Riomaggiore, last of the Cinque Terre hamlets for us and where we spent our last afternoon. Having been well and truly blown away by the four other villages, I feared complacency would have set in by Riomaggiore, so used were we to amazing views and stunning scenery. Perhaps this fifth little hamlet would not stand a…
Our last full day in the Cinque Terre started off cloudy and grey. We dressed accordingly anticipating rain as per the forecast. A quick train ride to Manarola emerging blinking from the railway station the clouds cleared, the sun came out and the temperatures soared. Note to self – treat weather forecasts with caution, dress with removable…
Son stressed we should shun the coastal path from Vernazza to Monterosso and take the train. Another hike would be a hike too far he reasoned and then proceeded to make a serious case for some beach time. We didn’t argue. Train was boarded, we arrived in Monterosso and emerged in the conveniently located station right in the…
Happy and relieved were we to spy Vernazza. Relieved that we had almost arrived, hungry and thirsty after a hard hike. Happy to glimpse this simply stunning little place sticking into the sea on a rocky spit. Vernazza is as perfect as it gets. I would have climbed (almost) any amount of steep stone steps for this…
Refreshed, refuelled and raring to go we set out to hike the Sentiero No 2 between Corniglia and Vernazza. The entire trail is 11 kilometres long and there is an elevation of 500 metres between the highest and lowest points. The section between Monterosso and Cornigilia is apparently the most difficult. We didn’t get to…
Cornigila was the first of the Cinque Terre hamlets we explored. No logic or reason we just did. The train from Levanto was a quick ten minute hop, no views all tunnels but a big thumbs up from Son as we got to sit up top in a double decker train. Corniglia is the only…
In our last minute scramble to find Cinque Terre accommodation we discovered good places to stay are somewhat scarce. An apartment/self-catering option was our preferred choice, having realised the only places still left were seriously dodgy, we threw in the towel and looked further out. Levanto was where we ended up – actually a perfect…
We didn’t stay in the Cinque Terre proper, our base for this trip was Levanto. I would like to say this was all down to my excellent planning and organisational skills but that would be a big fat lie. Quite the opposite if you want the truth. When our search for a place to stay…
Sometimes the best holidays are the ones where the details come together at the last minute. This is a case in point. Until I started avidly reading travel blogs I have to confess my ignorance about Liguria and the Cinque Terre. My attention was caught by other people’s stunning photos and reviews of this place…
