Monterosso is the most developed and spacious of the Cinque Terre towns, and you feel it the moment…read moreyou arrive. The beach here is wide and inviting, lined with rentable loungers and umbrellas that make it perfect for a full beach day -- something the steeper villages just can't offer. It still looks beautiful, but there's a more "bustling seaside resort" vibe compared to the others, which honestly gives it its own charm. Along the water you'll find a few striking historic spots, including a restaurant built inside what looks like an old maritime or defensive structure, plus the well-known St. Francis of Assisi statues watching calmly over the sea. If you head uphill, there's an old monastery (or possibly a convent -- either way, centuries of history live up there), and right nearby is an atmospheric ancient cemetery with some incredible ocean views. It's quiet, peaceful, and feels worlds away from the beach crowds below. Down in the center of town, Monterosso becomes lively again with a ton of shops, bars, and restaurants lined through its narrow streets. It's the best place in Cinque Terre if you want a mix of beach time, sightseeing, and easy access to food or drinks without hiking up or down anything too crazy. Monterosso may be the most industrialized of the five, but it's also one of the easiest and most comfortable to enjoy -- a great home base and a town that grows on you fast.

We stayed in Monterosso for two days while visiting the Cinque Terre and found it to be a beautiful…read morelittle town with tons of restaurants and everything any tourist could want. They're really isn't a bad view to be had. The boardwalk in the newer part of town has hotels, restaurants overlooking the ocean, and plenty of bagnos. The train station, parking lot, and the free beach are all right here. Through the tunnel takes you into the older part of town with tons of shops and lots more restaurants. We explored through here a bit while waiting on dinner reservations but I'm sure we could have spent a lot more time. After the old part of town there is a hill you can climb up to a hotel and restaurant that boasts an amazing view at night. Access to the Blue Trail also starts here for anyone hiking between towns.

We parked our car a bit out of town. Which was ok, since we've planned to walk along the shore…read moreanyways. And this promenade here is a very nice walk. We walked from the northern at at the Resort "Le Terrazze" all the way to Porto Venere. It's an easy walk, always along the water, only about 2km. You will pass some public beaches, some beach restaurants and plenty other possibilities to take a swim. There are lots of nice spots to stretch your legs under some trees. A very nice stroll until you reach charming Porto Venere, a beautiful town. Mostly locals flock to this small port town, not that many international visitors. Too bad, because it's a wonderful place.

This rather humble Plaza is named after Giuseppi Garibaldi, an Italian revolutionary hero. Gayle…read moreand I passed through often during our short stay in Monterosso Al Mare. The Piazza is back in shape after the mudslides a few years ago, and is a nice place to hang out, watch people, and if I know Italian, pick up some local gossip.

Village number 4 of 5 of the Cinque Terre. The square in the main harbor is so lively. Just like…read morethe other villages, the pastel colored houses also sit on the hills overlooking the water. We stopped here after a morning of village hopping and decided to have some spritz and pizza and people watch. We bumped in to a few people that were at the pesto making class we took the day before. We also saw some familiar faces from the other village we were staying at as well. Many shops and restaurants to check out here.

We took the train from La Spezia where our hotel is to Vernazza. The train was clean and the…read moreeasiest way to get from La Spezia to Cinque Terre. It was raining when we were there so the ferry wasn't an option with the choppy water. Vernazza is beautiful. I think it's my favorite of Cinque Terre. From the train station down to the harbor was a short walk with lots of touristy shops, restaurants, and gelato shops. The buildings are so colorful. Walk down to the harbor to look back at Vernazza to see all the colorful buildings lined up next to each other. It's a gorgeous sight.

The Loggia Romanica is one of those spots in Porto Venere that you stumble into and instantly go,…read more"Okay... this is gorgeous." It's basically an open stone arcade overlooking the sea, built in that classic Romanesque style with arches that perfectly frame the water like it's posing for a photoshoot. The place feels ancient, calm, and totally cinematic. You half expect someone to start filming a period drama there. It's right next to the Church of San Pietro, so it's super easy to wander through while exploring the cliffs. People come here to take photos, cool off in the shade, or just sit for a minute and let the sea breeze do its thing. It's simple, it's historic, and it gives you one of the best viewpoints in town without even trying. Honestly, skip the crowd and just chill here for a few minutes and the vibe is unbeatable.

This is a nice little promenade on La Spezias waterfront. Nice views of the sea, a lot of green:…read morepalm trees and lawns. The trees providing shade on hot days. Lots of benches to rest your legs or to watch the world go by. It's not a long promenade. But a nice one. And a wide one. Even with cruise ships in port it doesn't feel crowded (most cruisers will skip the town and head to the Cinque Terre or elsewhere). It's a nice little stroll, easy to combine with a visit to the compact but nice old town of La Spezia.

Village number three of five. Manarola was one of the villages we visited in the Cinque Terre. We…read moretook the train from Riomaggiore to Manarola to attend a pesto making class we booked on line. We didn't know which direction we had to go to get there so we decided to follow the crowd. Well that idea didn't work either because there were people everywhere. We saw some stairs that led up to a hill and that's when we realized we were headed in the right direction. This hill was quite the work out but the views from the top were absolutely stunning. Great location for a pesto making class and even better views of the Ligurian Sea and the Italian flag at the top was the icing on the cake.

We took the train from La Spezia where our hotel is to Manarola. The train was clean and the…read moreeasiest way to get from La Spezia to Cinque Terre. It was raining when we were there so the ferry wasn't an option with the choppy water. Manarola is beautiful. The buildings are so colorful. The main street from the train station down to the harbor was a short walk with lots of touristy shops, restaurants, and gelato shops. Lots of little boats out in front of the shops along the path too. Walk down to the harbor to look back at Manarola to see all the colorful buildings lined up next to each other. Then take the path to the left and hike up to the top of that hill to take a look back at Manarola. It's not as colorful as Vernazza but just as beautiful.

Fun city at the tip of Cinque Terre. Great bars, bistros, restaurants, and clubs…read more Gorgeous beaches with bright blue water. Nice hotels

Our NCL Viva cruise ship docked at the port of Livorno, Italy. This was our first time here on…read morevacation. We took a cruise ship bus up to Lerici, Italy, which is located on a natural bay discovered by the Romans. Lerici is a nice nautical town with lots of boats docked including some very large yachts. We took the rubber boat across to the other side of the bay or to Porto Venere. This was also our first visit to Porto Venere. Porto Venere is a village on the Ligurian coast of northwestern Italy. It's known for Porto Venere Regional Natural Park, a protected area with trails and dive sites. The park encompasses Palmaria Island, dotted with beaches and caves. The Gothic-style Church of St. Peter sits atop a rocky headland. We walked the local streets up to St. Peter, but did not go inside St. Peter. Nearby is the centuries-old Castello Doria, an imposing cliff top fortress with views of the Gulf of Poets. More to come regarding our lunch in Porto Venere before we returned to Lerici on our two rubber boats.