Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre, or five lands, are five small towns along the Italian riviera that until recent years were isolated from the rest of Europe because of the terrain surrounding them. Today they are easily accessed by boat or train. Because of their years of isolation, they are extremely well-preserved and, being carved out of cliff sides overlooking the Mediterranean, their beauty is unsurpassed. Our stop there was easily the most memorable part of the trip.
Guido dropped us off in the seaside town of Porto Venere. It's just south of the Cinque Terre towns and it's where you can board a boat that stops at the four Cinque Terre towns that are actually situated on the coast. We had time for a quick lunch and gambol about the town before boarding the ship for a short ride to the Cinque Terre proper.
On our drive to the Cinque Terre, Trina gave us an orientation to the area, talking about using the trains, how to access the hiking trails, and what kind of food we would encounter. She said we should all try pesto, because it originated in the area, any seafood since we were sitting right on the Mediterranean, and, especially, fresh anchovies served in lemon sauce. She assured us that fresh anchovies were nothing like the dried, salty ones we occasionally see on pizzas in the United States. Because we didn't have much time in Porto Venere we decided to just stop at the first of a line of restaurants along the water that had an outside table available because it was a perfect day to be outside. Following Trina's suggestion we ordered pesto on trofie pasta, fried calamari, and the anchovies. All three were outstanding and we agreed it was the best meal on the trip. We would now believe anything Trina told us.
Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore is the southernmost of the Cinque Terrre towns that we encountered as we took the shuttle bus from Porto Venere. Our plan the next day was to take an early train from our hotel just north of the Cinque Terre to Riomaggiore, take photos in the morning light and make our way north. The town was really pretty but there are a lot of stairs to climb.
Manarola
Although Vernazza is often called the jewel of the Cinque Terre, I think Manarola might be the most beautiful, or at least the most photogenic of the towns. There is a vineyard walk that provides you a view over the entire village and allows you to see small houses of the farmers growing grapes on the terraces on the hillsides. We made our first stop here late morning after spending some time in Riomaggiore but the light was just too harsh to take pictures, so we took the train to explore the other towns and came back in the late afternoon.
Scenes along the vineyard walk above Manarola
An ingenious homemade monorail built to help this farmer work the nearly vertical terraces where his grapevines are planted.
Corniglia
As these photos dramatically show, Corniglia is the only one of the five Cinque Terre towns lacking a waterfront. Situated on a cliff jutting out into the Mediterranean several hundred feet above the water and the train station, it takes a commitment to get to the town. Once you leave the train station you can either climb over 300 steps to get to the center of town or wait for a shuttle bus. However, precisely because of these hurdles, Corniglia is marvelously untouristed, far less busy than the other towns.
The streets of Corniglia are so narrow that it's hard to take photos that really convey the beauty of the town. But the scenery, the food, and everything about the town make a stop here very worthwhile.
Vernazza
Vernazza has a very active and picturesque harbor front.​
The best view of the town is from the hiking trail from Monterosso to Vernazza. You turn a corner and the town and harbor open up right before you in a splash of color.
We waited at this spot for about an hour with several other photographers to get a shot of the town all lit up at night.
Monterosso
Monterosso is the northernmost and, by far, the most commercial of the Cinque Terre towns. It's divided into a new town and old town. The photo above is of the old town. The new and old are connected by a tunnel through a granite hill that divides the two parts. The new town has more of the feel of a small resort town, not at all like the rest of the Cinque Terre. You'll want to spend your time in the old town.
There's an overlook above the town with a statue of St. Francis and a fine view of the town.
Although not as visually stunning as the other towns of the Cinque Terre, Monterosso has a small beach and more shopping and dining options than its sister villages.
Experienced travelers know that comfortable shoes are essential to a successful trip.
Our hotel for our Cinque Terre visit, the Hotel Primavera, was located in the next town north, Levanto. The hotel itself was nice and the seafood buffet was one of the gastronomic highlights of the trip, but the town itself had the feel of a fading seaside resort. Although the beach is pretty, you'll want to make your way to the train station and spend as much time as possible in the Cinque Terre towns.
Our hotel room in Levanto
View from hotel room balcony
Sunset over Levanto beach, only a couple of blocks from our hotel.
Levanto train station