On this post I will highlight what we did on the first day we arrived at Cinque Terre and the best things to do on this lovely village in the Italian Riviera.
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We woke up early for breakfast and to check out of Hotel Italia in Siena. We took a taxi to the train station as we needed to catch the 9:18 am train to La Spezia. There is no direct train, we had to change at Empoli and arrived at La Spezia at 12:20.
We always book our train tickets with Omio as they are a very easy to use and reliable platform. You can also book buses, flights and ferries with them. To book your tickets use this link.
We were travelling independently as we are confident travellers and speak a bit of the language. However, if you prefer to be part of a tour and to have everything organised for you, I advise you to book a complete tour with Tourradar.
They have different kinds of tours that will fit your time and budget. If you book it via my links you can get a discount by using this code: RoseG50.
At the train station at La Spezia, we bought our Cinque Terre Train Card. This card gives you unlimited access to the Cinque Terre trains, hiking trails, local buses etc. Depending how long you are staying you can buy your pass accordingly. They have 1-day, 2-day and 3-day passes. We bought a 3-day pass as we were staying 3 days.
From La Spezia station we took the train to Riomaggiore, the first of the 5 villages that form the Cinque Terre.
We booked a room at “Affittacamere Le Giare” in Riomaggiore. That was a guest house that only provided the room, there was no breakfast offered or included as a B & B. It is a small guest house with a small apartment and three rooms only.
We booked the Adagio Room that had a nice terrace with views of Riomaggiore and sea views. It was very well located and very well kept. We were very happy with our accommodation.
We left our suitcases at reception as they were still preparing the room and left to explore Riomaggiore.
Below is a map showing the places to visit in Riomaggiore:
Look at this reel from the Travelling Surveyor Instagram that show the views from our terrace in Riomaggiore.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RIOMAGGIORE, CINQUE TERRE
Riomaggiore is gorgeous and the first village of the Cinque Terre when you travel from La Spezia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Cinque Terre coastline.
The village is from the 13th century, full of character and known for its local vineyards and wines.
Besides the typical tower houses there is the scenic “Via dell’Amore” a hiking trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola (another Cinque Terre village); however this trail was closed at the time of our visit, and it has been for a long time because of landslides. This trail re-opened to the public in 2024 and is accessible with tickets that need to be pre-booked.
Other than wander around the village exploring, you can swim on the sea, visit a couple of churches and an old Castle.
VISITING RIOMAGGIORE, CINQUE TERRE
We explored the main road (Via Colombo) with all the shops, restaurants and cafes and headed down to the harbour. There are some paths near the harbour where there were beautiful views of the village and the sea.
After exploring all around we found a little bar at the harbour called “Lo Scalo Lounge Bar” that was built under a walkway with some tables also underneath it. Very atmospheric and inviting. We sat in one of their tables and ordered something to eat and some cold beers to drench our thirst.
Riomaggiore is a charming, gorgeous, little village and there is nothing much to visit there other than admire the interesting architecture with the houses perched into the rocks and the beautiful scenery of the rocks and the blue sea.
There are some churches (Church of San Giovanni Battista and Sanctuary of Montenero) and an old castle (Castello di Riomaggiore), but after spending a few days previously visiting Pisa, Lucca, Florence and Siena, we were a bit churched out and had enough of castles and palazzos at this stage.
So, we opted for a more relaxed and enjoyable experience of walking and taking in all the beauty of the Cinque Terre.
There are popular spots for swimming if you feel like relaxing in the sea. There is a little beach in Riomaggiore that you can sunbathe and enjoy the sea. You can also rent a boat, a kayak or even scuba diving equipment.
If you fancy an active experience, why not book this 2 hour kayak adventure from Riomaggiore? They say it is an amazing experience.
Have a look at this reel on the Travelling Surveyor Instagram showing the beach and other areas to swim.
After walking and exploring the village for a few hours, we went back to our guest house for the check-in and for some rest.
You can have a boat tour that lasts 4 hours with a stop for swimming. This tour visits the 5 Cinque Terre villages via the sea. We didn’t do that because we didn’t have much time there, but next time we go I will certainly book this tour.
In the evening we went for dinner at the best restaurant in Riomaggiore according to Gianni the owner of the guest house. We had a table booked at “Fuori Rotta” Restaurant for 8 pm. It was not very far from the guest house and in a very nice spot with lovely views.
We had a lovely time watching the sunset at the horizon and enjoying a delicious Cinque Terre white wine.
Foodwise, the starters were lovely, but the mains we chose didn’t match our expectations. They were not bad, but they were not good either. Perhaps they were the wrong choice, but all choices on a menu should reach a certain standard in my opinion. However, it was a very enjoyable evening as a whole.
After dinner we chose to walk down to the harbour again via a different route. To see the harbour in the evening was a different perspective and a very pleasant one.
Next day we would go to “Monterosso al Mare” and walk all the way to the next village “Vernassa” via the “Sentiero Azurro” (Blue Trail) hiking trail. Watch this space for the next post.
I hope this post helps you to plan your trip to Riomaggiore and gives you an idea on what to fit in a day in this lovely village.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TRIP
Below you will find a list of what to visit, where to stay and where to eat in Riomaggiore. I classified each place as follows:
BOLD – Visited, tried and recommended
NOT BOLD – Not visited or tried, but planning to visit or try and heard very good reviews
RED – Visited and tried but do not recommend, avoid or be cautious
*** – Excellent
** – Good
* – OK
£££ – Expensive
££ – Fair and affordable
£ – Cheap
WHAT TO SEE IN RIOMAGGIORE
ATTRACTIONS
1 – The main Street – Via Colombo – ***
2 – Explore the village and the harbour – ***
3 – Via dell’Amore (Love Road)
4 – Church of San Giovanni Battista
WHERE TO STAY
HOTELS
1 – Affittacamere Le Giare – 3* – ££ – *** (We stayed here)
2 – Viadeibanchi – 3* – ££
3 – Casa Lorenza – 4* – ££
4 – Alla Marina Affittacamere – 4* – £££
5 – EC Luxury Rooms – 3* – ££
6 – Stellio Affittacamere Guest House – 4* – £££
If you prefer to look for your own accommodation search and book via the widget below:
WHERE TO EAT
RESTAURANTS
1 – Fuori Rotta – £££ – *** (We ate here)
2 – A Pié de Ma – £££
3 – Dau Cila – £££
4 – Il Pescato Cucinato – ££
5 – Tratoria Il Porticciolo – ££
6 – Il Grottino Riomaggiore – ££
If you tried any of my recommendations above, please send me a message and tell me about your experience good or bad, so I can update the list accordingly. Thanks!
If you enjoyed reading this post you might also like to read:
On this trip in Italy:
1 – Pisa
2 – Lucca
3 – Florence – Day 1
4 – Florence – Day 2
5 – Siena
6 – Riomaggiore Cinque Terre
7 – Sentiero Azzuro, Vernassa, Coniglia & Manarola – Cinque Terre
8 – Monterosso al Mare – Cinque Terre
9 – Portofino
10 – La Spezia
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