Cinque Terre

For our visit to Cinque Terre, we based ourselves in La Spezia in a lovely quaint apartment in the centre of the old town. 

La Spezia was a revelation, booked for convenience, but turned out to be a great option, much larger than expected on the Italian riviera.

We started our tour of Cinque Terre in Monterosso, making our way back through the other towns of Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. James insisted that we climb up to the viewing point above Monterosso and what a hike! Thankfully the views were worth it.

Lunch in Vernazza perched on the rocks was an interesting affair followed by another hike up to the village of Corniglia. The short train journey from there to Manarola was never to be repeated, squashed like sardines; this area is crazy busy in the holidays! Our last stop was Riomaggiore, with its quaint streets and buildings and picturesque waterfront. Personally, my favourite was Monterosso for its vibe, very closely followed by Riomaggiore for its lovely buildings.

We finished our day back in La Spezia at Bistrot Mercedes, a little restaurant serving dishes based around the local fish and seafood.

Next stop Siena.