Ciao! It’s Cinque Terre time.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, how can I describe this gem of five towns located within the Liguria region? It is the aquamarine waters that make you want to bask by the sea. It is the magnificent mountainous terrain that beckons you to climb. It is the colorful houses stacked tightly like a rainbow — picture perfect for photo-taking. It’s all these things and more that make up the beauty and charm of the Cinque Terre.
If you love Italy the way I LOVE Italy, then you’ll want to visit Cinque Terre once you read this post. (BTW, I’ve also added some tips to help you plan your visit.) Or, if like me, you’ve been to Cinque Terre more than 10 years ago and loved it and your sister says she has never been and wants to go for her 70th birthday, you’ll say absolutely — “sì, sì,sì.“
My sister N and I were looking forward to sunny days in Cinque Terre
Journey by train to Cinque Terre
I was anxious the morning we left Milan for Cinque Terre (CT). We had booked our train excursion in advance. First from Milano Centrale to La Spezia and then La Spezia to Monterosso, the western town in CT where we would be staying.
“I hope we find our way,” I said to my sister N. I find it stressful in European train stations when I have luggage and have to transfer. Thankfully we booked 1st class — ooh, ooh, ooh, that meant we had to find the train car and our seats.
Milano Centrale is the main train station in Milan
I was glad we were able to board early and find a place for our luggage. It was challenging lifting heavy suitcases up the narrow steps. (Note: European trains offer few options to store luggage. You can put it up above the seat if it fits – ours did not.) There were charging plugs on the train. √ “It’s three hours to La Spezia,” I said to N.
As the train pulled into the station, we readied our bags for a quick exit. The only thing was we ended up on the wrong side of the tracks. “OMG, we’re going to miss our connection,” I said. Indeed we did. Thankfully there was a later train and our tickets were still valid.
We transferred at La Spezia for a train to Monterosso
Staying in the heart of Monterosso al Mare
Having stayed at Hotel Pasquale during my last visit to CT, I was excited to return. It was just as I remembered. The rooms comfy, the breakfasts filling, and the staff super helpful. (Note: Book early — rooms sell out during prime season.)
Located on the main street with water views, there are no hills to climb to access the front door. Remember when I said there are mountains? Well all of CT’s five towns are hilly and most of the hotels are located on an incline which means dragging luggage up and down. When your knees are hurting that’s not wise. I also like staying in Monterosso because it has the best shopping, is close to the beaches and good restaurants.
Hotel Pasquale is a boutique B&B within walking distance of the train station in Monterosso
So what did we do during our three glorious days in paradise?
Practicing the three Ps – pasta, pizza, Persecco
We ate our fair share of pasta and pizza and raised a glass of Persecco with each meal. Ooh, ooh, ooh, my favorite was Trofie al Pesto, made with hand-rolled twisted pasta and potatoes tossed in classic Pesto Genovese made from local basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. It was so fresh and so good, so good, so good. I bought a few jars of pesto to bring home.
Trofie pasta with Pesto Genovese
For pizza, we returned to Pizzeria La Smorfia, where I had eaten before with my daugher A and son D. With a huge selection of pizzas on the menu, N and I ended up ordering the same exact pies I dined on over a decade ago — a white pizza with mozzerella, sausage, and olives, and a veggie pizza with aubergine (eggplant) and capers. We devoured almost the entire two pizzas. They were so good, so good, so good.
Veggie pizza from Pizzeria La Smorfia in Monterosso
Viewing the five towns via sunset
There is nothing as beautiful as viewing the five towns in the early evening hours on the sea. To do that, we booked a last minute Cinque Terre Sea Tour via Viator for a two hour sunset cruise. The small boat left from the docks close to our hotel.
“Welcome,” said our local guide Simone. “The next two hours are for you to relax and enjoy our country. Our sailors have a respect for our country and the sea. We are known for our Cinque Terre wine and pesto.”
Sailing on the seas of Cinque Terre
Simone imparted a wealth of knowledge about the towns as we set sail from the old harbor of Monterosso. “Five thousand people live between the five villages. Everybody knows each other,” he said. “Beware of the pick pockets in the trains,” he added.
He also shared his mother’s homemade pesto with foccacia while offering up beer and wine for any takers.
We sailed into the caves by Vernazza. “The village is very nice,” said Simone. “There are no ferries so people jump off of the rocks to swim.”
Colorful Ligurian houses in Vernazza are an iconic signature of Cinque Terre
Simone pointed out the smaller village of Corniglia where only 100 locals live. He talked about the way to get around on the sea. “You can take a ferry to Manarola,” said Simone. “It is the train on the sea.” He also told us about a popular pesto making experience at Nessun Dorma in Manarola. It sounded fantastic but was totally full during our visit – guess it’s for next time.
The last village was Riomagiorre. “Do you see the wine vines around,” asked Simone. “Scuba diving is nice in Riamagoirre.”
The wind was blowing and the music playing as we sailed back to port. “It’s the wind of the sea,” said Simone. “Bye bye sun. See you tomorrow.”
Hiking from town to town
One of the favorite pastimes in CT is hiking. On the mountain tops it’s 11 miles from end to end. Some paths are more rigorous than others — like really rigorous so bring your hiking boots and walking sticks if you plan to hike trails atop the mountains.
Tickets are required to hike trails in Cinque Terre
Unlike when I hiked CT paths before when they were free to conquer, now there is a fee for each hike. I highly recommend that you buy tickets in advance — lines on-site are long. The trains between the five towns are easy to navigate and also require tickets. And as Simone cautioned “watch for pickpockets.”
N and I decided to walk the famous Via Dell’Amore path from Riomaggiore to Manarola. It had recently opened after being closed since the devastating October 2011 storm that destroyed parts of CT. Via Dell’ Amore is one of the highlights of CT with breathtaking views.
View from the Via Dell’Amore trail
An amazing few days in Cinque Terre
By week’s end our CT stay was almost coming to a close. We would have one more private tour through Vernazza and Monterosso on Saturday morning before our train took off for Milan and then it would be homeward bound to the States on Sunday. I’ll tell you more about our tour in the next post.
I was sad to leave CT. I thought about the music that played when we were sailing the previous evening.
“Live your life. Live it good. You are beautiful. I beg you to stay.”
“Whatever you do, whatever you say, I wanna beg you to stay.”
Ooh, ooh, ooh, how I wished I could stay.
Judi
