My husband and I took a hike through Cinque Terre in 2016 – and honestly after seeing these photos, I think you’re going to want to, too.

This hike is hard, but it was so worth it.

We booked our hike ahead of time through Viator (link to our tour is here). The bus picked us up in Florence at 8am, and the trip lasted about 12.5 hours. Take this line seriously: A large amount of walking is involved. You must be of average fitness and be able to keep up with the rest of the group. LOTS OF STAIRS.

Seriously, the minimum age is 12. Twelve year olds have done this. <how?>

If you’re hesitating at all, just really should just book it, though! The views are unbelievable! There’s hiking, a boat trip and a train ride to get to all 5 villages of Cinque Terre. If you’re unfamiliar, Cinque Terre means “Five Lands”. The 5 lands that comprise Cinque Terre are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. All 5 villages are UNESCO World Heritage sites, which means that UN has chosen to help preserve its heritage. In this case, that means if you purchase one of these bright, beautifully colored homes – you aren’t allowed to change the paint color! So just keep that in mind, and buy one that comes in a color you like 😉

Something to note about Cinque Terre is that there was a horrible flood there in 2011 that killed 13 people and caused millions of dollars in damage. Almost all of the first floors in the village of Vernazza had to be completely replaced. They have a few billboards you’ll see around of pictures of the flood.

On a lighter note, the food here is amazing! We had street food, and Lemoncello (highly recommend). Check out the pictures below:

(below: they put rocks on their roof to keep the roofs from blowing away when it’s windy!)

(Below: Yes, that anchovy is looking at you.)

Are you planning a trip to Cinque Terre? Not sure where to start with planning a trip to Europe? Check out my blog post for tips!

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