asian girl solo traveler smiling blue denim jeans dress white straw hat sea background cinque terre italy agirlnamedclara
Travel

Cinque Terre, a Walk to Remember in Italy

COVID-19, be gone! It took me some time to get inspiration for what to write about for this week’s blog post. I miss walking outside so much thus I decided to write about my one-day adventure in Cinque Terre, Italy.

It was a very long walk and tiring, yet made me so happy. Oh, how I wish to experience it again, especially at times like this!

Cinque Terre is the postcard image of colourful buildings on top of a cliff with a beautiful blue sea that some of you may have seen on Google.

The must-visit destination in Italy is located on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline and consists of five fishing villages:

  1. Riomaggiore
  2. Manarola
  3. Corniglia
  4. Vernazza
  5. Monterosso
cinque terre train ticket with train station background italian riviera italy agirlnamedclara

Some of you may want to hike and enjoy the beauty of the villages. But if you have limited time, the five villages are accessible by train.

The villages look similar from afar but actually, each has its own uniqueness. My tour guide suggested starting from the furthest village, Monterosso, and so I did.

Cinque Terre – Monterosso: Private Beach & Ristorante Miky

asian girl smiling denim jeans dres sitting on the beach chair cinque terre monterosso italy agirlnamedclara

Ok, I admit I didn’t know that we need to pay to enter the beach until I finished taking some photos and met my friend on the way out…

You can find accessible and non-accessible beaches in Cinque Terre. As you can see, despite many tourists, the private beach in Monterosso is very clean with a beautiful view.

Monterosso private beach cinque terre italy morning agirlnamedclara
female tourist sitting on public chair in Monterosso Cinque Terre Italy walkway agirlnamedclara
asian man standing on top looking at monterosso cinque terre beach colorful houses italy agirlnamedclara

I always search for popular eateries or restaurants before departing for my destination, especially when I have one full day on my own.

If you wish to have lunch in Monterosso, I recommend Ristorante Miky.

Miky turned out to be a proper, elegant restaurant and not suitable for travellers with a low budget.

However, Cinque Terre is a popular destination in Italy so you can expect the food prices are higher than in other places.

Ristorante Miky best restaurant Monterosso Cinque Terre Italy front view signboard agirlnamedclara
Best restaurant Monterosso Cinque Terre Italy Ristorante Miky interior design menu book agirlnamedclara
I struggled a bit between price and dish selection that I want
Seabass ravioli with shrimp and scampi Ristorante Miky Monterosso Cinque Terre Italy authentic dish agirlnamedclara
Seabass ravioli with shrimp and scampi – worth every Euro spent!

Cinque Terre – Vernazza: Short Hike, Beautiful Cemetery & Wonderful View

Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio beautiful cemetery in Vernazza Cinque Terre Italy agirlnamedclara

So, you want to explore Italy’s fabulous five in one day? Trust me, your arch-support, comfy Mary Jane won’t help. You need sports shoes!

My numero uno destination in Vernazza is Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio, a renowned cemetery on top of a hill. A cemetery? Yes!

I highly suggested this place for good exercise as you can see a wonderful view of the village from the top. Who cares when you have to hike for a few minutes plus conquer the natural staircases like this…

natural staircases to Vernazza cemetery Cinque Terre Italy agirlnamedclara

To reach a cemetery that looks like this from the outside…

Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio Vernazza Cinque Terre Italy outer view agirlnamedclara

But beautiful on the inside? Plus I got a wonderful, whole view of Vernazza!

Vernazza Cinque Terre view from top of Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio cemetery Italy agirlnamedclara

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Cinque Terre – Corniglia: Refreshing Basil & Lemon Gelato

Gelateria Corniglia Basil Lemon Gelato Cinque Terre Italy agirlnamedclara
Must-try: basil & lemon gelato by Gelateria Corniglia

I came here with just one goal in mind: to taste the famous basil & lemon gelato! You won’t be able to find this flavour anywhere else in Cinque Terre besides Corniglia.

asian girl in blue dress smiling happy basil lemon gelato gelateria corniglia cinque terre italy agirlnamedclara

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Cinque Terre – Manarola & Riomaggiore: Staircases, Seafood & Sunset

cinque terre italy colourful houses on cliff agirlnamedclara
manarola cinque terre italy staircases agirlnamedclara
cinque terre colourful houses zoom in agirlnamedclara
yellow flowers at the cliff blue sea cinque terre italy agirlnamedclara

I solemnly swear, even if you eat three cups of gelato, you’ll burn the calories off. I mean, look at the staircases in Manarola lol… My legs felt like jellyfish by the time I reached the hotel.

One thing that I regret is not enjoying the beautiful sunset view with fresh, fried seafood as dinner. I couldn’t remember if it was Manarola or Riomaggiore – the fried seafood in a paper cup is a must-have.

So please, if COVID-19 has passed and you plan to visit Italy, take your time to enjoy the beautiful Cinque Terre. Don’t miss the sunset and make sure you wear super comfy shoes 🙂

Postpone your trip, don’t cancel. Save tourism.

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