The Five Villages - Mr. Visitor

Cinque Terre means “five lands” i.e. the five villages.

Monterosso:

The biggest village of Cinque Terre is Monterosso al Mare. It has a beach, also castle and a 17th century monastery containing some valuable works of art. It is the most touristy of the villages.

Reader Comments

Monterosso is a great town and is pretty much split into two by the tunnel and the mountains. If you are walking down from Vernazza, the old town is the first beached section in front of you and is well worth a walk around as it is loaded with lots of small, character filled streets with some pretty tasty looking restaurants to boot. Whatever you do in Monterosso DO NOT MISS the Seafood Risotto at the last restaurant on the main esplanade as you walk down the beach in the ‘newer’ part of town.( It’s the restaurant with the yellow umbrellas which I cannot remember the name of…sorry ) That dish is truly amazing PACKED with great seafood ( min 2 person ). I can recall having it 3 days in a row we enjoyed it so much!!
(…) In my opinion, the newer part of town is not even worth a walk around as it seems to just have newer ‘kitchy’ restaurants and a lot of medium sized hotels lacking much character at all. Best to stick to the old town for a walk around instead.

– Nigel & Kate Roberts (July 2002)

Vernazza:

Vernazza is many peoples favorite village, dominated by the Round Tower and by the ruins of the medieval fortifications. It has a small harbor next to the village square.

Reader Comments

“Vernazza offers a great time to be had in warmer months. At the bottom of the village down by the ocean, people gather around a small courtyard and drink cappuccino and watch the ocean waves crash up against a stone jetty. Part of the experience is to stand close to where the waves are spraying up their surf and to have someone snap a quick photo before you get soaked.”

– Joe Weiss

Vernazza has a much more developed tourism trade and the place is pretty well overrun by the tourists. Unless you get into the back streets you wont see too much REAL Italian life here at all.
However, saying this, the town is stunning and the harbor itself lends itself beautifully to a relaxed, long lunch at one of the 4-5 restaurants that line it. If lunch is too lazy for you then you can always grab a seat in the evening after a days walk and watch the sunset over the horizon.

– Nigel & Kate Roberts (July 2002)

Corniglia:

Famous for its vineyards and olive groves, Corniglia stands on the principal road over a rocky cliff dropping to the sea; it is the only village far from the sea but it can be reached by some steps.

One of the few beaches in Cinque Terre is near Corniglia in a secluded valley. To get there, walk through the old railway tunnel.

the village square with the war memorial.

Manarola:

Founded during the 12th century, Manarola probably is the most characteristic village of the Cinque Terre; the old church of San Lorenzo is in baroque style.

Reader Comments

Manarola itself is a beautiful town with very friendly people. Yes there are quite a few American teenagers on their summer break but if you eat in restaurants at night you really don’t see much of them at all here as they tend to eat at much cheaper Pizzerias and at the few takeaway places on the main strip down to the harbor. For the couples, a typical meal at one of the 3 main restaurants in Manarola will set you back about 60-70 Euros including a bottle of the CT wine which is excellent. We did eat at the Marina Piccolo Restaurant on the harbor and wouldn’t recommend it, as it was the only meal we had which we really didn’t think was value for money at all ( and the waiter was a slob as well ) The Manarola – Corniglia walking path number 2 ( the coastal one ) was also closed over the period we were there with no real indication as to when it was going to open again.

– Nigel & Kate Roberts (July 2002)

From Manarola starts the picturesque trail called ” Via dell’ Amore “, carved out of the rock above the sea, that joins Manarola to Riomaggiore.

Riomaggiore:

Riomaggiore is Village no. 5, it also has a little harbor which is beautifully lit up at night. Some people prefer to stay here.

have a look at what www.cinque-terre.it has to say about the 5 villages. Lots of history!

Internet Access:

FISHNET Internet Cafe
Via Roma 17 (in the dark alleyway off Via Roma after the Snack Bar Fast)
Monterosso al Mare 19016
Tel. – fax 0187/817373
Besides the internet service (£12000 an hour), we also offer an English book exchange (free), a travel reference library (free), and the possibility to book air, rail and ferry tickets as well as accommodations in all of Europe.
The bar next door, ‘Fast’ (Via Roma 13) has free computer use (limit 15 minutes a person) after midnight.

The Blue Marlin Bar in Vernazza half way up the main street.

Reader Comments

Laundromat : one in La Spezia (close to Riomaggiore). I also saw one in Monterosso (up the main street from the children’s playground). I didn’t try that.

If you do your own hand clothes washing, it’s great to dry your clothes on a clothesline (makeshift or often provided). It’s nice and windy, so the clothes dry quickly.

Travelling with a baby/toddler : A stroller won’t get you far in Cinque Terre. You’re much better off with an alternative like a backpack or a sling. We did the easy Riomaggiore to Manarola and the Manarola to Corniglia hikes without much trouble. It’s best to go at naptime because the kids might get bored and they really don’t care about the scenery.

We found a children’s playground in Monterosso (at the historical center) and Manarola (just at the start of the trail to Corniglia, further out on the bluffs).

– Dan Wood