We can't believe it. We are sitting at a table, at an outdoor terrace, at the far end of a cliff in Cinque Terre. Sea View. A cold beer in hand. How could we be so lucky? Is this happiness? Our last stop in Cinque Terre is Riomaggiore, which both charms and surprises.
It scents of rosemary and grilled fish. The sun gasses from the April sky and we navigate our way through crowds, fishing boats and dripping ice cream cones. Riomaggiore is the southernmost of the five Cinque Terre villages and the first village you meet when you arrive here by train from La Spezia. For us it is the last village we visit in Cinque Terre, after Vernazza, Manarola and Monterosso al Mare. I quickly got over the familiarity with Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza tickled my stomach a little. Manarola, on the other hand... Mama Mia! What a beauty! Should I stay in Riomaggiore at all, when I have already seen the most beautiful village of the Cinque Terre?
I get off the train. Set for this to be a quick stop. But I was wrong.
A tunnel of blue fish mosaics takes us through the mountain to the heart of the village. Towards the harbor and the famous view of the steep, pastel-colored village. The village located in a narrow little ravine, surrounded by vines, lemon trees and olive groves. I'm a little surprised. There are not as many visitors here as in Vernazza or Manarola.
The boats lie pulled up in the small bay in the middle of the village. Here there is no real fishing harbor with bobbing small fishing boats like in the other villages, here there is also no beach, Rather just a place for boats to be launched and pulled up. On one of the boats is a worn sticker with the word Hammarplast. Swedish Hammarplast from Tingsryd, here in little Riomaggiore? They never made boats did they?
We walk up towards the cliff and the sea to look at the view of Riomaggiore. This is probably the steepest of the five villages in Cinque Terre and the houses are very close together. We approach the viewpoint. A small café with small square tables is right on the edge of the cliff. One of the small tables is vacant. The best view. Three chairs. We look around. Is no one about to take the vacant seat? A few seconds pass. The seat is still vacant. I start walking towards it, with rather determined steps.
I may be walking a little faster than usual, but the table is still free when I arrive. We sit down and order a pastry for the younger traveler and two cold beers for us older travelers. The sunglasses go on. The view of the striped cliffs and the village is incomparable. The prices at the café were also affordable.
We sit for a good while on the outdoor terrace and enjoy the people's life, the sun and the boats that pass by in the turquoise water. The laundry sways in the wind, as it has probably done ever since the village was born in the 13th century. I watch crowds of tourists defying death sitting on the ledge above the harbor trying to take the perfect selfie. A girl is about to fall off the cliff to get her selfie. I myself don't take a single card on myself. I'm just sitting here. And enjoying.
What is Riomaggiore?
Riomaggiore is one of the five villages of the Cinque Terre. The village is located 1,5 miles west of La Spezia in Liguria, Italy. The train journey from La Spezia takes 6 minutes.
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Do you want to read more from Italy?
- Look into my Italy page
- Do you want to read more about the villages of Cinque Terre? Check out my post about Vernazza, Manarola or Monterosso al Mare.
- The easiest and fastest way to travel around Cinque Terre? The answer is trains! Read more at my train side!
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Definitely our favorite village after Vernazza. Unfortunately, there were far too many people in Manarola for us to appreciate the village :). Beautiful pictures as usual.
Thank you Daniela! Yes, not entirely easy to appreciate Cinque Terre when there are too many people. I almost panic if I have to go and crowd with other people, it doesn't matter if I'm in the most beautiful place in the world. I cannot appreciate beauty when I am surrounded by a crowd of people.
Msn loves Cinque Terre! We stayed in a penthouse with a huge terrace in Riomaggiore and wandered between the villages. Often we were completely alone on the trails! Even though it was during an Ascension weekend. The trains, on the other hand, were packed.
But oh so dreamy! Had you rented via airbnb? Ascension probably a better weekend to visit Cinque Terre, we were there the week before Easter. Long holidays are usually not good if you want to visit popular destinations :)
Wonderful colors and pictures! Oh how I long for Italy now!
Thank you! You must go here soon - you would love all the colors and all the good food!
Oh I have to go there too! :)
It really is as nice as it looks in the pictures! :) Try to go here when it's not a high weekend only - I had missed that Easter is the biggest holiday for Italians to travel around the country…
Wonderful place, can't wait to go back!