Visiting the Cinque Terre seems to be on everyone’s bucket-list. It is in fact a very beautiful area and we were lucky to be able to visit during a time when it wasn’t heaving with tourists. We spent two days hiking from village to village and taking the local train.
Our first hike was from Levanto (outside of the Cinque Terre) to Monterosso, the northernmost town. It was a beautiful day and although there were other hikers on the trail, it was not overcrowded. Most of the trail was in the woods, which kept us cool. Only at the very end were we able to look down over Monterosso and the other villages.
Our second hike started in Vernazza and took us to Corniglia. The trail from Corniglia to Manarola has been closed for several years Due to a landslide, the trail from Corniglia to Manarola has been closed for several years. This means that the trail from Vernazza to Corniglia is very popular. Even so, it still didn’t feel overly full. Corniglia, the only village high up and not on the sea was often overlooked by tourists. Now it’s popular. After arriving in Corniglia and having a bite to eat, we decided to skip Manarola and took the train to the southernmost village, Riomaggiore. There, we certainly weren’t the only tourists and after an hour of watching the crowds, we decided to head back to Sestri Levante.
I can see why Cinque Terre and the surrounding areas are so popular, it’s so beautiful. They weather looked perfect and your photos are wonderful. I just love seeing the laundry hanging out to dry!
These are great photos! I can really understand why the area is so popular. Everything from the colorful walls of the villages to the amazing blue of the Mediterranean, is breathtaking. I would really like to go there.