[Fall Italy Vacation] Day 07: Cinque Terre via La Spezia - 2D1N at Vernazza

Heading to La Spezia from Florence takes about a 3 hour journey. We left our huge luggage with a luggage storing service called 'Bounce Luggage Storage' upon reaching La Spezia Centrale Station, and the cost for each luggage was approximately 5 euros per day. We only packed the essential/necessary items we needed into our haversacks for a 2D1N trip to Cinque Terre!

The easiest way to get to Cinque Terre is to take the train from La Spezia which connects us to any of the other train stations at the five magical villages in Cinque Terre.

We booked a night's stay in an apartment at the village of Vernazza. It is considered one of the most beautiful villages of Cinque Terre.

Cinque Terre started as a collection of fishing villages, and now, it is one of the top travel destinations in Italy. It is known for its cliffside villas and endless hiking and walking paths. It maintains an authentic atmosphere, and it is the perfect vacation for hiking and relaxation while exploring most of the villages.

Do note that, accommodation in Cinque Terre is rather pricey, so be prepared to pay more for a standard room than anywhere else in Italy. Bear in mind that many properties in Cinque Terre can involve a climb to reach them, so if mobility is a concern, be sure to double-check the location, as trudging through the villages on uneven terrain with heavy luggage will NOT be fun.

Cinque Terre is simply breathtakingly beautiful, and it has a mass tourist following. YES, it is really crowded, even in the low season, so I can't imagine what it is like during the peak season! It's a good thing that the crowds were still acceptable during the low season when I visited in November.

We took the train to Monterosso and we started our trip around Cinque Terre. It is a village with a beloved sandy beach along the coast.

We bought some street food to share between us while enjoying the beach breeze. The calamari tasted pretty tasty. 

I enjoyed the Lemonade Slushie very much! 

The next day, after having our self-prepared soup pasta, we checked out of the room and headed straight to our next village - Corniglia 

Corniglia is one of the villages which is most commonly left out of a Tourist's plans, mainly because the village is the only one not directly near to the sea or train station. It's actually perched HIGH above a cliff which will require some hiking.

To reach the village from the train station, we climbed up a total of 377 steps of the staircase. In comparison to some of the other villages of Cinque Terre we went, Corniglia is definitely a little less spectacular and has a bit of a different vibe too. 

A small video-clip to sum up our hike-up to the town of Corniglia

To be honest, one day in Cinque Terre doesn’t give us ample time to see every corner of the region, but we managed to see most of it!

 

It was time to catch our 4-hour train ride to Rome from La Spezia. We picked up our luggage from the storage area, and everything went smooth. We even had ample time to have a light late lunch before boarding the train. Stay tuned for my next outing in this beautiful ancient city of Rome…