“Cinque Terre” means 5 villages, they’re located in Italian Riviara, Italy. At first when I saw photos of these colorful quaint villages from someone’s Instagram, I had fallen in love immediately and I promised to myself that I would visit them one day. Lucky me, a few months later my friends and I planned to go to Italy. So I added this destination without hesitance.
After doing some research, I decided to visit only some of them because I have limited time and several places actually look quite similar. Another reason was that I would like to go to Portovenere, a small lovely town near the 5-village.
Monterosso
The biggest village. There are the most number of restaurants, cafés and shops here. This place is really good for strolling and dining (I had lunch here). Monterosso has a long seaside walking path from the train station through the town, although, in my opinion, this village is less fascinating than the others.
Riomagiore
As I explored Cingue Terre by boat, I could see this tiny vivid town since I was on board because it’s facing the ocean. I think there’s nothing much here but it is an excellent spot for a photo-shoot!
Vernazza
My favorite one! It is such a vivacious place, many cafés, small restaurants, and gelato shops, which is perfect for chilling and drinking. If you would like to get beautiful photos of this village, my suggestion is to climb up to the hill and you will get stunning bird’s eye view shots.
I chose to stay at a hotel at La Spezia, a city near Cinque Terre because it has a ferry port to the villages. After spending a few days here I realized that I should stay at Protovenere, not only because it’s very lovely and close to our destinations but also easy to start discover the 5-village by ferry from this town as well. Unfortunately, it was already too late.
The first village I visited was Monterosso. We had lunch here at L’ancora Della Tortuga restaurant. Their pasta with anchovy was very tasty and I also had local white wine. A perfect combination. Even though that day was kind of cloudy, the weather was still good with a little breezy. We really enjoyed lunch here. Afterwards, we explored the rest villages, full of energy and happiness.
Tips…
Transportation : I chose to visit the first village by ferry then go to the rest by train, it’s very convenient and also not expensive. Both La Spezia and Portovenere have a parking lot close to the piers so you can easily walk to the ferry in a few minutes.
Dress Code : Sneakers sneakers sneakers ! I don’t recommend flipflops and sandals even though there are beaches, else you can bring ones to change. When I was there the whether was changing all day, raining in the morning then cloudy, sunny in the afternoon, and turned to cloudy again. So, check the weather first before you leave.
Where to Stay : As I had mentioned, Portovenere must be a perfect choice for me.
Where to Eat : Monterosso and Vernazza have so many restaurants, cafe, and bars. I recommend the one I had tried at Monterosso “L’ancora Della Tortuga”, I was so impressed.
