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After years of admiring photos of these rainbow coloured coastal towns, I decided that 2016 would be the year I visit the infamous Cinque Terre.
Cinque Terre (the five lands) comprises of five towns, varying in different shapes and sizes, situated in the Liguria region of Italy. Each town is quirky and charming in it’s own right and is connected to the next by a super-scenic and highly popular blue trail along the coast. Hiking is the chosen method of exploration for many people who visit this famous region each year, though there is also a coastal train connecting the towns too. Here are my top tips for anyone considering visiting this amazing place.
1. Stay in a Hostel
Without doubt, staying in this hostel was the best decision of my life. At first, when looking for accommodation I considered Airbnb but since there were none in the actual towns, and a few rather scummy ones in La Spezia, I looked into hostels and found this beauty. Ostello situated in Biassa (you can find the details in Airbnb for sure), is admittedly inland from these coast towns. However they provide a free shuttle bus to and from Riomaggiore and since you can train to all the coastal towns, transport is sorted. The hostel is not only clean with good facilities but the staff are also super friendly; they even help you plan out your stay, i.e. if you tell them you're here for 5 days, they will suggest what do to for each day of your trip.
2. Combine your travel methods
Hiking is of course the most rewarding method of travel to each of these towns. It allows you to soak in the picturesque scenery, the heat of the sun and the light sea breeze. However what made this experience for me was the combination of hiking, taking the train and going on a boat journey. The train is fun, its coastal, goes under a few cliffs and has a real authentic feel to it, as if you're travelling back in time. The boat trip I took, was from Portovenere to the next-door town or Riomaggiore, but you could've taken this trip all the way down the coastline! The boat trip was fun, sitting on the rocky waves and feeling the salt water on your face. But the reason I enjoyed it was because you were able to experience the little towns from a different perspective and I really do recommend it.
3. Dress and Pack sensibly
This is where common sense prevails, but is often lacking. Please do not go wearing a maxi dress and flip flops. This is not a dress up summer tanning holiday and you will get sore feet. While there are some shaded parts amidst the foliage, many sections are completely exposed to the sun, so sun cream is a essential, as are proper hiking boots or trainers.
4. Wake up early
Try to avoid the crowds and midday heat by waking up early. Though this sounds like a horrible thought, you'll thank me later. Not only are the trains quieter in the morning, meaning you can grab a seat before your hike and actually see out of the windows, but also you'll be able to bag a decent table with a scenic view at any of the restaurants for lunch (I mean its a win win).
5. Acqua as they say in Italian
Having someone to do the hike can come in handy here since you can share the water load. We didn't mind carrying heavy bags on our back so long as we took it in turns. We bought two 2litre water bottles at the beginning of the trip and filled them up every morning to take with us on our hikes. We also took two 750ml bottles. Though this may seem excessive it meant we stayed hydrated in the heat and almost got our recommended daily water intake haha. Each of the towns also have water fountains situated somewhere so look out for those!
Remember staying hydrated means you can try the speciality wine!
6. Visit Portovenere
Now, this is a place not many people have even heard of. The 5 towns gain all of the glory yet Portovenere in my opinion is equally as quaint and pretty. The hostel staff suggested to take a 4hour hike to Portovenere straight from the hostel in Biassa. The hike was, treacherous shall say, but an experience all the same and has given me some great memories. The town itself is sweet with little souvenir shops with a medieval feel, since theres a free castle situated at the end of the coastline. You can jump in the sea or grab yourself a pizza since theres also plenty of restaurants here.
