A week in Northern Italy

Liguria - Cinque Terre - Bologna - Florence (pt.1)

TO-DO LIST

- picturesque train ride in style

- stay in the Italian villa

- swim in a secluded rocky beach

- wonder the colourful alleyways of Camogli

- cook an authentic Italian meal

- visit an architectural marvel that is Villa Durazzo

- shop antiques in Santa Margherita Liguria

- lunch in a chic cave

- hike from Santa Margherita to Portofino

- visit Cinque Terre - UNESCO World Heritage Site

- Dine at Trattoria dal Billy in Manarola

- Drink Sciacchetrà wine in Cinque Terre

- have a boat ride along the coast of colourful Italian houses and the rocky coast

- eat as much seafood as you possibly can - it is the best here!

DAY 1

MORNING

On the road - in style.

Milan airport would probably be one of the most convenient and cost-efficient places for us to start from. So here we are, on stop number 1, Milan Airpot -> Milano Centrale*

When we [hedonists] travel, we travel in style. We take time, enjoy each moment. We don't rush though the station with a takeaway sandwich and spend the time on the train on our phone. What we do is...we look around, we enjoy, we take in the moment.

Enter the station - look around. The beautiful building created by an Italian architect Ulisse Stacchini and called by Frank Lloyd Wright the most beautiful station in the World. The main hall of the station is all-together a new kind of art. Luckily, right there we see the LùBar - a little cart of a nice local restaurant offering amazing arancini and cannoli. We take some of those and coffee for the road. The train to Camogli, passing through the beautiful landscapes of Lombardi and Ligurian Sea.

*a separate post on top things to do in Milan is coming out in a few months

MILAN AIRPORT
MILANO CENTRALE
LU BAR
TRAIN TO CAMOGLI
VIEWS ON LOMBARDI AND LIGURIAN SEA

DAY PT.1

a swim on the private rocky beach

When staying in places like Camogli, it is always better to rent a house rather than say in a hotel. Booking and Airbnb offer a multitude of very authentic villas. When booking those, make sure it comes with an access to a private beach. In this region it is very common to have separate territories next to water that are situated behind the gates and only the owners of the villas have the keys.

Our place for a couple of days was a big pink stone house with marble floors and huge windows overlooking the city. Even though the interiors were simple, the house itself and the proximity to the sea was just what we were looking for!

So, making the most of our villa, we spent the day swimming, sunbathing on the rocky beach and enjoying the view on the western Italy coast. We sat and read some books on the terrace before going for a walk in the city.

SETTLE IN YOUR AUTHENTIC ITALIAN VILLA
READ A BOOK WHILE ENJOYING THE COASTAL ITALIAN VIEWS
SWIM AND UNWIND ON THE ROCKY BEACH

DAY PT.2

the city of Camogli

After a swim I'd suggest a walk in the city. It is beautiful and extremely cosy. Start by getting lost in the colourful alleyways - see some trompe l'oeil artwork, walk to the harbour and stop for a coffee.

The places I'd recommend to visit for lunch &/coffee: Cenobio dei Dogi Camogli, Fatamorgana, Ristorante Da Paolo, Sea Bar Bistingo.

*don't forget to go inside the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta

WONDER THE COLOURFUL ALLEYWAYS
BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA
LUNCH AT ONE OF THE PLACES FROM THE LIST
HARBOUR
TROMPE L'OEIL ARTWORK

EVENING

a dinner with a view, cozy evening streets of Camogli and a drink at a local bar overlooking the yacht bay

This pretty much sums it up. When looking for a villa to rent, make sure to also keep an eye for the outside terrace to be a part of the territory.

The city of Camogli offers a variety of nice restaurant, but nothing compares to the fresh fish and veggies from the local market paired with some local wines shipped from the nearby wineries. Pick up some Italian snacks (while going back from your walk) and have a feast on your terrace. Ours also had an amazing view, which made the whole evening even more festive!

After, head back to the city for some live music and a drink at one of the bars near the harbour.

PICK UP DELICACIES FROM THE LOCAL MARKET
DINNER ON THE TERRACE
LIVE MUSIC AND DRINK AT THE HARBOUR

DAY 2

MORNING

welcome to Santa Margherita Ligure!

Straight from the train station to Bar Pasticceria Oneto - a cup of coffee and a pastry for breakfast! Full and happy, peak inside the Chiesa di Santa Margherita. One of the most beautiful churches in the region.

Next stop in this beautiful city would be the infamous Villa Durazzo. This true architectural marvel with gardens, fountains and views both on the harbour and the city is non-describable. You just have to go there and see for yourself.

After your daily doze of art, architecture and culture, take a walk to the Marina di Santa Margherita Ligure. Next to the Marina very often you will find the Antique's Market. Many great finds there - from the porcelain tableware to the unique jewellery and house decorations.

Walking the Seaside Promenade you will reach the Sirena baths beach - a great place for a swim before your hour-long stroll to Portofino.

BAR PASTICCERIA ONETO
CHIESA DI SANTA MARGHERITA
VILLA DURAZZO
MARINA DI SANTA MARGGHERITA
ANTIQUES' MARKET
SEASIDE PROMENADE
BEACH

DAY

lunch in a cave and a scenic trail

A walk from Santa Margherita to Portofino takes about an hour. And in that hour you will get to enjoy a 5 km (equal to around 3 miles) - long trail along the coastal line rich in scenic views.

As the walk begins, I'd recommend to make a stop at the Buongustaio Doc Restorant. This place offers traditional Italian dishes, putting a special focus on pizzas during the day and fish courses in the evening. This place is situated inside a rock and you get the feeling that you are lunching in a cave but with the one with breathtaking views. There is also a terrace, where those views can be enjoyed even more.

Other places on the way include a couple of seaside villas, like the La Cervara and Castello Bonomi - stop for a minute to admire the beautiful architecture (the abbey can be visited but with the private tours and on certain days only).

On your way you will also encounter a couple of scenic beaches, including Baia Cannone, di Paraggi and di Niasca.

There are numerous viewpoints on the way to stop in awe. And in this whole route my personal favourite part is the Parco Regionale di Portofino. There you can take a couple more ways to go - rather than keep straight along the coast you can choose to climb some of the trails and go up the hill for even more diverse flora and fauna.

And so, soon after you pass the Baia Cannone, you will find yourself on the main plaza of Portofino!

*if you love diving, then Baia di Paraggi will be a heaven on earth for you - as the bottom of the sea is rich with corals and the marine life

COASTAL SCENIC WALK
BUONGUSTAIO DOC RESTAURANT
LA CERVARA
CASTELLO BONOMI
BAIA CANNONE
BAIA DI PARAGGI
BAIA DI NIASCA
DIVE FOR THE MAGNIFICENT CORALS
PARCO REGIONALE DI PORTOFINO

EVENING

find your love in Portofino

Historically a fishing village, Portofino gained its popularity for the famous parties and for being frequented by various celebrities. The city of the "Dolce Vita"! And, indeed, what's not to be enjoyed here? Crystal-clear water, picturesque houses, truly good food, harbour with shiny white yachts...

Even so, unless you came there on a yacht with a big group of friends for a fancy party, I would not recommend staying for too long: a look around, a meal and a picture. And then back to Camogli, Manarola or Santa Margherita.

Start by exploring the town. It is quite tiny, so you'll be able to see it all in about 30 minutes.

Then visit the infamous church - Chiesa di San Giorgio and move to the hotel Splendido for an aperitif.

Finish the evening on Portofino's Piazetta. Enjoy a nice meal, overlooking the harbour, in one of the various restaurants. I'd recommend Ristorante Taverna del Marinaio or Ristorante Puny.

PORTOFINO'S PIAZETTA
CHIESA DI SAN GIORGIO
APERITIF AT HOTEL SPLENDIDO
HARBOUR VIEWS
DINNER AT RISTORANTE DEL MARINAIO OR PUNY

DAY 3

SWIM AND SUNBATHE UNDER THE COLOURFUL UMBRELLAS OF MONTEROSSO
SENTINERO MONTEROSSO-VERNAZZA
RISTORANTE LA TERAZZA

MORNING

under the colourful umbrellas

We are spending our third day in Italy in Cinque Terre. What is this magical place? Cinque Terre (the land of 5 towns) is the rocky shoreline of picturesque houses and fields. The towns of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are all similar but oh so different and in this day we will try to see almost all of them.

We arrive in Monterosso, grab a coffee and a pastry at Wonderland Bakery. Then head straight to the beach. Under the colourful umbrellas we enjoy the morning sun and a swim.

Slow morning quickly turns into an active one, when we take the trail called "Sentiero Monterosso - Vernazza". It is a picturesque walk offering great views on the first two cities of Cinque Terre.

*if you decide to stay at the beach slightly longer and are feeling ready for lunch even before your little hike, I'd recommend Ristorante La Terrazza. They do lunches from 12:30 to 14:30 every day. The food is amazing and so are the views.

DAY

take to the sea!

Vernazza. Start your acquaintance with this city by grabbing a gelato - Gelateria Vernazza is a good place for just that. Then explore the little picturesque streets of Vernazza - the colourful alleyways that lead to the harbour and Santa Margherita di Antiochia Church. While exploring the town, don't forget to visit the sunny little store called Gocce di Byron. It offers some wonderful choices from the local perfume maker!

For lunch I'd recommend Il Gambero Rosso Vernazza. Enjoy some seafood and move to the harbour that is in close proximity. On the harbour hire a private boat to take you to Manarola.
This very likely might become one of the most picturesque boat rides of your life.

*Now, you might also stop at Corniglia first. This town can be reached via a hike trail from Vernazza or by train. This is the only town with no access to the water and that is the reason we skipped it - we wanted to enjoy the boat ride too much.
In Corniglia there are a couple of historic churches you can visit and a picturesque viewpoint called Saint Mary's Terrace.

EXPLORE THE COLOURFUL STREETS OF VERNAZZA
LUNCH AT IL GAMBERO ROSSO VERNAZZA
SHOP PERFUME AT GOCCE DI BYRON
ENJOY THE MOST PICTURESQUE BOAT RIDE OF YOUR LIFE

TRATTORIA DAL BILLY
TERRA DI BARGON WINERY
TRY SCIACCHETRA WINE
ENJOY THE PANORAMIC VIEW ON THE COLOURFUL HOUSES OF MANAROLA
SUNSET SWIM

EVENING

take to the sea!

Manarola. Having arrived by boat, straight away we are taken by the view - majestic colourful houses sitting side by side on the rocky hill, the river flowing into the sea and the grape plantation valley. We arrive at the main harbour and the main beach. Everything is much smaller than the previous town, however still a lot to see.

We start with the climb to the panoramic view - as you arrive, turn left and simply follow the trail. As you reach the top prepare to stop and awe. There is also a nice restaurant called Nessun Dorma. Although it is overly hyped, it is still quite tasty and definitely offers one of the best views of Cinque Terre. However, there are always loong lines to get inside and personally I believe there are better restaurant in town.

After enjoying a panoramic view (and maybe a drink) head over to the crowded streets of Manarola. Passing by many charming houses and walking the narrow alleyways, make your way to the top, where you will find Trattoria dal Billy. This is an absolute best place for dinner in all of Cinque Terre. The atmosphere, the view, the food - all is too good to be true. This place is not a posh restaurant with quiet classical music on the background. No, this place is the kind, where you might get yelled at and won't probably hear the person sitting 2 feet from you speak. This place is loud, crowded and fun. An absolute pearl of Cinque Terre! An absolute must-visit!*
* sometimes it is waaay too busy and if you have no luck finding a table, Il Porticciolo restaurant is a very nice alternative.

Happy and full, we move to the last town and our last stop - Terra di Bargòn winery in Riomaggiore. Enjoy a tour and try the Sciacchetrà wine - Cinque Terre is famous for it. As you finish the last glass of wine with a view on Riomaggiore, climb down for a swim in the sunset on the Riomaggiore Beach.

Full of wine, tiramisu, seafood, pasta, looking at the beautiful sunset and the colourful houses, take in the joy that you feel. You just had quite amazing 3 days, didn't you?