From Lago di Como, we continued to Seravezza, part of the Versilia region, where we stayed for the next 10 days. After spending the first few days at the seaside in Forte dei Marmi, we did a one-day trip to Cinque Terre. A place like from a postcard. So surreal and so pretty. So colorful and so calming. All these tastefully painted houses – a symphony of colors – embedded in the rocky hills of this part of the Ligurian coastline, as they always belonged there. Here is a summary of our day in Cinque Terre with places we visited and our impressions, to give you an idea if you are thinking of going.
Considering how busy this piece of Italy now gets, it is recommended to visit Cinque Terre by train. You can take a train in La Spezia from where you are quickly in Cinque Terre and the time between particular stops in Cinque Terre is 4-6 minutes. We came here with a 3-year-old who was not yet used to longer walking distances so the train was quite useful, otherwise, I’d love to do the hike. There is also parking at the train station in La Spezia and if you are there early, you should get a spot.
We got off at the last stop which was Monterosso, walked from the train station alongside the beach and cost, then passed by Torre Aurora. Further, the path led us to the old heart of the village where you can find a pretty church of San Giovanni Battista in Genoese Gothic style and walked back to train to go to Vernazza (we skipped Corniglia due to the limited time with the little one). It can also be a nice idea to start in Riomaggiore and to then take a dip or enjoy some beach time in Monterosso afterward though!
Vernazza is a cute village with a harbor and fishermen’s boats. It was probably the busiest of all the villages we visited in Cinque Terre. There is also a little beach but to find a spot in the early afternoon was almost impossible. But we did not actually have a swimsuit with us either (which I regretted later as it was really hot that day!). But we stopped by an ice cream shop at least and were served by a typical caricature of the typical Italian ice cream seller. 🙂
From Vernazza we took the train to another picturesque village called Manarola. It was here at the viewpoint where I saw really crowds of people walking one by one, without a stop. But no wonder, this is where you get one of the most iconic shots of Cinque Terre. If I have to say something disappointing about Cinque Terre, then it is the crowds. But it does not take away its charm, all Cinque Terre is like a painting and is just surrealist – it’s more that when you are used to calmer places, this was in a way too much. Escaping from the crowds at least in my mind, I was daydreaming about waking up in one of the windows of a pretty pastel-colored house on the shore, listening to the waves and fishermen, like in the old times…
Our last stop in Cinque Terre was in Riomaggiore where we had a nice walk in the golden hour up the hill alongside the coast which offered splendid views over the sea and refreshment by the salty sea breeze. The promenade led us towards the church and then downhill to the rush heart of the village. It was already evening after sunset, so we had a good pizza eaten on the stairs of a random house and enjoyed some of the last views of these pretty houses on the rock of Cinque Terre, appearing from the dark sparkling sea and in the moonshine, it was as much pretty as during the daylight, just different.
Here are some pictures, enjoy!
