Colorful Cinque Terre
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| The ever-photogenic Manarola |
After my tourist run at the cultural metros of Italy, I was keen to head coastal. Like many before me, I was in a debate between Cinque Terre or the Amalfi Coast. Many ( and I do mean many) google searches later and I decided to go rugged and head to the coastal hills of Cinque Terre !!
How I got there
An Italian holiday hub, Cinque Terre is easily accessible from Pisa to the east or Milan to the north. Coming from Switzerland, i caught a train from Milan to Monterosso - the first of the 5 villages of Cinque Terre. The journey itself was 3 hours via Trenitalia rail and one way super economy tickets can be purchased from $13.
Side note - going in late august you will be faced with the locals from the Italian metros flocking to the coast for holiday, so be aware of you like to avoid heavy tourists :)
Where to stay
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| 5 Terre Backpackers Photo Credit: Anita Ooi |
After comparing the different accommodations, I kept coming back to 5 Terre Backpackers. It seemed perfect. One problem - 5 Terre Backpackers is a 20 minute drive from Monterosso up the hills to a town of Corvara and is only accessible via a hostel shuttle service which runs twice in the morning at 8:00 and 9:30 and picks back up in Monterosso at 16:00 and 17:30. There had to be a reason it was rated so highly though right ? Not all the reviews could lie, so I took a chance. Best decision ever !! This hostel is family owned and run by Francesco. A wonderful host and chef as well, Francesco keeps the hostel in excellent condition. Out of all my hostel stays 5 Terre will forever be one of my favorites. The cost I found to be typical for being on the Italian coast - €27 a night for a 7 bed dorm.
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| 5 Terre Backpackers Photo Credit: Anita Ooi |
Negatives - the breakfast was lackluster to be blunt consisting of cereal and biscuits, you don't have the opportunity to see the villages of Cinque Terre at night because of the shuttle and location, the €10 dinner is a bit overpriced but is your only option ~ it is delicious though ! The WiFi works outside in the lounge area where everyone congregates ( which for some could be an issue, but mingle instead with the other guests!! )
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| Wonderful new friends Photo Credit: Anita Ooi |
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| Dessert courtesy of our host Franceso |
What to do & How to Get Around
Gelato, limoncello, more gelato, a nice long hike to burn off the gelato, and repeat :).
There are two options for getting between villages - hike or train. A train pass costs €7,50 and also includes wifi at any of the village train terminals (although the wifi is extremely spotty). Training from Monterosso to the final village of Riomaggiore will take 15 minutes. With 3 minutes to the villages in between. The trains between the villages are notorious for running not according to schedule so be aware !!
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| Beaches of Monteroso |
Cinque Terre has some of the most beautiful trails I have ever been on with spectacular views. There are marked trails between each village with hiking times ranging from 1 hour to 2.5 hours depending on your walking speed. From Monterosso to the middle village of Corniglia, the paths are 'blue paths' and easy to medium for hiking. Now from, Corniglia to Riomaggiore, the blue paths were under construction, so to hike you must take the red paths further into the hills creating a more cumbersome hike. I was able to hike all the villages in a day, with time to stop and enjoy each village in between ! (From Vernazza to Corniglia there is a lone juice spot with a view, and I highly recommend taking advantage !!)
After the trek, head back to Monterosso and enjoy some beach time and relaxation :)
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| Riomaggiore |
Instagram : dancross3
Accomodation:
http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/5-Terre-Backpackers/Cinque-Terre/84472
Travel:
http://www.trenitalia.com/
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