Life in Texas: 5 Villages in Cinque Terre

Thursday, April 14, 2011

5 Villages in Cinque Terre

Boat ride from Monterosso to Riomaggiore

Collin and I have wanted to visit Cinque Terre for several years. It is a beautiful rugged portion of coast along the Italian Riviera. There are "Five Lands" which make up five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. We stayed in an apartment in Riomaggiore, which ended up being my favorite village.

Traveling with a toddler, too much luggage, and a stroller is tiring, especially when arriving and departing. We took the train from Pisa, which was super easy. After making several trips up and down the stairs to get to our apartment we were set to enjoy the beauty.

Emily and I made it to all five villages. Collin took Caden back to the room for a nap one day because he was still sick and needed to rest. So Collin and Caden went to every village but Corniglia, which really they weren't missing too much by not going. Emily and I took a bus up the mountain there and walked around the small town. If you ever go to Funchal, Portugal, it is similar to that but a lot smaller. Lots of hilly vineyards.

Our favorite villages were Riomaggiore, Vernazza, and Manarola. Although visiting all five is worth doing if you ever go. There are a few parks in various villages. We saw one in Vernazza and one in Monterosso. Needless to say, that was probably Caden's favorite part of Cinque Terre besides hanging out with us.

Hiking is popular in Cinque Terre as is relaxing. There are few things to see besides the beautiful coast and villages such as a black and white church in Monterosso and a church in Vernazza. Other than that, enjoy the food, rest, and bring a book.

Here are a few pictures from our time in Cinque Terre. We walked from Riomaggiore to Vernazza along the shore. Our apartment overlooked the coast and was in a great location. We found an apartment recommended by Rick Steve's through a company called Edi.