Cinque Terre & Italian Riviera

A lovely relaxing vacation along the Italian Riviera. We home based in Rapallo, feasting on shellfish, grilled fish and pasta genovese.

from the harbor of Rapallo Italy with flowers

We took the cable car up the mountain to the Santuario di Montallegro, built over 450 years ago on a supposed spot of a visitation from the Virgin Mary. What a view from the top.

View from the Santuario di Montallegro, Rapallo, Italy

a view of the Santuario di Montallegro, Rapallo, Italy

Bar Ivano on mountain near Santuario di Montallegro, Rapallo, Italy

I wanted to visit the Cinque Terre and debated about the different ways of getting there - for us, the ferry was the best option. Leaving right out of the Rapallo harbor it made stops at Vernazza, Monterosso al Mare and Riomaggiore. A great way to see it all easily in one day.

colorful homes in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy

People swimming in Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

a view down an alley in Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre, Italy

the harbor at Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy

a view from a cafe in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy

striped umbrellas on the beach of Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre, Italy

The harbor of Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

looking over the stones out to sea, Vernazza, Italy

the beach at Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy

boats in the harbor of Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy

view of the town of Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy

I finally wanted to swim in the Mediterranean - so we hit the neighboring beaches in Santa Margherita Ligure. The official report - refreshing! 7 out of 10 on the cold scale - with Maine being a 10 and Costa Rica being a 1.