Cinque Terre is an area located on the
coastal side of Italy, consisted of five small villages (thus the name, that
means “Five Lands”), Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and
Monterosso. I had the chance to visit this beautiful Unesco World
Heritage Site in 2010. This place is acknowledged as having one of the most dramatic
coastal scenery on the planet, and indeed it was! Colourful houses built in
terraces on cliffs overlooking the sea. These villages have no car ways, only
walking paths, train rails and boat docks. The village is ancient, rustic and
mysterious, yet warm and enchanting at the same time. The villages are famous
but not as crowded as other cities in Italy.
Unfortunately I only had 2 days to spend in
Cinque Terre, so I decided to spend it in Riomaggiore and took a walk along the
Via Dell’Amore (meaning : Pathway of Love) to Manarola. Via Dell’Amore is a
walking path that stretches 850 metres along the coastline. The view is
breathtaking! On the left you can see stunning stone beaches and the waves of
the sea, while on the right you have cliffs and vineyards. The name itself was
derived from the legend that this footpath became a meeting place for lovers
from the two towns. By the end of the path, under the tunnel near the Manarola
side, you will see thousands of padlocks attached to wire mesh with name
initials carvings on it. It is believed that when couples do this, they will
seal their love and stay together forever. Unfortunately I was single at that
time, so I could not join this interesting worldwide ritual :) According to
latest update, this path is now closed to public due to risks of landslide, so
I was very lucky to be able to see this beautiful pathway.
The roads in Riomaggiore and Manarola are
narrow, colourful and filled with small cafes and Trattoria and Ristorante (restaurants).
In Italy, there is a policy that dining in in restaurants are charged extra,
from 1 Euro up to 5 Euros. So if you want to save some money, take away the
food and eat it elsewhere. However, there are some restaurants that have
magnificent view that you just can’t miss. One of it is Marina Piccola
Ristorante in Manarola that has an excellent view on sunset. So I decided to enjoy
early dinner there and enjoy the seafood treats and beautiful view that they
have.
To get to Cinque Terre, I took a train ride
from La Spezia. The train system in Italy is managed by Trenitalia. The train
rail connects all 5 villages of Cinque Terre, so if you don’t have the energy
to walk all the way to all 5 villages, a train ride is highly recommended. As
for accommodation, don’t expect to find a luxurious 5 star chain hotel in this
area. Most accommodations are run by the locals. You can find various types of
accommodation, from hostels for backpackers to villas with higher price. Me
myself travelled backpacker style, so I chose to rent a room of 25 Euros /
night. You can also rent a room at a villa at 150 Euros / night. The choice is
yours.
So guys, if you happen to be visiting
Italy, Cinque Terre is highly recommended place to visit. This place is very
different with any other cities in Italy. You must be prepared to walk though,
since it is the best way to really explore the village. You can go through the
small passages and really get yourself immersed in these villages’ atmosphere.
