Finding Cinque Terre

It’s pity that we only spent a day on this charming place.

Cinque Terre or in translation means “Five Lands” is located along the coast of Italian Riviera consisting of five villages: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Corniglia and Monterosso al Mare. It is declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination in Italy.

We booked our Airbnb in La Spezia a small city in Liguria since we were not able to find a room in one of the villages due to the peak season. But it actually turned out to be a good decision since it is just a 10-minute train ride to Cinque Terre and is very accesible by land and room rates are cheaper too.

Since we only had a day to explore and experience Cinque Terre, we chose to visit just two villages: Manarola and Riomaggiore. We visited Manarola first because we know that most of the famous Cinque Terre shots were taken here (obviously, I’m a sucker of beautiful landscapes and taking pictures) and we were not disappointed, it looks exactly how we imagined Cinque Terre!

The colorful houses are built in rugged and steep landscapes facing the ocean. Each corner is simply picturesque!

We planned to swim but unluckily I left my swimming clothes so I just sat on the rocks and ate my fried Calamari while Vic went YOLO-ing at the ocean.

Found this beautiful spot with the lovely view of Manarola – though quite creepy since it’s in a cemetery.

Riomaggiore is the first stop if you take the train from La Spezia. This place is less touristy than Manarola and I’ve seen plenty of backpackers stay here. If you walk towards the other side of the village, you will find plenty of bars and restaurants where you can enjoy  a glass of wine and seafood pasta while bands play music.

One day is definitely not enough to explore Cinque Terre, but one day is  better than skipping this lovely place. It’s definitely one of our favorites during our trip to Italy.

Ended our visit with wine and this view:

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