"Riomaggiore" Top 5 Page for this destination Riomaggiore by davequ

Riomaggiore Travel Guide: 286 reviews and 921 photos

Riomaggiore: looking north up the Ligurian coast

Hiking, sunsets, and doing nothing

Riomaggiore is the first of 5 towns north on the Italian Riviera between Pisa / La Spezia and Genova.

While it appears that Vernazza gets the lion's share of the press and kudos from travelers, I picked Riomaggiore for a home base in the Cinque Terre and was glad I did.

I stayed at an excellent hotel with an unbelieveable view from my terrace.

Cinque Terre, especially the first 4 towns from Riomaggiore to Vernazza is a good place to go to & really lay back, unwind and take a break from, silly as it sounds, a fast-paced & exciting vacation.

I chose to visit the Cinque Terre in the fall (October) after much of the summer tourism had ceased for the year.
The pace slows down, the beauty, while subtle, is everywhere. Riomaggiore was the perfect place to practice my favorite pastimes: eating; hiking; relaxing; and essentially doing nothing.
I really hope to get a chance to return to the Cinque Terre in the fall again.

Riomaggiore Harbor and cliffs

Dwellings on the cliffs at the outmost part of the harbor.

Such excellent hiking, even in town, up all the steep steps and alleys.

Cinque Terre has such beautiful sunsets

Sunset from il Castello in Vernazza

No one in their right mind misses "magic hour" and sunset in Cinque Terre, no matter what villiage you happen to be in at the time.
I only wish I had brought a higher resolution digital camera and a monster 35mm with lenses, filters and a tripod (next time I will)

Sunsets are pretty ho-hum to me, but in the Cinque Terre, they are majestic and the highlight of the day.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Beautiful ocean and colored sky; laid back; good local food; beautiful vistas and hiking
Cons:Too many tourists in the summer months; go in the fall
In a nutshell:In the off season, Cinque Terre is fantastic, with Riomaggiore and Vernazza being my favorite towns

Last visit to Riomaggiore: Oct 2001
Intro Updated Jun 15, 2005
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Reviews (18)

Walk down to the harbor Things to Do (6)

Don't forget to walk down to the harbor and then explore all the steps back up into town. Riomaggiore is so "vertical"... more travel advice

Listing for most of Riomaggiore's Flats... Hotels (2)

If Hotel Argentina is not your style, here is a link to a page that lists another hotel, Affittacamere Mar Mar, as well... more travel advice

Sunset Things to Do (6)

And twilight after sunset from a balcony more travel advice

Pass the wine and ...zzzzzzz - Riomaggiore

Try to stay at least 3 or 4 days Favorites (2)

There is little to do, yet so much to enjoy. I actually get sad when I read travelogues that say they hit all 5 towns... more travel advice

Travelogues (3)

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Comments (26)

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BruceDunning Aug 21, 2009 at 3:48 PM

You certainly have found the nice colorful sites to capture pictures. The comments enhance the village and it is a great presentation.
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jelw May 6, 2007 at 4:51 AM

Fantastic photos! The one featured on the VT home page from your general tip is like a mystical painting. The cajones of the cliff swimmers are truly amazing. Wonderful stuff here, thanks.
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firechick Dec 30, 2006 at 10:55 AM

Great hotel story and what a beautiful view.
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ivanab Oct 9, 2006 at 2:57 AM

such a nice page....just to look the pictures and I already feel more relaxed.
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EllenH Jul 22, 2006 at 10:11 AM

Enjoyed reading these again, you capture the essence of this place so nicely.
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dfactor Apr 6, 2006 at 10:33 PM

Been to IT twice, but sadly never been to this part of IT. The sunset is magnificient.
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iandsmith Jan 22, 2006 at 11:46 PM

Nice tips but really enjoyed your photography.
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xaver Dec 9, 2005 at 9:28 PM

grea desxription of the atmospheare, exactly what I expect from 5 terre!
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BerniShand Nov 29, 2005 at 4:16 PM

oh WOW what a superb place, and excetionally good pics, I really enjoyed reading this page and its definately on my must see list now
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perfectly_zen Oct 26, 2005 at 7:40 AM

Wow! Lovely pictures and great tips! I just have to go there one day.... Cheers...