After finding our new favourite destination and spending some relaxing days by the seaside, we were onto our next stop, the famous and increasingly popular, Cinque Terre.

We hopped on the train and set off travelling south along the Ligurian coastline, taking in the stunning sea views.

Soon, we had arrived in Vernazza, one of the five towns in Cinque Terre, where we would stay for the next week.

Over the following five days, we slowly explored each one of the five towns.

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore is the southern-most town of the Cinque Terre. This village is nestled in a ridgeline leading down to the port by the water. It’s the quinessential postcard town in the region as the buildings perch upon sheer slopes that extend from the ocean front, back into the rolling green hills.

When you approach the town by water on the ferry, you’re immediately awe-struck by the colourful buildings set against the picturesque backdrop. As you disembark on the aged stone landing and walk around the cliff face, you’re greeted by the lower part of the town resting against the ocean, with the boat ramp meeting the waters edge.

Brightly coloured rowboats line the small piazza and you begin to get a sense of just how vertical the village is built into the facade of the surrounding hills.

Once you ascend the staircase and pass through the narrow stone passegeway, underneath Piazza Vignaioli, you emerge into the main via of Riomaggiore, with charming boutiques and restaurants lining the walkway. It is here that you are greeted by the rest of the town that extends away from the sea.

We decided that the best way to start our exploration of Cinque Terre was to approach the first town we were visiting by ferry. Without a doubt, seeing the Cinque Terre from the ocean looking back at the land gives you the most amazing views, and the slow approach into Riomaggiore gave us time to take it all in. Miss Adventure loved the boat ride as we gently bobbed along through the waves. When we docked, we found an alcove down by the port to sit in the shade, eat some snacks and enjoy the atmosphere of the stunning seaside village. We started by walking up the busy main street, browsing the shops until suddenly, Jess caught a scent and couldn’t help but follow it to a bakery that had just freshly baked some biscuits – think panettone but in biscuit form. We couldn’t help but try one, still warm from the oven. Soon we found the perfect calm when we walked out of the village, through the sloping streets and up to a vantage point, where a full view of the town opened up in front of us.

Not wanting to go back the same way we came, we followed the unmade path, hoping that it would lead us back down to the main street. This pathway took us through what felt like the backyards of the townsfolk, where we spotted trees heavy with fruit, rickety gates that lead to tended garden beds and beside buildings covered by aged paintwork that was now peeling. This trail, that was tucked away from the main thoroughfare, showed us a history of the village in the details of everyday life. Eventually, we emerged in a piazza, which was eerily devoid of any people and in that moment, it felt like we were the only ones in Riomaggiore.

We made it back onto the main street where we melded into the crowds of tourists and headed towards the train station to catch the Express back to Vernazza. But before we boarded the train, we had just enough time to feel like a local and enjoy a quick espresso at the bar.

Manarola

In iconic Italian style, Manarola is a town that balances upon a cliff face that meets the ocean. As the second smallest, yet oldest,  of the five towns in the Cinque Terre, it offers a character synonymous with the area.

From the train station, the town is hidden behind the jagged rock face and it is not until you pass through the mosaic filled tunnel that you emerge to the main street, lined with shop fronts and restaurants.  Making your way down the sloping main street you will eventually arrive at the waterfront where a rocky inlet wraps around the deep blue ocean, giving space for boats to dock and groups of young teens to laze about in the hot summer sun.

Picturesque views of the colourful cascading buildings of the town can be seen at the beginning of the walking trail to the north, leading towards Corniglia. Continuing a little further along the path provides sweeping panoramic views of the landscape that will have you appreciating how the natural beauty meets the architectural marvels of these cliff-side villages.

It was clear from the moment we disembarked the Cinque Terre Express at the Manarola train station that this town was a favourite amongst visitors.

We followed the flow of people as we moved through the village and down its charming main street. Passing by the many restaurants we were tempted by the enticing dishes that were being served up and chose to take a little break, after our first stroll through the town, to enjoy some Italian cuisine. 

After Miss Adventure devoured almost half a margherita pizza, we rejoined the stream of tourist making their way down to the marina of Manarola. Looking out to the ocean was stunning and it made sense why so many people needed to see this destination for themselves. Following the pathway, we continued up to the bluff that circled around and overlooked the town.

With each step we took towards the point, the view become more and more epic, like a vivid landscape painting come to life. We left understanding that the town of Manarola was, in itself, a work of art.

Corniglia

It must be noted that Corniglia is the only town in Cinque Terre that is not accessible from the sea; this, however, does not take away from the charm that this town has to offer. Perched atop the cliff face overlooking the Ligurian sea, Corniglia provides stunning uninterrupted seascapes from multiple vistas throughout the village.

The journey to the centre of the town can be made via the roadway or by ascending 383 steps from the train station. Those energetic enough to make the climb will be treated with elevated breathtaking views of the coastline to the south.

Once you have arrived, you’ll find yourself making your way along narrow stone walkways that unexpectedly open up to lookouts where you’re treated to a view of all four of the other towns of Cinque Terre.

When we arrived at the train station of Corniglia, we were ready to tackle the climb up the stairs together. However, once we got off the train, our eyes tracked to the beginning of the staircase, then alllllllllllllllllllllllllll the way up to the top where the town sat at the crest of the hill. This seemed impossible to climb in the heat, while wearing Miss Adventure in the baby carrier.

Mike opted for the stairway to heaven, I mean, Corniglia… and Jess opted for the sardine-like bus ride, with Miss Adventure.  We were learning from past mistakes, unlike our time in Brunate (next to Lake Como) and knew that the day trip to Corniglia wasn’t going to be pram accessible – so we left the pram at our accommodation.

Of course the tiny local bus was late and there were 60 people trying to cram in, so it was a long wait to get to the main part of town. Thankfully, when we got to the top, there was a gelato shop. This is absolutely a worthy spot to stop at – Alberto Gelateria – they’re famous for their basil & lemon (basilico e limone) gelato, so we obviously had to get that one, along with a scoop of the honey flavour.

We made our way through the narrow walkways of town to the to the panoramic lookout where we spent some time watching boats and pointing out birds in flight to Miss Adventure.

We walked back along the stone walkways and found a beautiful old church with a piazza, the path continued further round and offered views of the village with it’s vineyards growing on the hillside, under the beating hot sun. We stopped at the trailhead that would continue around to Vernazza, but we weren’t ready for a lengthy hike whilst carrying a 10 month old. Instead, we enjoyed a drink from the natural water fountains, which was so refreshing on the very hot day and we took refuge in the shade on a bench seat. It was here that Miss Adventure had a snack (breastfeed) while we rehydrated and cooled off, all the while marvelling at the gorgeous landscape around Corniglia.

Something they don’t tell you about walking the stairs to Corniglia, going down is easier, and you get the same views as coming up. So we all opted to walk down the stairs together. Except for Miss Adventure who hung out in the baby carrier – 383 steps were maybe a little more than her tiny legs could manage at this point.

Monterosso al Mare

Monterosso al Mare is the northern-most town of the Cinque Terre. This town lies flat along the coastline and opens up to two stretches of beach front, separated by a tall hill, perched on which sits a 17th-century convent.

With its sandy beaches lined with colourful deckchairs and umbrellas, Monterosso has the look of a classic Italian summer destination.

Once you leave the train station, you will find yourself strolling  along the boardwalk, overlooking the beach, with brightly coloured buildings and pine trees lining the way.

Stretching under the tall hill is a long tunnel joining the New Town to the Old Town with a ferry port reaching out into the ocean to connect Monterosso to the rest of the Cinque Terre.

We weren’t going to pass up the chance to catch another ferry from village to village during our time in Cinque Terre, so we took the boat across to Monterosso al Mare.

After a short trip, we docked and decided to explore the Old Town first and that is where we found it – potentially the most incredible invention since sliced bread – a sparkling water drink bottle refilling station. We had never seen this before and for the low low price of 50 cents, you better believe we filled both of our drink bottles, only to have it spit in our face, from the pressure build up, the next time we went for a sip.

We worked our way through the Old Town of Monterosso, which was a maze of cobblestoned streets, albeit flatter than the other towns, on the hunt for a specific pasticceria, on the way, finding a miniature Vespa that was Miss Adventure sized.

We found the place and sat inside, relived to get a little reprieve from the heat and decided on a sandwich to eat for lunch and also made sure that we got a slice of the famous Torta Monterossina – a flaky shortcrust pastry filled with sponge cake, apricot jam and dark chocolate.

After our lunch stop, we enjoyed a walk around Old Town, looking at shops and soaking up the atmosphere of this relaxed beachside town. Before long, we headed through the tunnel that took us to the New Town of Monterosso and walked along the promenade as far as we could go.

To us, Monterosso felt different compared to the other towns; it had a relaxed seaside vibe to it without the intensity of the tourists that some of the other villages had. If we were to return to the Cinque Terre, we would choose to stay in Monterosso the next time around.

Vernazza

The town of Vernazza could perhaps be best characterised as a blend of the other four towns that make up the Cinque Terre.

Similar to Riomaggiore, it is a village set in a valley with buildings set on the sloping hills and a main street that leads to a sea port. Like Manarola, walking trails wrap around the adjacent cliff faces that offer sweeping views of the colourful buildings that make up the town, overlooking swimming spots by the rocks.

The narrow winding streets are reminiscent of Corniglia, which will also lead you up steep stone steps to stunning lookouts that make a perfect place to watch the sunset over the Ligurian Sea. On a smaller scale, but akin to Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza has a lovely small sandy beach front, perfect for swimming on those hot summer days.

Vernazza was the town in which we chose to base ourselves during our stay in the Cinque Terre, and because of this, became our favourite of the five.

We spent many of our mornings enjoying the sunrise, and our breakfast, down by the waterfront watching the waves gently lapping  the rocks as the morning rays lit up the colourful buildings along the docks.

During the days, we would walk around the steep staircases of the town, looking at the buildings that had been weathered by years of exposure to the salty sea air. Afterwards, we would take a swim down at the beach with Miss Adventure happily splashing in the shallows whilst the red Cinque Terre Express train would thunder past, through the tunnel and along the tracks overlooking the port of Vernazza.

As the sun slowly set below the horizon, we would sit together on the dock and watch the swallows dip and dive through the air until the stars began to shine. After which we would make our way back to our apartment to enjoy some home cooked pasta using a locally made basil pesto from the deli that was unlike anything we had ever tasted before.

In contrast to our time spent at Lake Como, where we found that travelling with a baby did pose a few hurdles, our time in Cinque Terre felt carefree and easy. We found a rhythm and it was from this point on that we understood what the best way for us to travel as a family was.

In this beautiful stretch of land, you’re presented with five unique towns to explore in the way you see fit. You may want to hike along the cliffs edge, relax on the train as it skirts along the coastline or bob across the water as you make your way between the villages on the ferry. These different options all bring about their own vantages to admire stunning vistas that tell the story of history and culture. This is the magic of Cinque Terre; it can transform to meet your way of  experiencing it with it’s variety, uniqueness and expression. It’s a place that can inspire and shape you, as you become a part of it, if only for a fleeting moment in time.

The relaxed and slow paced nature of the Cinque Terre, inspired us to take our time and enjoy the little moments that we shared as a family whilst we embraced the life, culture, and landscape around us.

See you on the road!