Italy – awaywithdeniz.com

Quick Guide: Cinque Terre

Deniz — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 08:41:24 +0000

I’m sure you have already heard about the famous Cinque Terre in the northwest of Italy. Do you also know that Cinque Terre is a protected national park and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Clearly, Cinque Terre is a very special place that you have to visit at least once in your lifetime. The only downside is that it gets too crowded during summer.

The easiest way to visit all five villages of Cinque Terre is by the regional train line called Cinque Terre Express that goes back and forth. If you take the train in Monteresso, you will first arrive to Vernazza, then Corniglia, Manarola and finally Riomaggiore.

Monterosso Al Mare is the largest one of the Cinque Terre villages and also the easiest one to visit and also swim. It has a very long beach with side by side orange and blue coloured umbrellas and deck chairs. What I like about Italian beaches is that they separate each beach with umbrellas and deck chairs in different colours. It makes such a nice view.

Monterosso’s symbol is “Il Gigante”, which is a huge concrete statute of Neptune (the Sea God) built in the early 1900s. It was unfortunately damaged a lot during World War II bombings and sea storms. There are many cafes and restaurants overlooking the sea and a promenade where you can walk along without being disturbed by the traffic and take photographs of the beautiful beach.

There are actually two parts of this town, the old one and the new one. The seaside is the new town and you can go to the old town by walking through the under ground tunnel. The old town looks like any other small village in this area with pastel coloured buildings, cute little shops and restaurants.

Monterosso

Vernazza is considered the most beautiful one of the Cinque Terre villages. It is true that the view of Vernazza is like a postcard with the Santa Margherita di Antiochia Church overlooking the little port.

Vernazza

There is a very nice restaurant in Manarola called Da Aristide (Via Antonio Discovolo, 19017) with a small balcony on the street side. We had the best octopus and potato salad in this restaurant.

The famous Via dell’Amore (Lovers’ Lane) starts in Riomaggioreand leads to Manarola. Unfortunately this lane has been closed due to safety concerns and is expected to reopen in 2021.

Manarola

The best beach town in Cinque Terre: Monterosso Al Mare

Deniz — Sat, 22 Sep 2018 10:40:50 +0000

My parents made a super decision last winter and rented a flat on airbnb in Santa Margherita for this September. Since there was enough space for all of us, Mark and I went to visit them last week. It was our second time there as our first trip abroad as a couple two years ago was to this cute little beach town. In my opinion, Santa Margherita is the prettiest town in Liguria and if you’re curious about it, you can read about it more in my “A beauty in the Italian riviera” post.

As we have all been to Santa Margherita before, we took this opportunity to visit other places around like Lucca and Cinque Terre. In this post, I’m going to tell you about our trip to Monterosso Al Mare, one of the Cinque Terre villages.

Monterosso Al Mare

We drove from Santa Margherita to Monterosso and it took just over an hour. Once we exited the highway, a very windy road was waiting for us but the good news is we could drive to the seaside, where there was a large car park. By the way, along the way there is also a sign for “Monterosso” but you should keep following the “Monterosso Al Mare” sign. If you don’t want to drive or didn’t rent a car, it is also possible to take the train from SM to Monterosso.

Monterosso means Red Mountain in Italian. I read somewhere that the name comes from a family with red hair that used to rule the village but I’m not sure whether it is true. Monterosso is the largest one of the Cinque Terre villages and easiest to visit and also swim. It has a very long beach with side by side orange and blue coloured umbrellas and deck chairs. What I like about Italian beaches is that they separate each beach with umbrellas and deck chairs in different colours. It makes such a nice view. If you have watched the movie “The Talented Mr. Ripley”, you’ll understand what I mean. The movie was filmed in San Remo but it has the same air about it.

Monterosso Al Mare

If you make some research regarding Monterosso Al Mare, the word you will most come across is “Il Gigante”. It’s a huge concrete statute of Neptune (the Sea God) built in the early 1900s, which became the symbol of the town. It was unfortunately damaged a lot during World War II bombings and sea storms.

There are many cafes and restaurants overlooking the sea and a promenade where you can walk without being disturbed by the traffic and take photographs of the beautiful beach. We all had an espresso in one of the cafes before exploring this little town. Summerhouses covered by bougainvillaea were so charming; we couldn’t stop imagining what it would be like to have a summerhouse there.

There are actually two parts of this town, the old one and the new one. The seaside is the new town and you can go to the old town by walking through the underground tunnel. The old town looks like any other small village in this area with pastel coloured buildings, cute little shops and restaurants.

After Monterosso we took the train to go to Vernazza and Manarola. The easiest way to visit all five villages of Cinque Terre is by train that comes and goes back and forth. I’m going to write a separate post for other Cinque Terre villages.

Monterosso Al Mare

A Beauty in the Italian Riviera: Santa Margherita Ligure

Deniz — Sun, 08 Oct 2017 22:38:15 +0000

Portofino may be the star of Italian Riviera but Santa Margherita Liguria, just six km from Portofino, is another paradise waiting for you. This lovely little town is perfect for nice walks along the seaside with the view of pastel coloured houses and spending time on a beach during summer. It feels like everything is made to make you happy.

Piazza Caprera, the main square of Santa Margherita, is a large square in front of the magnificent baroque church, Chiesa di Santa Margherita d’Antiochia, with nice boutiques and bakeries.

Villa Durazzo is the most touristic monument in Santa Magherita. It was built in 1678 by Durazzo Family as a summerhouse and became property of the Municipality in 1973, who turned it into a museum with a prefect view over the bay.

From Santa Margherita you can either walk (about 5 km) or drive to Portofino. A surprise will be waiting for you between Santa Margherita and Portofino called Praggi. It’s a small lovely bay looking like heaven on earth.

Where to stay?

One of the most beautiful places to stay in Santa Margherita is Lido Palace Hotel just in the middle of the bay on the main avenue by the beach. To really enjoy the location of this hotel, you should stay in one of the sea view rooms. You’ll understand what I mean when you see the sunrise between the palm trees in front of your window.

Hotel Continental is another nice hotel on the way to Rapallo with its own beach.

If you’re looking for a luxurious hotel, you should definitely go to Imperiale Palace Hotel.

Where to Eat?

Da Nello – Imagine an Italian restaurant just next to the sea, with your feet almost in the water and serving delicious food. If you like the sound it, Da Nello will be your favourite restaurant. Via A. Gramsci, 105, 16038 Santa MargheritaLiguria Tel: +39 0185 286505

Da Nello

Da Michele – A traditional Italian restaurant near the Piazza Caprera. Via G Amendola, 17, 16038 Santa Margherita Liguria Tel: +39 0185 283660

Ristorante Pizzeria Palma – You can’t come back from Italy without eating pizza. Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 9, 16038 Santa Margherita Liguria GE, Italy Tel: +39 0185 287436

Bar Piero – Best place for nice cocktails and snacks. Bar Piero is a busy place the whole week, even on Sundays. Don’t be surprised when they offer you small sandwiches and a nice charcuterie plate for free with your cocktails. Bar PieroVia V. Veneto, 6, 16038 Santa Margherita Liguria GE, Italy Tel: +39 0185 287514