From Venice, we traveled by train to Cinque Terre, located along the coast of Liguria in the Italian Riviera. I didn't know much about Cinque Terre before heading to Italy (other than the amazing pictures I saw), but it turned out to be my favorite destination of our entire trip. We rented an apartment in Riomaggiore and spent the better part of four days exploring this beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Since we were expecting rain for much of our time in Cinque Terre, we weren't really prepared to hike between the towns. To get from town to town, we bought Cinque Terre National Park day passes (also known as the Cinque Terre card) and used the local train system. We opted for the Cinque Terre card instead of buying individual train tickets because it allowed us to explore the hiking trails between the towns and because it saved us from having to wait in line before catching each train.
All five of the towns were beautiful, each charming in their own unique way. The one I personally liked the best was Manarola. The walk along the hillside vineyards provided breathtaking views and the colorful houses above the seaside fishing village made it ideal for sunset long exposures. If you're planning a trip to Italy, I highly recommend setting aside a few days to explore Cinque Terre. Here are a few of my favorite images from the time we spent there.
