Monterosso is the most developed and spacious of the Cinque Terre towns, and you feel it the moment…read moreyou arrive. The beach here is wide and inviting, lined with rentable loungers and umbrellas that make it perfect for a full beach day -- something the steeper villages just can't offer. It still looks beautiful, but there's a more "bustling seaside resort" vibe compared to the others, which honestly gives it its own charm. Along the water you'll find a few striking historic spots, including a restaurant built inside what looks like an old maritime or defensive structure, plus the well-known St. Francis of Assisi statues watching calmly over the sea. If you head uphill, there's an old monastery (or possibly a convent -- either way, centuries of history live up there), and right nearby is an atmospheric ancient cemetery with some incredible ocean views. It's quiet, peaceful, and feels worlds away from the beach crowds below. Down in the center of town, Monterosso becomes lively again with a ton of shops, bars, and restaurants lined through its narrow streets. It's the best place in Cinque Terre if you want a mix of beach time, sightseeing, and easy access to food or drinks without hiking up or down anything too crazy. Monterosso may be the most industrialized of the five, but it's also one of the easiest and most comfortable to enjoy -- a great home base and a town that grows on you fast.

We stayed in Monterosso for two days while visiting the Cinque Terre and found it to be a beautiful…read morelittle town with tons of restaurants and everything any tourist could want. They're really isn't a bad view to be had. The boardwalk in the newer part of town has hotels, restaurants overlooking the ocean, and plenty of bagnos. The train station, parking lot, and the free beach are all right here. Through the tunnel takes you into the older part of town with tons of shops and lots more restaurants. We explored through here a bit while waiting on dinner reservations but I'm sure we could have spent a lot more time. After the old part of town there is a hill you can climb up to a hotel and restaurant that boasts an amazing view at night. Access to the Blue Trail also starts here for anyone hiking between towns.

Relatively bigger train station compared with the stations at other cinque terre villages. The…read moreticketing staff is very polite and patient. All the ticketing machines were occupied while there is no one at the ticketing window, so I bought my ticket with the staff.

The train is the way to jump on and off to visit the towns of Cinque Terre.....hiking each one is…read morealso fun but might not be for some. Trains are really clean, well run, fast, and sort of on time. Get a pass for a day or two and discover this magical area.

Fun city at the tip of Cinque Terre. Great bars, bistros, restaurants, and clubs…read more Gorgeous beaches with bright blue water. Nice hotels

Our NCL Viva cruise ship docked at the port of Livorno, Italy. This was our first time here on…read morevacation. We took a cruise ship bus up to Lerici, Italy, which is located on a natural bay discovered by the Romans. Lerici is a nice nautical town with lots of boats docked including some very large yachts. We took the rubber boat across to the other side of the bay or to Porto Venere. This was also our first visit to Porto Venere. Porto Venere is a village on the Ligurian coast of northwestern Italy. It's known for Porto Venere Regional Natural Park, a protected area with trails and dive sites. The park encompasses Palmaria Island, dotted with beaches and caves. The Gothic-style Church of St. Peter sits atop a rocky headland. We walked the local streets up to St. Peter, but did not go inside St. Peter. Nearby is the centuries-old Castello Doria, an imposing cliff top fortress with views of the Gulf of Poets. More to come regarding our lunch in Porto Venere before we returned to Lerici on our two rubber boats.

We arrived here on a weekday around 11am. The parcheggio was already full, but there was no line…read more(yet). So we just waited until a car left the lot. Which only took 2-3mins. The spaces are a bit narrow. We had a long station wagon, but the space was big and long enough, just let your passengers exit first maybe. Charge was 2 Euro an hour, which I think is fair for the location. Because it's only a few steps to the old towns southern entrance. Later on the parking lot was packed and cars weren't even allowed to line up anymore. The next bigger lot is at the northern end. This location here is a lot better, so don't show up to late if possible. Paying is cash or credit card. Very simple, very safe. Felt secure leaving my car here. San Gimignano is a fantastic little old town. If you are anywhere near this area, don't miss it!

We stayed in Cinque Terre and wanted a place that wasn't totally quiet (Corniglia) or super busy…read more(Montarosso), so settled on Riomaggiore and glad we booked this place. The walk up the hill is a bit inconvenient, but the friendly service was amazing. Enrico spent time with us when we checked in, going thru where to hike, helping us get the Cinque Terre card, plus there is daily complimentary breakfast 8a-10a which was awesome - I got my yogurt and oats, prosciutto and cheese sandwich (the bread is fantastic), and croissants and other pastries, not to mention the espressos and teas and juices, and fruits! Highly recommend for the breakfast and kindness. You probably won't get the same kind of help, kindness and attention in other areas or other hotels. It made our stay 10/10.

Enrico and his wife are wonderful hosts. We had a lovely unit (#1) at the top of the building with…read morea nice patio to sit at. We could even catch a slight glimpse of the water from our patio. The morning breakfast spread was nice- croissants, cereal, fruit, meat, juice, and freshly made cappuccinos. The hotel is up the hill from all the restaurants, shops, and train station. We wanted to hike, so Enrico gave us great directions and tips to guide us in the correct direction. Highly recommended.