islandmom

Can you please give me details of what to do in Cinque Terre for 6 days? The best spots for safe hiking, great food, culture, markets, boats etc. Thanks!

Huitres

6 days is a lot for Riomaggiore and the Cinque Terre in general. You can easily see all the 5 villages in 1 day, however, you can spread them out during your stay to make it more interesting.

I have family friends in Riomaggiore and from there, you can take a hike up the mountain to the old convent on the top of the hill. The views are spectacular and it is not too overwhelming of a walk (I am not the hiker sort). As for restaurants in Riomaggiore, "La Grotta" is a nice restaurant featuring Ligurian specialties (pesto dishes, seafood, etc) at the base of the town street (Via Gasperi) on the R side as you exit the train station walkway/overpass. Further up the hill, the "Ripa Al Sole" (near the Hotel Villa Argentina) is a nice restaurant for seafood specialties, pasta, etc. It is more expensive than La Grotta, but there are views overlooking the town, ocean and it is nice.

Also, you can walk the easy Via Dell'More from Riomaggiore to Manarola in about 20+ minutes along the ocean path. In Manarola, "Il Porticello" is a fabulous trattoria owned by a local family (their sons are the cooks) with regional specialties, etc. It is on the R side as you head down towards the harborfront. From Manarola, you can walk up the mountain to the town above it, La Volastra. It is rather desolate, but there are some neat photo vantage points of olive groves, the coastline, as well as a church, a couple restaurants, and even a pirate's grave to see! (Barbarosso used to raid the Riviera coastline during the Middle Ages)

You can also take the 5Terre boats from town to town (schedule attached) http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti....sorio_2006.pdf

There are also local, 5-digit trains from town to town. Average train time is 5-7 minutes between towns so very quick and inexpensive. You might buy a 'Cinque Terre card' for the time that you will be there that offers you discounts on the trails, trains, etc. These are available for purchase in any of the 5 train station offices in the towns.

If you want more information, enter "Cinque Terre" in the search box and it will pull up various other threads I have responded to, as well as others' contributions. Buon viaggio!

nessundorma

For variety, you can take the boat to Portovenere or the train to Genoa (especially a good thing on a rainy day).

bobthenavigator

I am curious why you are asking now. You must have had a reason for booking 6 days there. I would find it very isolated for 6 days.

islandmom

Okay, I changed it to 4, thanks!