Best place to stay in Cinque Terre
by swinny
If you have to stay in only one place in Cinque Terre, stay in Vernazza. Don't rush your visit, the place is beautiful. We stayed 5 days, which gave us plenty of time to take leisurely hikes between all the villages and lay around in the sun. You can also rent your own motorboat in Vernazza for a day on the water. Monterosso is overpriced and lacks the character of Vernazza. If you must experience the beaches, people, and nightlife in Monterosso, do yourself a favor and just take the train for a day trip and return to this wonderful village at night. Renting a motorboat for two hours and seeing all the villages from the ocean. Eating the best gelato in all of Italy. Buying some cat food and feeding the "homeless" cats between Vernazza and Corniglia. Italians (particularly in Cinque Terre) love their cats and take care of them. Even the homeless ones are well fed. Too bad they haven't learned to have them "fixed." Earn yourself some good karma and feed these guys on the trail. Often you'll find a bag of catfood nearby that someone else has left them, they may just need a scoop on the ground. At the very least leave them some water as the trails areas are very dry.
Sweaty socks ?
by sue_stone
Sweaty socks from all that walking between towns in the Cinque Terre ?
Why not take a break from it all and do some washing in Vernazza's laundrette.
A good place to catch up on your travel diary or swap stories with other travellers.
Via Roma, 49, Vernazza
Vernazza - a small village in Cinque Terre
by globetrott
Vernazza is a small village, you may reach only by train or by a very small and narrow road.
And by ship of course, like I did...
...and I had a stay of 60 minutes, before I took the next ship to Monterosso
"Stray" animals
by gabasto
One of the more interesting things about Vernazza is the amount of dogs and cats that roam the streets. These are not stray animals, but people's pets that hang out in the sun and in the vineyards all day before going home at night. The entire town takes care of them and in a way are owned by all that live there. They are all healthy and clean, making it a pleasure to be around them. The views from above this town on the Via delle amore is what makes this town completely worth the trip. Not to mention the resturants, people and general secluded atmosphere.