Ciao!!
My name is Mackenzee Hester and I am currently studying abroad in Arezzo! This past weekend, some friends and I caught a train to see La Spezia and the five beautiful towns of Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. Each town had spectacular views and unique things to offer!
After arriving in La Spezia Friday evening, we settled into our Airbnb and set out to see what the town had to offer for dinner. I got Ravioli alla Bolognese and it was amazing, as most Italian food is! Of course, no night would be complete without gelato, so on our walk back we stopped and grabbed some at a cute little shop along the way!
Saturday started bright and early as we caught an early train out of La Spezia. It was a short ride to our first stop of the day: Riomaggiore! Riomaggiore was our favorite of the five towns. It had a great blend of photo spots we could climb to as well as the famous colorful buildings! We spent a while exploring all the many corridors and staircases that weaved through the city center and around the water’s edge.
We then hopped on the train to the next stop: Manarola! Here we walked through the streets and up to the scenic point overlooking the view of the town. After taking more pictures, we decided to stop for seafood and pasta at Marina Piccola Ristorante, which offered a great view of the water below.
Our original plan was to then hike from Manarola to Corniglia, but unfortunately our desired path was closed. Instead, we took the train, and climbed up the switchback staircase to the quaint city center of Corniglia. Here we stopped at a little fruit shop that offered fresh watermelon and strawberries, which were the perfect snack to accompany the views! I liked this town because it seemed very quiet and untouched up on its own hill.
Our last stop before dinner was Vernazza! This town offered cute shops and it was here that we took the time to stop and buy souvenirs! After walking to the small beach, we found some big rocks to sit on and take pictures from. It was relaxing to sit here, because by this time we were hot and tired!
For dinner, we caught the train to the final town of Monterosso! This town had a long sandy beach that we walked along as we decided where we wanted to eat. We settled on an amazing pizza place, and then stopped to take pictures before heading back for the night in La Spezia.
The next morning, we once again got up early to enjoy the beautiful beach of Monterosso! This was a perfect end to our weekend in Cinque Terre, and we did not want to leave! I am so grateful for this opportunity to explore and live in this beautiful country, and I can’t wait for the many adventures ahead!