Travel Stories About Monterroso, Italy
Until the 1960s, Monterosso del Mare, part of four neighboring villages dubbed the Cinque Terre, was a small, hard-to-reach town on the northwestern coast of Italy. This picturesque town on the Ligurian coast now ranks as one of Italy's most well-known tourist destinations, popular for its dramatic setting, sandy beaches and wonderful summer climate---perfect for hiking cliffside trails, diving and surfing and village-hopping by boat and ferry. As an added bonus, Monterosso is surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, lemon trees and abundant supplies of the area's favorite herb, basil, which is the major ingredient in pesto, a favorite at the many beachside cafes in the area.
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Geography
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Monterosso is one of the five Cinque Terre---literally, five lands---a poetic name for the five coastal communities that are so isolated by the mountains and surrounding cliffs they are like five little countries. Monterosso is the largest and the northernmost of the five, linked by hiking trails to her neighbors of Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
Getting There
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The highway from Genoa, the nearest city some 60 miles north, reached the Cinque Terre in the 1960s. Monterosso is the furthest north of the five coastal villages and the largest. All are now accessible by road, but many visitors prefer to take the train into the area since the mountainous roads are difficult to navigate and confusing for visitors. Cars also are not permitted into the central areas of the villages.
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Accommodations
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There are numerous small hotels and B&Bs in the Cinque Terre, but rooms can be hard to find in the summer high season. Some visitors opt to stay in nearby Levanto, just seven miles north of Monterosso---it's a larger beach community and has frequent train service to the Cinque Terre.
Hiking
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The most popular activity for visitors is to hike from village to village along the seven mile trail that links them. The trails vary in difficulty. One of the most challenging is the 2.5-mile hike from Monterosso to Vernazza. All offer spectacular views of mountains and ocean. The frequent train service along the coast makes it easy to hike from one village to the next, or take a train to one of the five and then hike home.
Ferries
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Another good way to visit the villages is to hop a ferry or take a boat tour. There is frequent ferry service between all five villages, so it's easy to hike to one village in the morning, hop the train to the next for lunch, then take a ferry to a third for a beachside supper. The menu at beach restaurants is sure to include fresh local produce, wine, seafood and, of course, pasta dressed with Ligurian pesto, that magical mix of basil, cheese, pine nuts and olive oil.
Other Activities
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The colorful beach umbrellas of the Cinque Terre are evidence that lolling on the beach is a favorite activity here. But outdoors enthusiasts also enjoy surfing, sailing and diving in the marine preserve that is part of the National Park of Cinque Terre.
History
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Monterosso's ruined castle, the hillside Capuchin monastery and two medieval local churches, one dedicated to St. Francis and another to John the Baptist, give visitors a glimpse of the town's history. Five hundred years ago, the Cinque Terre were under the control of the great seafaring city-state of Genoa and defensive castle battlements and lookout towers aimed at foiling pirate attacks can be seen dotting the cliffs in the area.
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