The one-of-a-kind Italian Riviera is famous for its iconic coastline view and traditional villages. The best visiting spot or tourist area would be the fantastic five, more commonly known as the fishing outposts of Cinque Terre. It has been developed to be more tourist friendly, with new roads which were built and linked to the secluded villages. The village landscape is well maintained and tourists are able to enjoy the stunning view and taking long walks along their extraordinary mountain trails.
The Cinque Terre villages are extremely well preserved and is located deep in isolation, hidden from the naked eye and resting well inside the mountain valley of Italian Riviera. It is a tad more difficult to access the villages but not entirely impossible, as this guide will explain to you in detail. The villages are accessible by car. However, you must be ready to navigate through narrow lanes and curvy roads all the way to the village, and be prepared to fork out huge sums for parking fees. If your mode of travelling is by car, you can consider parking your car in La Spezias to ensure the safety of your car around the train stops. Another convenient method to navigate to and from all villages is using the most traditional transport method: trains. A train network links all the five famous villages from Genoa to Rome. You can get the best value for money all-day pass which is able to cover all train travels between Levanto city and La Spezia town. Hiking fees are included as well. Last but not least, you can choose to travel into the village via sea. Every year's Easter season up till September, there will be multiple ferry rides which can bring you up to Genoa, Porto Venere and Portofino. You can also consider hiring a yacht if your desire is to arrive at the village in style and without sacrificing on luxurious treatment..
Traveler must not miss the opportunity to travel to all five traditional villages. A brief description for all villages is presented to you below:
1. Riomaggiore Liguria Riomaggiore Liguria is the undisputed largest among all settlement and serves as the unofficial capital for Cinque Terre. You can watch the buildings lining up down a curvy slope mountain leading to a small little port. For those romantic couples, it is the best sight at Cinque Terre. You can also observe a beautiful garden and many species of flying birds all the way up to the hills.
2. Manarola Grapevine planted around Manarola serves as the raw material for its extraordinary house wine. You can immerse yourself fully in the village setting decorated with fishing sails lined up nicely at the promenade. You can enjoy a good hike up Punta Bonfiglio and reach a bar to enjoy some quiet time with a glass of drinks in hand. Your kids can also enjoy the playground located at the hill top as well.
3. Corniglia Corniglia is situated on top of a rocky peninsula. Once you reach the terrace facing the sea, you can enjoy the magnificent view of all five traditional villages. It is a famous spot for those looking to take good pictures of the villages. You can also enjoy the sea breeze at the same time, while looking out into the calm village view.
4. Vernazza Vernazza's small harbour has always been its flagship landmark. It is only surpassed in beauty by Piazza Marconi, where all tourists will gasp in awe and admiration. Its pastel houses are highly scenic. There are many narrow lanes known as caruggi which completes the scenic view.
5. Monterosso For those who love strolling around the beach, Monterosso is a place to go to and will leave you swooning in no time. It is convenient and accessible by driver travelling by cars. The village is also dotted by lemon trees which is form of beauty gifted by mother-nature.
For more than 100 years, people have been walking in and out of Cinque Terre traditional settlement. It is the most common network to the busy city world outside of the village. You can be expected to talk alongside a beautiful sea view all the time. Once a while, you can also get to enjoy the farmland landscape and beautiful dense forest with many species of flora. Do keep in mind that many walking trails are not in tip top condition since the floods that wrecked the village in 2011. The walking trails may be closed temporarily or permanently. Be sure to check for the latest updates with the official National Park corporate office. A good tip to remember is that there will be daily walks hosted by park guides every now and then from the months of May to September every year.