Cinque Terre has been on my travel bucket list since I saw a picture of the bright coloured village, settled in the lush Italian hillside, a few years ago.
Side Note: I wrote this on the bus the other day, but uploading the photos right now makes me miss it sooo much. Plus, I realised I didn’t get a single photo of the mountains of gelato we ate, so just trust me – IT’S AMAZING. Anyway, let’s continue.
We stayed in the best hostel Ostello Tramonti in Biassa, a 10 minute drive from Riomaggiore by shuttle that was provided for us (for free if you stay 3 or more nights). It was a great hostel if you’re looking for one! The staff were super friendly and it even has a cheap restaurant inside with great food.
We spent the limited days we had there swimming, hiking and eating – on repeat. The water is crystal blue and that’s a rare find on my travels throughout Europe so far, so we made the most of it while we could. We spent each night by the water, watching the sunset, before heading home for dinner. People were very friendly for the most part too.
From Riomaggiore you can easily hop on a train or hike between the other towns. We ended up hiking three of them. Vernazza was probably my favourite place overall, but Monterosso had the best beach. Gelateria Cinque Terre in Vernazza is a must-try place for your afternoon gelato snack and the best I’ve had so far in Italy!
For swimming, Riomaggiore in the bay was the warmest but we nabbed a spot with an umbrella and deck chair for the day on the beach in Monterosso for only 5 euro which made the heat so much more bearable and completely worth it.
Shelby and I were talking about this just before but it honestly Cinque Terre was such a highlight of travelling. So relaxing, so picturesque and overall we just had the best possible experience you could ask for while travelling abroad – completely stress free. Cinque Terre we love you!
Recommendations:
- To stay: Ostello Tramonti
- To eat: Salted Caramel Gelato from Gelateria Cinque Terre
- To do: Hike to all 5 villages along the coast
Avoid: Manarola when the cruise ships have dropped all the tourists off – it’s a nightmare!
Have you guys been to Cinque Terre?