I love this place. It's as pretty as it is in pictures…read more Short story: Woke up at 6am to catch the 7am train to Cinque Terre and guess what?! The train conductors decided to go on strike that day. People at the station said all regional trains are canceled this morning. I was about to cry because the #1 thing I most looked forward to was visiting Cinque Terre on this trip. Everything happens for a reason, right? Somehow at 9am, a train decided to take off going to Pisa, which connects to Cinque Terre. We got to Cinque Terre around 11:30am. Late start to the day but I finally got there. I visited and walked all 5 towns. Each one is special in it's own way. The five towns are called Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Most people would say Manarola is the prettiest, not going to disagree with that but I actually love Corniglia the most. Maybe because you have to climb a few (a lot) steps to get there. It's small and charming once you get to the top and you can see Manarola. I had the best gelato there and I have eating a lot of gelato during my 2 week trip in Italy. Each town has their own special food too. A lot of street food which was awesome. When I do visit again, I would stay a night at least to do the full hike and enjoy all the towns a little more. I cant wait to get back.

Cinque Terre translated into English is roughy "5 Lands" but it is more like "5 Villages."…read more Daniele was a great tour guide! He is very knowledgeable and passionate about his village of Manarola... And the other 4 "Cinque Terre!" The villages are only accessible by local trains from La Spezia train station or Levanto. It takes about 15min to arrive to Manarola from la Spezia (but take an earlier train because Italian trains are often very late and crowded!) We did the morning tour, meeting Daniele close to the marina at 9:45am. There were 12 of us on the boat (all Americans so communication was easy). Daniele speaks almost perfect English so the tour went very smoothly. He drove us past the Cinque Terre giving a very nice history of how his forefathers turned a very steep/rock facade into a fertile farming area. Fighting off pirate attacks and later becoming fishermen. Cinque Terre has a very deep and amazing history that Daniele tells as you pass some of the most beautiful scenery! Daniele stopped the boat for two separate swims in the Mediterranean Sea! Daniele was very helpful as to where to swim and not to. How not to use your legs (avoiding kicking the rocks) and how to climb the rocks without slipping! We dove off rocks, took a refreshing shower in a natural waterfall and swam the clearest of blue water! I cannot say enough of Daniele and his 2.5hr tour! He provides beer, water, wine, sodas. He was considerate to the children on our tour who began feeling a little sea sick. Bring sun screen!!!! There is no room on his boat for your luggage; we left ours in a "Left Luggage" for $9 euro (3 bags) at La Spezia Train Station. Hotels are NOT easy to find in Cinque Terre so make reservations far in advance or stay outside in La Spezia.

Gabriel, the proprietor and your host, is my new patron saint for travel. This is a simple…read morehotel....similar room to what you'd find in a holiday inn express stateside. But the ambience of Monterosso, the sighs, sounds and smells are truly upgrades in every other way. And Gabriel is a humble but charming man who will engage you proactively, ensuring you are enjoying your stay with him. He is literally the chief cook and bottle washer in addition to concierge and manager....one man band. So his demeanor is five star....I've not experienced such service in ages. Wonderful experience.

If we go back to Cinque Terre (which we will because it is our favorite place in the world), we…read morewill definitely stay here again. Gabriele is the owner and he is the NICEST man you will ever meet. He is so helpful and so accommodating, we absolutely loved staying at his hotel. The rooms are a nice size, clean, and comfortable, there is free breakfast in the morning on the terrace. And, if you would like, you can have drinks in the evening on the rooftop deck that has a great view of the sea. The hotel is in a great location, just off the main square in Old Monterosso, surrounded by delicious restaurants and a short walk to the beach. We have to take a minute to really thank Gabriele for suggesting some stellar restaurants, taking the time to help us book a reservation for one of our later stops on our trip, for lugging our SUPER HEAVY luggage upstairs, and for welcoming us with such warmth. We will definitely recommend this hotel to anyone we know traveling to Cinque Terre and we look forward to staying here again.

Grazie Stella Marina per averci accolto e averci dato una delle migliore vacanze…read more È stato facilissimo prenotare il nostro ombrellone online su spiagge.it ma si può fare anche sul posto. Hanno di tutto, pizzette, birre, cocktail, gelato, quello che vuoi. Il posto è bello pulito con i bagni privati e i spogliatoi convenienti se ti devi cambiare. Il mare era proprio turchese e bellissimo da questo posto! Ci siamo veramente goduti la giornata al mare poi con una bella birra e spritz fatto al bar con prezzi decenti. Ottimo stabilimento, tornerei volentieri. Siccome eravamo stati qui nei primi giorni di Giugno non c'era troppa gente sulla spiaggia. Direi tantissimo di prendere un ombrellone a qualsiasi spiaggia privata dato che quelle pubbliche sono molto affollate e hanno un sacco di rocche, quindi per sdraiarti per terra è un po' scomodo.

On a recent trip to Italy, I visited this Italian supermarket, tucked away near the marina of La…read moreSpezia. You'll find all the canned and boxed food products, wine, fresh produce, snacks, candies, drinks, and dry goods you'd typically expect in a traditional supermarket as well as a deli area that serves up fresh focaccia and other Italian goodies. I enjoyed their selection of wine and thought the prices on most items were fairly reasonable as well. This supermarket chain also sells their own PAM food items like balsamic cream for a very reasonable price as well. If you're traveling and want to prepare a meal at your residence, or need some extra toothpaste, this is a great place to stop in for everything you need.