"Le Cinque Terre" a Riomaggiore Travel Page by cpiers47

Riomaggiore so captured us that we returned three times in a month! It was close to Florence and train tickets were only 8 euro one way. The first weekend was our planned trip - 4 days of kayaking, hiking and eating gelato. The other two were just day trips because we loved the Cinque Terre so much.

Riomaggiore has the best gelato and the best bread that I found in Italy. By the last trip, my friend had a gelato in one hand and a breadstick in the other!

The town is small and divided in two by a tunnel that runs along the train tracks. When we were there, the inside of the tunnel was being covered with blue tiles and sea shells that made it look more like a theme park than a Mediterranean village - but somehow it fit.

On our way to the Cinque Terre the second time, it started to rain as our train headed north. We bravely decided to try the beach in Montorosso anyway and all fell asleep there. When it really began to rain, we piled back on the train to head to Bar Centrale in Riomaggiore. We comforted ourselves with gelato and played cards - two very good rainy day things!

The main sights of Riomaggiore actually involve retracing your steps. After getting off the train, walk back along the train tracks through the Sea World-esque tunnel to the real center of town. Up the hill are restaurants and apartments to rent, through the narrow passage is the sea with its boats, kayaks and amazing sunsets.