourself in Cinque Terre. Buy a pass for more than one day, or if you're ambitious or short on time, start early so you can soak in some of the late afternoon sun by the time you get to Monterosso. You can find price details for this hike here.
Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore was where my apartment was located, and according to the guide books, the most affordable village of the five.
Manarola
Corniglia
To reach Corniglia, one must climb a long flight of stairs. This is not the most thrilling climb, especially when you factor in the fact that you've already hiked two towns from Riomaggiore and the blazing hot sun beating down on you.
Once you get to the top, there is no beach or relief of the shoreline nearby as the village is surrounded on three sides by vineyards and terraces and the fourth side descends steeply on the sea. Before going out to explore, stop for a gelato break to reward yourself for having made it this far.
Vernazza
Riomaggiore was where my apartment was located, and according to the guide books, the most affordable village of the five.
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| My apartment was at the top (of course) |
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| Mosaic art in the passenger tunnel from the train station |
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| Mosaic art in the passenger tunnel from the train station |
Manarola
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| View of Manarola |
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| Kids frolic on the rocks of Manarola's "beach" |
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| Church of San Lorenzo |
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| Interior of Church of San Lorenzo |
Corniglia
To reach Corniglia, one must climb a long flight of stairs. This is not the most thrilling climb, especially when you factor in the fact that you've already hiked two towns from Riomaggiore and the blazing hot sun beating down on you.
Once you get to the top, there is no beach or relief of the shoreline nearby as the village is surrounded on three sides by vineyards and terraces and the fourth side descends steeply on the sea. Before going out to explore, stop for a gelato break to reward yourself for having made it this far.
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| Church of San Pietro |
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| "Take a walk on the clouds" |
Vernazza
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| My first glimpse of Vernazza |
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| A Vernazzan backyard |
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| Vernazza's beach is rocky and small, but still delightful |
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| Italian boys playing in the water |
Monterroso
Monterosso has the largest sandy beach of the five villages and it was nearly full with bodies by 10AM.
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| "Il Gigante," Statue of Neptune |
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| Church of San Francesco |
1 comment:
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