Long ago, before the unification of Italy, people created beautiful coastal towns sitting atop the hills. Not accessible by train, these five hidden gems could only be reached by foot, boat or mule.
Forgotten by much of the world, it wasn’t until quite recently that tourists started to arrive.
Literally translating to “five lands”, Cinque Terre includes the five villages of Manarola, Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Monterosso, and Vernazza.
While now there is a train, as you leave the modern world behind, you feel as though you’re being transported through time. The villages are still mainly car free, so it’s easy to imagine what these villages were like hundreds of years ago.
If you have enough time you can hike along the pathways that connect each village. While it’s not the easiest hike, the views make it all worthwhile.
You could spend weeks exploring this remote region, especially if you’re going to hike it, but unfortunately most people just don’t have that kind of time (or money).
As there are only a few hostels or hotels, everything is quite pricey. Many people choose to explore the region while basing themselves in La Spezia, as it’s much cheaper and more tourist friendly.
For those who are short both on time and on money, more and more tour operators, like Ciao Florence, are starting to offer day trips right from Florence.
What I appreciated about Ciao Florence was that the whole group arrived together and the guide gave us some explanations, but then we were on our own to explore each of the towns.
While this did cause some chaos at certain points in the tour with people getting lost, this could be easily rectified by designating meeting points or providing a contact number for the guide or company.
I liked that we were on our own because the towns are small and it’s easy to clog up the narrow streets when you have giant groups of tourists. It was also nice because many of Cinque Terre’s attractions involve intense stair climbing and so you could choose to participate or not. The climbs aren’t easy, especially in the hot sun, but if you’re able, then do it. The views were amazing!
The all towns have their similarities, yet each one has it’s own personality and charm. Every town was so charming and their beauty had my heart skip a beat.
Maybe it’s because it was the first village I saw, but I think I'd go with Manarola* if I had to choose a favorite. But really I couldn’t choose. It’s just so utterly romantic with its color facade and it’s dramatic rugged rocks.
I loved strolling along the pathway, known as the La Via dell'amore. Curving around the cliffs it gave some of the best views in all of Cinque Terre of the colorful homes behind me and crystal blue water as far as the eye could see.
Riomaggiore* was also beautiful with its amazing views and steep hills. Huffing and puffing my way up the ancient stairs to fortress Il Castello sitting on top of the town, I leisurely gazed out at all the rainbow colors down below.
Copyright © 2014 by BesuDesu Abroad. This article was written by Beth Williams and originally published on BesuDesu Abroad
