Cinque Terre
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Our final stop in Italy was the famed Cinque Terre ("Five Lands"), part of the Cinque Terre National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), along the northwest coast of Italy. These clusters of brightly-coloured villages, seemingly tumbling down the hillside into the Ligurian Sea, have so captured the imagination of travellers around the world that it should have been no surprise to find these destinations to be extremely busy.
Each of the five villages have their own character and unique flair, some are more known for their nightlife, others for their beaches. We opted to stay two nights in Vernazza, a quaint village with no car traffic that one could fairly easily walk through in about 15 minutes. It is also one of the more popular villages to visit, as we discovered upon disembarking the train and encountering a sea of people. During our stay, we purchased day passes that allowed us access to the hiking trails and on-off privileges on the train connecting the villages (each village is only a few minutes apart by train).
Vernazza
Charming, multi-coloured houses line the waterfront, the only natural port of Cinque Terre. Stone benches were plentiful and were replete with sunbathers and wave watchers. We spent a fair bit of time just basking in the sun, watching the waves dramatically crash over the rocks. At certain points during our stay, when the seas were particularly choppy, officials had roped off sections of the waterfront that might get hit by large waves (which several tourists ignored to their soggy detriment).
The wind, which made for such enjoyable wave-watching, unfortunately made it too choppy for the boats to run. That was ultimately the big thing missing from our Cinque Terre experience was being able to take a ferry boat between the different villages and get to take in the sights from the sea. Well, something for next time!
Hiking from Monterossa al Mare to Corniglia
One of the activities I was perhaps most excited to partake in while in Cinque Terre was the 7.6 km hike along the Sentiero Azzuro ("Blue Trail"), which connects three of the coastal villages together: Monterossa al Mare, Vernazza, and Corniglia. The trail originally connected all 5 villages together, but landslides several years ago resulted in the closure of the sections connecting Corniglia with Manarola and Riomaggiore.
I began in the morning by taking the 3-minute train ride to Monterosso al Mare, exiting the train station to a broad boardwalk along the shore. The beach was lined with brightly-coloured umbrellas and chairs, awaiting the droves of sunbathers soon to arrive. Eager to start my journey, I followed the signage towards Vernazza. The town is actually split into two halves, the old and new towns connected by a small tunnel. I eventually found my way out of town and onto the main path. And I was not alone. While thankfully not too crowded, the Blue Trail was definitely well-trafficked, with travellers of all ages making the trek.
After passing a stone watch tower, looking out over the Ligurian Sea from its rocky outcropping, I began the climb. The ascent out of the village involved hauling myself up a few hundred, steep stone stairs. Legs aflame and panting away, I was grateful for the somewhat ominous-looking cloud cover providing some necessary respite from the blazing sun.
Monterosso al Mare
The narrow, rocky trail wound its way through terraced vineyards, mercifully levelling out and affording stunning views looking back at Monterosso al Mare. The clouds did eventually open up for a time, providing a bit of refreshing rain to cool off us dusty travellers.
Vernazza
The seaside trail, carved into the hillside, eventually began to descend towards Vernazza, and it was an awe-inspiring sight to finally catch sight of the village from perhaps one of the most iconic viewpoints in Cinque Terre. The sun was just beginning to peek round the clouds, warming up the colourful buildings and rocky harbour below. From the viewpoint, it didn't take long to descend into the village. I decided to fuel up before continuing onwards--stopping for a spot of pesto lasagna and a likely ill-advised glass of Prosecco.
The ill-advisedness of my glass of wine was soon made very evident to me, as I made the interminable climb out of town towards Corniglia. A viewpoint overlooking Vernazza, about 200 m or so up, provided a welcome excuse to pause and catch my breath. In my research, I came across a post who described this portion of the trail as continuing "up, up, up", and I determined that to be an apt assessment. I suppose it should come as no surprise when roaming the paths between clusters of villages that have been built into the hills and cliffs that that might involve a bit of an uphill ascent. I might even go so far as to posit that climbing some of those hills was more of a leg burn than the mountain climbing I'd done in the Dolomites (by the end of this day, my Health app informed me I'd traversed 125 floors!).
I was eventually given a reprieve from hill-climbing and was able to enjoy the dusty path and seaside views for several kilometres. The trail was lined with interesting flora, such as prickly pear and giant agave plants. I soon came across Bar Il Gabbiano, a charming fresh orange and lemon juice spot I'd read about. I stopped for a refreshment--a rather pricey 4.5 EUR cup of (admittedly very tasty) juice, but really, I was paying for their spectacular view of Corniglia, perched atop a cliff, with the other villages in the distance peeking out from behind the hillside.
Corniglia
The sun was now out in full force, and I happily panted along the narrow path, as I had a gorgeous view to keep me company on the way down. The colours were so vibrant--from the magenta and purple hues of the bougainvillea along the trail to the aquamarine in the ocean waters, punctuated by the searing white of the waves breaking on the rocks.
I eventually descended into the village, with its lively streets and charming storefronts and restaurants. I stopped in for some delicious gelato at Alberto Gelateria, a renowned spot (check out this post to read an amusing take on the apparent gelato wars in the village). Corniglia is the only one of the five villages to not have direct access to the sea, but it provided several clifftop viewpoints looking out at Manarola and the surrounding hills.
Corniglia
Having successfully completed my 3-village journey, I made my way to the train station to head back (which, I discovered, had its own somewhat sadistic staircase leading to it that I was only too happy to be descending, as I passed many a sweaty, unhappy-looking traveller on the ascent). All in all, it was a beautiful hike. Though admittedly, the real picturesque moments were not more than a kilometre or so out of each of the villages, so for those who don't want to spend 3 hours climbing up and down hills, one needn't venture too far.
Manarola
Though I didn't spend long exploring the other two villages, I was there long enough to appreciate why Cinque Terre--and Manarola in particular--has so captivated travellers. Pastel-hued buildings precariously perched on cliffs encircling a charming little harbour, with terraced vineyards rising up behind them. This postcard-worthy vista was easy to get to; a paved walkway leads from the harbour around a rocky outcropping, affording a stunning view of the village. Late afternoon-sunset provides the best light, as when I went back with my parents in the morning, the buildings were cast in shadow.
Riomaggiore
I visited the southernmost village of Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore, in the late afternoon. The harbour is very small, but there is a paved path leading out to a wave breaker, allowing you to look back at the village as well as the sunset beyond. The waves dramatically crashing against the rocks was endlessly entertaining, and I sat and watched for a fair time, as the fading sunlight played against the clouds. There were large rocks along the harbour where people had set up with their bottles of wine and take-away pizzas, and it was nice to sit and enjoy the view, away from the bustle.
In my albeit brief wanderings through the village, I came across an art shop displaying some fetching ink and watercolour prints by a local artist. I avoid purchasing souvenir tchotchkes when traveling (e.g. novelty shot glasses or miniature statues of the Eiffel Tower), as I know they'll just get stashed in a box to collect dust somewhere. Instead, I try to keep an eye out for interesting art--this way, I'm happy to display it, and it'll conjure memories of far-flung travels every time I look at it. I purchased a pair of framed prints, which the kindly proprietor painstakingly cleaned and wrapped for me (which now have found a home in my bathroom).
Sleeping & Eating
Being small villages, there were not an abundance of available accommodations to choose from. I Limoni di Vernazza, just up the street from the train station, looked to be small (just one room with two sleeping areas) but clean and convenient. It was nothing fancy but a perfectly pleasant place to stay for a couple of nights.
Il Pirata delle 5 Terre (Vernazza)
Just next door to our accommodations was a bustling, friendly café, that offered good breakfasts and a selection of delicious pastries. It is just out-of-the-way enough from the main drag to not be overrun with tourists, making for a much more pleasant meal.
5 Terre Bistrot (Vernazza)
This little spot, perched above the main street of Vernazza, has a tiny terrace with a few tables overlooking the bustling village. I stopped here during my Blue Trail hike and enjoyed a tasty pesto lasagna. I'd never had a lasagna with pesto (usually only tomato-based sauces are available), but this region is apparently the birthplace of pesto. Basil thrives in this particular climate. And it was a lovely, lighter version of a typical lasagna that I'll have to try to recreate back home.