Cinque Terre
Riomagiorre
Photo By: Lia Warnke
2 Days in Cinque Terre
This was the beginning of my adventures while I was studying abroad, and definitely one of my favorite. Cinque Terre is a strip of five beautiful villages spanning across the Italian coastline. This is definitely one of the prettiest and easiest to navigate places I have been and it a must do if you are in Italy!
We went at the end of August, so the weather was still warm. We stayed for one night, which was perfect because it allowed us to explore all five of the villages. While I do know people that did it in a day, I would recommend at least 2 days (one night), it was perfect for us!
Transportation and Accommodation: On our first day we left Florence around 6am and took a three hour train to La Spezia. We arrived at the train station and our hostel host picked us up and took us to the hostel. Accommodations in Cinque Terre can get pretty pricey, but we found a cute hostel on AirBnB which suited us well. There was not much language exchange because neither of us spoke the same language but it was perfect for a quick trip (would recommend for a couple or young travelers). Once you arrive in La Spezia there are different passes you can purchase depending on where you want to go and what you want to do. We did the Cinque Terre Treno Card pass, which was about $19. This got us unlimited train access for a day. You can also pay for the individual train rides in between the towns for $5 a ride (one way). If you want to visit all the villages, the one day pass is the best option. This allowed us to go on the train unlimited times in between each of the towns. Every town is worth seeing!
Day 1
Monterosso
to
Vernazza
Hike
(Sentiero Azzuro)
Photo By: Lia Warnke
Monterosso: We started in Monterosso, at the top of the five villages, and worked our way down to the next town of Vernazza. After getting settled in, we started the day with the Sentiero Azzuro hike. A must do for nature lovers, and honestly anyone. This hike was absolutely stunning! From the lush green hillsides, to the deep blue ocean views, I was losing my breath…literally and figuratively. I will say, this hike has a lot of elevation gain and it was very hot out, so it is not for the faint of heart, but so incredibly worth it if you are willing to do it!
Vernazza and Manarola: The hike took us about 2 hours (after many photo stops and water breaks), and when we reached the beautiful town of Vernazza we headed straight into the water! As you reach the town you are met the the famous view of the colorful houses on the cliffside joining the sparkling mediterranean sea. We immediately jumped in the ocean and swam around for a bit.
A few things I will note:
1. Keep an eye out for jellyfish! Those little guys are not scarce here. I know many people that were stung, and saw one when we were swimming as well.
2. Lots of people leave their stuff on the sand, ground, and rocks nearby. We kept our stuff on a rock nearby covered by a towel and had no issues. Handle your belongings with your own discretion as you don’t want anything stolen.
After swimming, we walked around a bit and headed down to the town of Manarola to explore and grab some dinner! We got some yummy pasta and limoncello spritz’s. We finished off the day with a beautiful sunset over the colorful homes and deep blue ocean.
Day 2
Riomaggiore: The second day we started off in the gorgeous town of Riomaggiore; the most south of the five towns. After getting some food we stumbled upon Fassola beach, which was dazzling with blue and green colors. The bottom of the water was layered with massive rocks, so our Tevas were a big help! The mountains surrounding this cove were covered with lush greenery that added to the amazing beauty. We took a morning dip then ate some focaccia on the beach!
After swimming we walked around the town and admired the beauty. We noticed some people jumping off some rocks and decided to join. We then headed to Corniglia, the most different of the five towns.
Corniglia: This may be an overlooked town, but you don’t want to miss it! Corniglia sits on the top of the mountain sandwiched in between the other villages. We strolled around, passing by little shops among narrow roads. We mainly stayed in the medieval center, filled with historical buildings at the top of the town, a main sight being the church of San Pietro.
The mix of stunning architecture and jaw-dropping nature make this town a must to see!
We ended our trip in Cinque Terre and took the train back to Florence. To this day, Cinque Terre was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and I hope that everyone has the opportunity to see this incredible place as well!
Photos by: Lia Warnke
