Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre
Riomaggiore and Cinque Terre, a Unesco world heritage site. 5 colorful small town along the Ligurian riviera. A must visit on every travelers list. My own included. The dream is to one day hike all the towns.
The huffington Post have stated that Riomaggiore is Italy´s most beautiful place, and they may be right. But then again Italy has so many of them and it is getting harder and harder to choose a personal favorite.
We arrived to Riomaggiore by train. Mid August and in the middle of tourist season.. Not the best time to visit by far. Especially when traveling along with Mr. Grumpy! But then again it is not always possible to plan around the main holiday season and this trip was one of such. A couple of years ago we visited the Cinque Terre town of Monterosso and absolutely fell for the colorful seaside fishing village. I belive we already then stated that we needed to come back again.
Fast forward a couple of years and here we are. This time we start at the other end and begin by visiting Riomaggiore. Getting there is easy. Hop on the train after landing in Piza airport (or any other for that matter) and head for La Spetzia. Easy pezy… Then you would need to change the line to the cinque terre line. It is all you need to do and the ride there (from Piza) takes just about an hour and half.
What first strikes me are the colorful houses and the fact that the town is situated in a steep hill/valley. Taking my breath away quite literal. In both senses. I will admit that my shape is not super fit!
We have made a gamble this time around and decided to go with the flow.. meaning no booking of any hotels. And being in the middle of tourist season probably not the best decision. Especially when traveling along with Mr. Grumpy. But then again all must be tried if we are to say that it is not for us… Let me tell you.. no booking in advance – NOT for us 😂.
We managed to get a room relatively fast. There are many people renting out rooms and they have marked it well with signs. Ask to see the room and if you like it. Good to go! We were lucky and got one of the last rooms available and went for it. Located uphill close to the church Battista San Giovanni.
Some day I would love to come back for a revisit and to hike the entire trail. But I will stay away from the high season and hope for a spring hike.
Have you been to any of the Cinque Terre towns and what did you think? Worth the hype?
