Italy

The best of five lands: highlights from the Cinque Terre

After visiting the first town in the Cinque Terre on our itinerary, I (somewhat boldly) decided that I would write a post featuring my favourite photo of each town.

At the time, I had absolutely no idea how difficult that task would be. However, something about the challenge has since made the idea appeal even more…

So without further ado, here are five photos: my favourites of the photos I took of each town.

You can find more of my photos from the Cinque Terre here.

Monterosso al Mare

Coming from Milan in the North, this town is the first that you reach. It is the biggest town and fairly flat.

Boat in Monterosso harbour

Boat in Monterosso harbour

Why I chose this photo: While I loved the winding narrow streets of Monterosso, I went for this shot of Alessandro, because I donā€™t think Iā€™ve ever been anywhere with water so clear.

Best for…
The beach
: Monterosso has the only decent beach of the five towns.
Churches: Monterosso has two big churches in its old town.

Vernazza

Heading North-South, Vernazza is the next town. The poster child of the region, Vernazza is beautiful but swarming with tourists.

Rooftops of Vernazza

Rooftops of Vernazza

Why I chose this photo: Vernazza is such a photogenic town, itā€™s almost impossible to take a bad photo. We took this on a walk up the hills of vineyards, and while it isnā€™t quite the iconic shot everyone sees (as shown on Vernazzaā€™s Wikipedia page), itā€™s a shot I loved the minute I captured it ā€“ and itā€™s mine, not just my version of the same old shot.

Best for…
Views
: Vernazza has a hilltop castle which has great views over the town.
Harbour
: Vernazza has a beautiful open harbour, great for taking photos, or even snorkelling.

Corniglia

Blurry view of elusive Corniglia

Blurry view of elusive Corniglia

Sitting high atop a cliff, Corniglia is the only town which cannot be reached by boat. With limited time on our trip, this is the only village we didnā€™t get to see. Though we did get some snaps from the boat as we sailed past.

Manarola

Often described as the most ā€˜rusticā€™ of the towns, Manarola is picturesque perfection. Easily my favourite town, it has a much quieter, chilled vibe.

Manarola

Manarola

Why I chose this photo: There are so many photos of Manarola that I love, but to me, this shot is just the most perfect view.

Best for…
Peace:
this village seems to get far fewer tourists than the others.
Views: Manarola easily has some of the best views in the Cinque Terre.
People watching: divers love the townā€™s rocky harbour for entertaining tourists.

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore

The southernmost village, Riomaggiore is also popular with tourists, and therefore has a lot to offer.

Why I chose this photo: This red building at the villageā€™s entrance is so striking, I really liked it. Such a dark red isnā€™t found elsewhere in the Cinque Terre.

Best for…
Restaurants
: Riomaggiore has a lot of restaurants and it seemed perfect for evenings
Shops: Lots of tourists mean lots of shops.
Alleyways: Itā€™s said that all roads in Riomaggiore lead to the sea and there are plenty of roads to explore on your way back to the boat.

What do you think of my choices?
Comment below!

 

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