When most people think of traveling to Italy, they probably think about roaming around Rome or taking a Gondola ride in Venice. BUT For me, I only think about 2 places; one is the Dolomites and another one is Cinque Terre, the five idyllic fishing villages of old-world Italy.
I booked my day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence via Viator, an online travel agency that works with local operators to connect travelers with the best local tours and activities. If you guys are looking for a day trip or even a multi-day trip, you can buy it from Viator’s website. After you make the payment, they will send you the voucher to present to the local travel agency you booked through.
This amazing coastal line is one of the most photogenic places in Italy. The five romantic towns; Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, lay down allied to the cliff facing the sea and surrounded by lush greenery.
There are over 120 km of trail along the seaside, and nearly 50 tracks for you to pick. The most famous route is 4 kilometers from Corniglia to Vernazza, which I am going to take you on the trip with me.
Our first stop was Manarola. I believe that this village is the most photogenic one compare to others and I am sure many of you have seen this magnificent view before. The guide gave us some time to walk around. Then we took a short train to Corniglia, the only village not directly adjacent to the sea.
We had lunch at the local restaurant here, which I do not remember the name. However, I remember that their food was amazing. After that, we started to hike. Awwwwwww~ My favorite part of the trip!
As I mentioned that this route is about 4 km and it should take approximately 1.5 hours to finish the trail in Vernazza. I naturally attracted by the stunning view along the route, so I did make a stop from time to time for nice snapshots.
As you can see from my photo, the trail is well-preserved and very easy to walk. Even though you have zero experience in hiking, Believe me! you can make it happen. xD
Finally!! . . . After 2 hours (with a load of photos), I made it!!!!!! haha
Vernazza is my most favorite among the five villages because I felt like it is neither too big nor small and has many things to enjoy.
After that, we took another train to the biggest one, Monterosso.
This is my less favorite as it was overcrowded for me. But I still enjoyed eating my gelato while was relaxing at the sandy beach.
Before the end of the trip, we took another local train to the smallest one, Riomaggiore. I am sorry that I can not upload the photo of this village as I want you guy to check it from google or even better is to travel there and see it in real XD
If you are planning a trip to Italy, do not forget to put Cinque Terre on your list. The rest is to flow with it and Have FUN! 🙂