Catching the ferry to Riomaggiore in Cinque Terre, Italy

It was our last day in Italy’s beautiful Cinque Terre, and we wanted to make the most of it. We still had two villages to explore, so, like our first trip to Vernazza, we hopped on the ferry in the morning to make our way to the last village – Riomaggiore.

The ferry that runs up and down the beautiful coastline between the villages of Cinque Terre is a great way to explore the area. Catching the train and hiking between the villages is nice, but it is from the water that you really get a proper view of the villages. On this particular day we would get a view of all five of the villages, leaving from Monterosso al Mare, stopping at Vernazza, passing Corniglia and Manarola and finally hopping off at Riomaggiore.

The smell of the warm salty Mediterranean air is soothing with the rock of the boat and the soft splashing of the sea in it’s wake, and the views are spectacular on a warm sunny day.

Passing Vernazza

Corniglia

Manarola

Approaching Riomaggiore

When we eventually reached Riomaggiore, the walkway was extended to the rocky pier, the captain expertly keeping the boat still as we all hopped off to explore the town. From the pier we had to walk up some stairs along the cliff, and as we rounded the corner we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the village. The typical colourful boats of the Cinque Terre rocked calmly in the small man made harbour, with others sitting up out of the water nearby.

Hopping off the ferry at Riomaggiore

View of Riomaggiore

The harbour in Riomaggiore

The main central street makes it’s way up through the tiny village, with it’s colourful houses and buildings rising up above it. Shops and cafes line the street, and we found ourselves sampling some of the local food as we explored the town further.

The main street through town

Our plan was to walk to Manarola from here, so as we climbed up the hill through the town, we found ourselves at a beautiful little church with views out across the rooftops of Riomaggiore.

San Giovanni Battista Church

Rooftop views across Riomaggiore

The Cinque Terre continued to impress, and as we located the path to Manarola, I knew for sure that I would have to come back to this beautiful part of Italy.