Cinque Terre, a colorful palette by the sea

Cinque Terre have everything needed to make me weak at the knees: blue sea, colorful houses, flowers everywhere and delicious focaccias! I had an instant crush on these colorful palettes by the sea!

"Cinque Terre" means five lands: this name is referred to the five centuries-old seaside villages on the rocky Italian Riviera coastline.

Before leaving I asked for some practical info to some Facebook travel groups; in particular, saraesploratrice, pretapartirconchiara and mangiaviaggiaama have been very helpful: they gave me a general idea about how to move there through their articles.
Yes, I know, I'd never been there and I should be ashamed, but I've fixed it now, haven't I? 😝

When we visited the Cinque Terre we were based in Pietrasanta(Tuscany): from there we took a regional train to La Spezia. At La Spezia station we bought the daily Cinque Terre Card for 12€ each, which gave us free access to the train running through the lands, the bus in Corniglia, the public toilet and the National Park area.

Then, because I suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (FALSE, I'm just quite methodical, understood Marta?!) I wanted to visit the Cinque Terre in order starting from North 😏 And with this order l'll describe them here on my blog (which is also beautifully tidy as I like it!)

Monterosso is definitely the biggest of the sisters.
Just outside the station you'll find the promenade, a pebbly beach and clear blue sea.
Walking along the shore heading south, through a tunnel, you'll arrive at the real village: a cluster of houses, shops and small restaurants rising in the shady internal alleys.
It was only 11:30 and we couldn't help but buy a pesto focaccia, eaten sitting on a bench in the square.
Delicious!!

For Vernazza it has been love at first sight!
Small, huddled up, laid on the sea, with pink and yellow houses and the fishermen boats.
Just climbing a little bit the path going up the mountain (here you will be asked to show the Cinque Terre Card, because you're entering the National Park area) a spectacular view will catch your eyes!

It was Corniglia turn, then ...meh 😒
It was certainly the one that I enjoyed the less, although it's a fraction of the town of Vernazza.
It's located on a promontory 100 meters high, surrounded by terraces and vineyards; to get there you need to climb a long staircase or just catch the tiny bus running from the train station to the center and vice versa (the Cinque Terre Card is gonna be helpful).
Certainly its location between Vernazza and Manarola does not help, 'cause the two neighbor lands are extremely more beautiful.
I found it bare, bald, a bit too "broken".

Manarola heartened me again 😊
Similar to Vernazza in some ways, with colorful houses and fishing boats parked on the narrow streets, but older and with more restaurants and shops.
Adorable!

And finally Riomaggiore, a real crib overlooking the sea.
Just outside the station, walk through a tunnel leading to Via Colombo, the center of the village filled with restaurants, bars and shops.
We took a drink under a beach umbrella overlooking the harbor, enjoying the atmosphere and the bustle of the people, the old men walking slowly and the children playing in the square, just like when I was a child 😊

I visited the Cinque Terre in middle May, the weather was perfect! Sunny, warm, the whole place was touristy but not overcrowded.
I suppose waiting a few weeks it would have been enough to be able to swim!
I loved the fact that they were all closed to traffic: the only ways to reach them is by boat, by train or walking along the National Park paths.
One day is enough to visit all of them, anyway: you'll easily realize why they're in the UNESCO World Heritage List !

P.S.
Marta is a former colleague of mine: she's extremely messy and she used to love messing up my desk during my absence.
Guess what she told me once?
"You know, Flavia, I'd prefer sleeping under the bridge rather than being guest at your place!"
😧