Wandering Around Monterosso in Cinque Terre, Italy

We had just completed a rush two hour visit to Pisa at the end of our week in Tuscany, as we had to drop our rental car off at the airport (the only depot that was open on a Sunday). From Pisa we were heading to our next destination on our tour of Italy, the famous Cinque Terre.

It took three rather short train rides to get there from the Pisa Airport. The first to the main Pisa train station, then to the city of La Spezia, followed by yet another train that travels through the spectacular coastline of the Cinque Terre. The train line mostly travels through tunnels in the steep mountainside, only exiting as it stopped at the five towns that make up the Cinque Terre. Our destination was the last, but largest village – Monterosso al Mare.

We arrived as it started to rain, so our first impression of Monterosso wasn’t quite as we expected, as the beaches were empty and everyone walked around with umbrellas. When the rain died down to a drizzle we took the short walk from the train station into the center of town.

Although the weather had dampened my mood, I was instantly impressed with the little town. Tiny narrow streets and alleyways made their way between picturesque little buildings. Interesting shops, cafes and restaurants lined the streets, and as we got lost trying to find our room that we had rented, I couldn’t wait to get out and explore the town some more.

A fruit stall on the side of a street in Monterosso

A typical street view in Monterosso

That night we found a lovely little ristorante where we sampled some pesto pasta, something that the area is famous for. Absolutely delicious!

In the morning, we awoke to beautiful blue skies and were excited to get out and start our exploration of this picturesque area. Today we were planning on taking the ferry to Vernazza (the next village along the coast) and then hiking to the next town – Corniglia. First, we explored Monterosso some more by wandering through it’s streets, past it’s church and bell tower and then down to the beach and pier where we awaited our ferry.

Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista – an early 14th century church in the heart of Monterosso

Inside the church

View of the campanile (bell and clock tower)

View of the main beach in Monterosso with the 16th century Torre Aurora in the background

View of the town from the pier

Although Monterosso al Mare is a tourist hot spot and it’s certainly not cheap, I was impressed with the beauty and history of the town and it’s location. As I waited at the pier for the ferry to arrive, I was excited to see what else the Cinque Terre had to offer.

Have you been to Monterosso or anywhere else in the Cinque Terre? What did you like most about it?