WHY GO: To hike between five colourful fishing villages and soak up the locals idyllic lifestyle FOR HOW LONG: To do it properly, 4-5 days, can get an idea in less WHAT'S MY BUDGET: Mid range - accommodation isn't cheap, but it's catered for tourists, so it's affordable WHERE TO STAY: Hands down, Riomaggoire. (Even more specifically, Scorci Di Mare) GETTING AROUND: On foot, get your hiking boots ready! If you're tired, there's a train, or a baby ferry. LANGUAGE: This region is not hidden in the way it was, tourists and tour groups will be there. So English isn't going to be a problem. But you'll be more popular if you can show off your Italian.
Cinque Terre is exactly the postcard region you hoped for. And just as striking in real life as it is in the pictures. Whilst wondering around the narrow cobbled streets, you can easily imagine what it may have been like to grow up here; that idyllic laid back Italian life that you've seen in the films. Some say this UNESCO site, that Lonely Planet rightfully describe as a pastel hued perfection, is even more architecturally astounding that the Colosseum. If you're up the Italian Riviera, this is a area you cannot afford to miss.
When looking at Cinque Terre, it's so easy to get swept away by the easy going dreamy mantra, before you've even got there. But if you do that, you're about to get a nasty wake up call of disappointment. This is a trip you need to plan to make the most of it. My boyfriend and I naively drove up to there, from chilled out Tuscany, and got a rude awakening. On our way there we started the planning and realised we were in over our head. Cinque Terre was one of the reasons I wanted to travel up Italy's coast, so to skip it would have been awful - but we thought that was our only option.
There are only two campsites, one at the top, and one at the bottom, either way, neither are ideal for exploring. The magic of Cinque Terre is being immersed within it's 5 villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. There are smaller villages higher up on the cliffs, all within the Cinque Terre National Park. You'll easily be sold by their viewpoints and easy access to the towns. But the easiest access, is to be in one of the 5. And the view? Well, you just wait until you get down there.
If you have a car, it is stunning to drive around the cliffs, I am a lover of windy roads, if you are too - it's absolutely got to be done. It was a drive of a life time. However, this is where you'll hit problem numero uno. You can't take your car into the villages. Riomaggiore is the biggest of the five, it has one small car park upon entrance and it is vile. Don't even consider. Save yourself the hassle, sack off the car nearby and get the train in. For more details on this, ask whoever you're booking your accommodation with. There's a chance they may be able to help, or at least they can tell you where to put it.
We stayed in Riomaggoire, the most southerly village, and I couldn't recommend it enough. (If you can't get anywhere, my second choice would have been Vernazza.) We stayed at Scorci Di Mare. and if was absolutely perfect. We were so lucky to get a room anywhere, and I'm so grateful that this is the place we got. A local family have recently put their rooms up, and it is exactly that, local. The authenticity shone through. Paolo came to meet us, he even let us park our camper on his friend's drive way, and then he gave us a short tour of his home village. He knew everybody as we walked through; which works in your favour as he can offer exclusive discounts from his mates who own all the shops and restaurants! I couldn't help but rack Paolo's brains about Riommaggoire, considering the lack of prep we had done too, he was an absolute life saver, he knew it all. If you want a real experience of Cinque Terre, I would go back to him every time. When we visited other villages, we couldn't avoid the tourist buses coming through, but whilst we were in Riommaggoire we could experience what it was all about. After a lovely day of strolling through the tiny village, taking in the view from the clock tour and rinsing our favourite wine bar A Pie' de Ma', we sat up on the rocks in the harbour and watched the sunset.
We only had a few days to make the most of these five villages. So after waking up early, we hiked to the next village, Manarola, the smallest of the villages, before the noon sun. We got some fruit for breakfast and started the climb, it isn't far, but boy it is steep. Manarola is sweet, but doesn't have as much to offer. So after exploring, we got the train along to Vernazza. The train between the villages is amazing, it's so teeny you feel like you're totally immersed into the toytown. It's worth taking, especially if you're getting tired from the hikes. But even better than that, is the ferry. It doesn't run when the weather is crap, so hope for the best and plan to get the ferry, you won't get the same views any other way!
After taking Paolo's advice we spent some time exploring Vernazza. It's another beautiful and colourful town. Unfortunately by the time we got there, a tour coach had come in, so it didn't have the same feel as Riommaggoire. But I'm sure with different timing, you could get the same authentic feel. If possible, you have to leave Vernazza by boat. You can take in it's beauty in a different way once you have some distance, plus the ferry coming into Riommaggoire is a unique view. If we had more time in the National Park, we would have taken more advantage of the hiking routes, but due to the lack of planning, we didn't have as much time as we hoped for. So don't make the same mistake!
The Italian Riviera is a beautiful place. Cinque Terre was my favourite, but there's still more to explore. We stayed in Rapollo in a great campsite, really easy going and good value - but we did stay out of season. The coast road from Santa Margherita Ligure to Portofino, is much what I expected from the Riviera, and a hella lot more accessible! Parking was actually possible here... but still not easy. So, ditch your car where you can, hire a vesper and live the Italian dream some more in Portofino. Oh, and with some incredible gelato to complete the picture
Have you been to the Cinque Terre or a different area in the Riviera? If so, did you do it the same way as us, or did you plan something different? Let me know!
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