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Riomaggiore, Italy loves you.

With her one street town.

With her jasmine blossoms.

With her pop pastel colours.

With her crisp white wines.

With her ocean views to die for.

Riomaggiore Italy could become your favourite place on the planet.

It’s become one of mine.

And you might think maybe it’s cause I’ve been tripping around Riomaggiore Italy on and off for a decade, that I’ve sort of tumbled into loving it.

Or cause it’s where I met my husband.

But if I think back to Moment One – before that – I remember it was love at first sight.

The first time walking up the street, the first time swimming under the stars, the first time sleeping under a frescoed ceiling and picking lemons from the window in the morning.

Staying in the village of Riomaggiore, Italy is like living inside of Pinterest: cool things are everywhere. via @italianfix {click to tweet this quote}

So now, yes, it’s where I keep returning to.

And now, of course, I wanna help you visit there.

So come with me. Let me show you around…

beach

Wanna know a perfect Riomaggiore vacay?

Riomaggiore’s homes dot the shoreline to create the southernmost village of the Cinque Terre (five lands) on the Italian Riviera in the north of Italy. The picturesque terraces and brightly painted homes kiss people the minute they get off the train.

After years of visiting and living in the region (+ marrying into it) l have a pretty good idea of how to rock the Riviera.

Here are my shiniest pieces to create your perfect day puzzle.

Andiamo…

1) Tuck yourself into an adorable village home. You can rent a room or apartment with an ocean view terrace. Check out Giulia Suite, a private apartment where I snapped these shots below from my last stay. It has an amazeballs sea view terrace where you can enjoy a meal you’ve made from the delicious treats found at the market. Food just tastes better when you’re soaking up an insane view all the way to the French coastline. Giulia Suite sleeps 3 and is a steal starting at 120 euros. The interior has a kitchen with marble counters and sink, a bedroom built around amazing exposed natural rock and a dining table fit for a festa. Connect with Amy to rent Giulia suite or a slew of other perfect village homes at Riomaggiore Reservations.

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2) Go to the beach with your relaxation arsenal: a litre of water, fruit, a book, a caftan/cover-up and your camera. Buy your arsenal from the shops in the village and then head down to the marina. The path will lead around the corner where you’ll find the local beach filled with smooth rocks warmed by the sun. An afternoon of swimming and lounging there is a facelift for the spirit.

3) Sip an aperitivo as the sun goes down. An aperol spritz, a negroni, local white wine or sciachetrΓ  is the tipple of choice (no — not all at once). Riomaggiore Italy has two ocean side bars clinging to cliffs — one is near the beach and another is located at the top of the stairs near the train station.

4) Wander the wide boulevard. It snakes past the church with picturesque views over the village; keep climbing and you’ll reach the castle with a bench good enough for an internal reflection or two.

5) Walk up to Il Santuario (Il Santuario di Nostra Signora di Montenero). Find the trail head at the top of the village, above the car park, and brace yourself for a forty minute steep climb. But the views of the village and the blue Med will make you smile.

6) Have a choice of travel dates? Choose May and Early June or September and early October. You’ll find the sweetest balance of weather and people at those times.

7) Want some help? If you’re feeling a little anxious about spending the whole day by yourself, you can always join us on one of our day tours. I’ll show you all the in’s and out’s I’m talking about.

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Cheat sheet:

Stay: Amy at Riomaggiore Reservations will book you Giulia Suite or other cozy homes in the village.

Do: Beach, hike, wander. Slow down. Way down

Taste: Acciughe: anchovies locally caught and prepared two ways; lemon or salted. Vino bianco: Cinque Terre DOC whites produced from grapes grown in these villages by independent winemakers. SciachetrΓ : a sweet wine made from local dried grapes.

Worship: A place caught in time + your fortune for being able to see it.

What do you think?

Does Riomaggiore call your name?

Is it your time to feel her love too?

We can help! Join us on a Day Tour of the Cinque Terre and we know you’ll be feeling the love in no time.

post in partnership with Riomaggiore Reservations

images first and last by Leela Cyd Ross

Hey you, leave a comment. Have you been there? Would you like to go? I’d love to hear what you think about Riomaggiore Italy.

 

28 Responses

    1. Awesome Misty!

      The fall is an awesome time to go…water is warm! Hit me up with all your questions. Baci, B

  1. wowsa!!!
    we are still dreaming of getting to cinque terre and this look just perfect!
    do you think that suite could tuck 4 people in if 2 are kids (age 6 and 9)??

    thanks for this!!!!

  2. Hi Bianca,
    Like you, I too love the Cinque Terre. In fact I love Italy in general, but I feel a special bond with “la bella Cinque Terre.” My first visit there was with my daughter Hayley, in 2007. We stayed in Vernazza and Monterosso, as well as other beautiful places in Italy, beginning in Rome and ending in Pisa. In 2010 I was fortunate to visit my beloved Italy again, with my husband Laurence, this time. We enjoyed a wonderful stay in Monterosso. Our trip began in Venice and ended in Rome. Ah, “la dolce vita”. Since these trips I have learned “un poco Italiano”, watched various movies, and many travel and cooking programmes, as well as reading extensively, both fiction and non-fiction. We have eaten copious amounts of pasta, a day doesn’t go by without a cup of espresso or two, made in our Italian style coffee pot of course, Limoncello and Aranciata liqueurs are definite favourites… I could go on. πŸ™‚ Although I have not actually stayed in Riomaggiore itself, we visited on both trips, and of course we loved it. The people, the colours, the delightful little stores, the views, the food washed down with vino and sparkling aqua…sigh…All this enjoyed in warmth and complete happiness, as the beautiful bougainvillea welcome us and the sunflowers gaze on us approvingly. As I said, I could go on…. <3 X

    1. Hi Shirley,

      It sounds as you’ve really been captured by the place too. I love the idea of the bougainvillea and sunflowers welcoming you. One guests on my last group trip to the Cinque Terre told me, “Italy smells like Jasmine blossoms and coffee”. Isn’t that sweet?

      Love, Bianca

      1. Oh yes, I like that. Yes I am captured alright. Hook, line and sinker! I can wax lyrical about the Cinque Terre and Italy, day and night ad infinitum. Baci. xx

  3. been there, walked all the 5 village routes . It’s a wonderful walk, takes about 5 hours, stopping at each village. It’s the cinque terre. I’ve been all around the world, and there is no place to touch it, for its beauty and people, food. well again.
    AVIN IT. YEAHHHHH.

    1. Hi Dave,

      Yeah, I agree, I’ve done lot’s of travelling myself and it just keeps calling me back. And yeah, trails are great too!

      xx Bianca

  4. Oh Bianca, I’m SO inspired by this post! You make it sound like such a deliciously gorgeous place to unwind in (and I’m floored by your photographs – I want to rent that house NOW πŸ˜‰ ). I visited Cinque Terre last summer, but only for a day in the middle of july. I felt like I got a glimpse of it but that it’s a place on earth that needs more of my time. πŸ˜‰ This year we’re heading off to Hungary but I’ll definitely be bookmarking this page!

    1. Ciao Lena,

      So many people find themselves in the Cinque Terre just for a day! I’ve seen many people change their plans just to stay more though after they get a glimpse and realize how relaxing a traffic free Italy can be! Maybe you should come with us next year for our group trip! We sleep in Riomaggiore (and have a blast)!

      Baci, Bianca

  5. Hey Bianca,

    What a gift-literally & figuratively to capture the beauty of life’s moments…

    I leave for Italy this Tuesday! My girlfriend and I will be there for 3 weeks, with one of those weeks in Riomaggiore. I am so excited! I want to experience ” la dolce de fa niente”

    Ciao,
    I’ll let you know my thoughts, Nancy

    1. Hey Nancy,

      Have a wonderful time! When you’re there take a trip to Bonassola (half hour on the train north) for some under-the-radar Italian Riviera goodness!

      Love, Bianca

  6. I’m so so there, in a heartbeat! One of the most enchanted places I’ve ever traveled to . . . How I long to be on the beach with my basket of plums, big hat and trashy book this very moment.

    1. Ciao Leela,

      You and me both babe. Caftan + hat + plums + Riomaggiore beach = heaven!

      Love, Bianca

  7. I love the way you actually answer everybody Bianca. You have a real community going, and we all have something beautiful in common, Bella Italia! By the way, I have been a fan of yours for a while now. Being a preschool teacher I normally don’t have a lot of extra time, but as it is summer holiday time in Vancouver right now, I thought I would take the time to say Hi! πŸ™‚

    1. Ciao Shirley,

      Well, it’s wonderful to have a place where people can ask questions, chat and share things they love. Travel is a major connector so why not extend that connection through the interwebs. Sure, I provide a platform, but YOU ALL contribute to make Italian Fix a special place to be. Thanks for taking the time to leave such thoughtful comments.

      With love, Bianca

      xx Bianca

  8. Thank you so much for this article, I visited Riomaggiore for a few days this past summer and I FELL IN LOVE, I will be going back hopefully sometime soon!!!

  9. I will be travelling in September 2014 with my husband and another couple from Switzerland to Rome on the train and Cinque Terre has been highlighly recommended as our stopping point in-between. We are planning a 3-4 night stay and looking for a recommendation of somewhere that we can stay in the area. The Giula Suite looks nice but is too small. We are looking for a place either hotel or home to rent with an ocean view and within walking distance of local cafes and markets.

  10. Grazie Bianca!
    Andiamo in 6 settimane a rio….non vedo l’ora!
    Love the blog.
    I’m an American who has lived in Ireland for almost 20 years. Half Italian, and studied Italian at college. Cannot wait to finally see the CT!

  11. Ciao Bianca –
    I have just found your blog and love it, thank you for so many great tips. Four of us will be flying into Nice (3/18) and flying home out of Milan (3/25). Our plan is to drive the coast all the way to Cinque Terre then back to Milan. Any suggestions on how to divide our time up and which towns to stay in? Cinque Terre is what we most want to see, including Portofino and Rapallo. Could we hire you to plan our trip in the Cinque Terre area and take us around?
    Ansioso di ascoltare da voi – Renee

  12. Hi Bianca,

    My boyfriend just gifted me with a trip to Italy for my 30th Birthday at the end of the month (March)!! Our first stop is to Riomaggiore for 3 days and 2 nights followed by Portofino, Lake Como and Venice (cramming it all in)!

    I have been reading all of your blogs and it has me even more excited to visit Cinque Terre. So thank you for all your advice!

    Cheers!
    Janell
    Boston, MA

  13. We stayed in Riomaggiore for four nights in mid-March this year (2017). It was truly magical. We had a beautiful room, aptly named ‘Scorci di Mare’ (sea-view), situated right on the harbourside. We slept to the sound of lapping water outside our louvred shutters, and ate our breakfast at the window-sill to take in the incredible view over the rocky inlet to the colourful houses on the other side. We did two walks – Monterosso to Vernazza; and Volastra to Corniglia. Both offered exquisite scenery. Riomaggiore and the rest of the Cinque Terre was certainly the highlight of our entire European holiday.

  14. I will be in Cinque Terre for 3 nghts the first week of May. I booked a room in Vernazza, Monterossa and Riomaggiore because I wanted to experience more than one village. Should I have just booked on village? I love to wake up early and explore and I thought staying someplace different each day would be better, plus after a night of eating and drinking I would be in the town I’m sleeping in. Any opinions???

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