Cinque Terre is a seaside region of North-Western Italy and a Unesco Heritage listed which consists of a series of five villages; Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. It is an incredibly peaceful, pedestrian-only area surrounded by lemon groves, orchards, vineyards, and miles of cliffs overhanging the Mediterranean.
I spent 3 nights in the Cinque Terre area and based myself in lovely Vernazza. Over my stay, I completed the famous hike between the villages, which takes almost a full day if you plan to take time to explore each of the villages and stop for lunch. The area is prone to landslides, so make sure to check out conditions before you start the hike, and take lots of water and sunscreen as the trail is quite exposed. If hiking isn’t your thing, there is a train between each of the Cinque Terre villages and you can purchase a travel day-pass.
Each village has its own flavour and I recommend spending a little time in each to explore. The food is another big draw to visitingCinque Terre, and the area has fantastic wine, olive oil and daily caught fresh fish. Dining in the quaint, outdoor, candlelit cafes is sure to be a favourite experience of visiting this area. Make sure to try the freshly made pesto and local dry white wine, simply called ‘Cinque Terre’.
