I have my heart set on seeing Vernazza, but alas I catch the wrong train and end-up in th beautiful town of Monterosso. I stop and survey the place and only spend a few hours here before heading on to Manarola (you can you check-out my review of Manarola here). I do recommend a visit to Monterosso, it has one of the best beaches in the Cinque Terre and some amazing gelato and beachside dining options.
The beach is stunning and weather proves a perfect match on the day.
Gelato
I walk into one of the beachfront stalls and order a two scoop gelato in a crunchy waffle cone!
I walk along the beachfront, enjoying the idylic views of the sea and the ice-cream together. Its a lovely sight. The soft creaminess of the gelato is paired with a nice deep mapley crunch of the waffle cone and the sea breeze floats through to round-out a relaxing couple of hours on the beach.
The towns in the Cinque Terre are similar (rocky terrain, the Mediterranean Sea, the colourful houses on the cliffs etc.) but they do have their defining features, which means they do deserve a visit on their own. I wave goodbye to Monterosso and make my way to the station… I do of course take one last look at the beautiful beach, before I say bye.
All of these Cinque Terra villages are super…but better if you go off-season when the hoards of tourists have lessened…
I am loving having found your blog.
Thank you! Yes, the Cinque Terra is so beautiful and off-season is the best (May) as you get some of the towns all to yourself