This Town Has The Most Strikingly Beautiful Views In Italy’s Cinque Terre, Per Rick Steves

Cinque Terre was once an isolated section of the Italian Coast that was only known to a handful of savvy travelers and the locals who called the picturesque fishing villages home. Over the past decade, the area has exploded in popularity. Now, Cinque Terre is one of Italy’s tourist hot spots.

Even though they’re no longer hidden gems, the villages perched along the cliffy coast of the Ligurian Sea have retained much of their original charm. Rick Steves, one of the world’s top European travel experts, went so far as to call Cinque Terre “one of God’s great gifts to tourism” in an article posted on his website. He has been traveling to Europe since he was a young teen and spends several months out of each year exploring the continent. He’s been just about everywhere — so that’s some seriously high praise coming from him.

There are five different villages to choose from, and they’re similar to each other in many ways, according to Rick Steves. “Each village is a variation of the same theme: a well-whittled, pastel jumble of homes — some perched on steep hillsides, some sloping into ravines — clinging to their hillsides like crusty sea creatures in a tide pool,” he wrote. “All five are nestled among the rocky vineyards that have allowed generations to quietly flourish here.” He adores the fact that the villages are car free and believes that they’re the perfect antithesis to the buzzy glamour of the Riviera. Although Vernazza is Rick Steves’ favorite town out of the five, he suggests heading to Manarola for the very best views.

Read more: Dangerous European Destinations To Skip On Your Next Trip

Traveling to magical Manarola

With a full-time population of less than 400 people, Manarola is one of the smaller villages of Cinque Terre but also one of the most popular among tourists due to its beautiful scenery. It’s perched high on the cliffs and has a small port where fishing boats dock. Rick Steves says the village is a “picturesque tumble of buildings bunny-hopping down its ravine to a wild little harbor.” You’ve probably seen photos of colorful houses perched on the cliffs of Manarola dotting your social media feed and scattered throughout the pages of travel magazines.

The simplest way to get to Manarola and Cinque Terre is to fly into Milan, one of the world’s most famous shopping cities. From there, the region is easily reached by train. The trip takes about three hours, and train tickets cost about $40 each way. You can take the train to Manarola, but for the best views, consider walking along one of the hiking trails or taking a boat from one of the larger towns. According to Steves the hiking trail that connects the villages winds around Manarola’s cemetery along the peninsula and “affords some of the most strikingly beautiful town views anywhere in the region.”

Within Manarola, there are several different accommodation options. Since the area is so popular, you’ll want to book your reservations well in advance. Steves recommends staying in the village as opposed to booking accommodations outside of Cinque Terre so that you can experience the town at its quietest. Early morning and late evening are the best times to explore this Italian town if you want to avoid crowds. Choose between small hotels and cozy apartment rentals with prices starting in the low $100s per night and going up from there.

Making the most of your trip to Manarola

Manarola, along with the rest of Cinque Terre, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a national park. There are several hiking trails connecting the villages; one is called the Blue Path, and it’s 7.5 miles long. Hikers can enjoy views of the beautiful Italian coastline along the path the entire way. Portions of the trail are quite steep, and it will certainly get your heart pumping on a hot summer day, but the scenery is well worth the physical exertion.

After you’ve done some hiking, spend some time leisurely exploring the historic sites around the village. Manarola has been inhabited since at least the 1200s, and there are still some remnants of the original medieval architecture around town. The Church of San Lorenzo, which has a Gothic-style facade, a Baroque interior, and a pretty rose window, was built in 1338. The ruins of a castle constructed in the 1200s are also worth checking out.

During peak tourist season, Manarola can become very crowded, with the busiest months being May, June, September, and October, according to Rick Steves. Don’t let the crowds deter you from visiting, though. “While the region is now well-discovered and can get jam-packed, I’ve never seen happier, more relaxed tourists,” Rick Steves wrote. To avoid the worst of the crowds, Steves suggested avoiding town during the middle of the day and using that time to try a unique activity like a wine tasting or a cooking class. “This is the place to take a sightseeing breather, and inhale slower-paced Italian culture in perhaps its purest form,” he wrote.

Ready to discover more hidden gems and expert travel tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter for access to the world’s best-kept travel secrets. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.

Read the original article on Explore.