Cinque Terre

Probably one of the prettiest landscapes on earth. The Cinque Terre is located in Northern Italy in the Liguria region of the country. A must see if you enjoy nature, the ocean and simple life. We stayed just outside of the Cinque Terre, in La Spezia, a 10 minute ride into Riomaggiore the first of the 5 towns. The other 4 towns are a few minutes away from each other by train.

This place is magical. The train ride is something out of this world, an engineering marvel of tracks built on top of mountains takes you thru tunnels and leaves you gasping for air. A few seconds before getting to Riomaggiore a long dark tunnels precedes an explosion of infinite ocean and incredible views to your left. You will not resist getting off the train to take a peak.

Cinque Terre is a national park, so you will need to buy a pass ($6) to hike between the towns. The first walk is from Riomaggiore to Manorola and it’s called Via dell’Amore. A short 15 minute stroll gives you breathtaking views specially during sunset.

Manarola is by far my favorite town, small, with delicious food and lots of locals. Walk from the train station upwards to town to see how people live. Here you’ll get a chance to interact with the locals, eat grapes straight from an old ladies front yard and see some of the largest lemons you will ever see.

Corniglia is the next town over and is a hike up from the train station. Vernazza has a small black sand beach and lots of great food. The region is known for the delicious pesto, original foccacia and Cinque Terre white wine. Eat as much gelato as your heart desires, all locally made.

You can hike between all 5 towns, some trails are harder and longer than others. The last town is Monterosso. This one is right on the water and has a considerably larger beach. Here you’ll find most of the tourists and high prices. Arrive early and reserve a spot on the beach. There is also an anchovy salting center to the left of the park in the main plaza.

We took this opportunity to unwind, explore the town’s winding streets and enjoy the scenery. If you are as lucky as we were you may hit a local wine tasting on your way thru Via dell’Amore. As you sip delicious wine and watch the sunset remember that life is beautiful and its up to you to live it to the fullest.