Our other full day at the Italian Riviera was dedicated to exploring the 5 fishing villages known as La Cinque Terre. I had been there many, many years ago as a backpacker but didn’t remember a whole lot about each unique town.

Before we set out we stopped in for our morning espressos at the cafes in Zoagli. The kids befriended an adorable dog named Dakota who had no idea that he wasn’t lap-dog stature. 

Once properly fueled we were ready to make our way To the furthest town east of us. We weren’t planing to be too ambitious with our hiking but did hope to get between the first three towns on foot. 

A quick stop in Vernaza on our way through for a sneak peak. 

Vernaza offered amazing foccocia and bruschetta but we knew we needed to save our appetite for the towns to come. Just a quick stop here to enjoy the view before heading to Riomaggiore. 

Our priority once in Riomaggiore was to find a yummy lunch before setting out on the trail. This town’s specialty seemed to be calamari which made me consider staying indefinitely for a moment. It was so delicious and exactly what Diego was hoping for. 

Lunch was amazing. So fresh & delicious. Not to mention a true bargain compared to the insanity of Portofino. 

Well fed, now time for the hike…or not. 

The pathways between the first three towns has been closed for years. So odd that nothing in our online research mentioned that. The highline trails, requiring serious trekking are still open, just not what our group was prepared for. 

So what to do when you’ve carbo-loaded for a big hike? Why you hop on a train to the next town to go for ice cream, of course!

All that eating without much walking was really quite exhausting. 

Another fantastic day of exploring. Departing Italy in the morning for the 8 hour journey to Winterthur.