Monterosso – Cinque Terre
Monterosso
Monterosso is the largest village in the Cinque Terre. It is split into two sides, the old Monterosso and the new Monterosso. They are separated by a bluff and a tunnel connects the two parts. The tunnel is followed by a panoramic path on both sides that parallels the coastline. Monterosso is accessible from outside the Cinque Terre by train and boat. Vehicles are permitted in the newer town. They also have public parking right on the water. I noticed a few small RVs there too. Since we drove, that is where we stayed and LOVED IT! Monterosso also has the best beaches in the Cinque Terre. You can find colorful umbrellas and lounge chairs for rent on both sides.
Our B&B
Monterosso has plenty of places to saty of every caliber. Luxury Hotels, B&Bs, and moderate rooms with shared baths. We reserved two rooms, via Booking.com, at Il Sogno di Contardi Affittacamere. It is a B&B (affittacamere) and included a continental breakfast. The establishment is on the fifth floor and offers three private rooms with private baths and a common breakfast area with a balcony. The breakfast area is just outside the rooms and was self-serve. The hostess arranges a beautiful spread of fresh pastries, jams & jellies, a variety of coffee pods, tea packs, milk and fruit juices to drink. The location was wonderful and just a short walk from the beach. The hostess, Christina, was lovely and communication with her was great! She had contacted us through WhatsApp that morning while we were on the way there for an estimated time of arrival. When we go there, she was waiting for us at the Il Brigantino Restaurant adjacent to the B&B. To our surprise, she had a private parking spot reserved for us just under the train bridge. Being close to the train track was not an issue at all. The sound from occasional trains going by was manageable. The rooms are in is very nice building. It is five stories, but has no elevator. I must say, hauling all our stuff up five stories was no joke and not for the faint at heart. Another reason to pack light. (Expectations #7 & 8) Good thing there were some lounge chairs at the beach waiting for us!
Rooms with a View
Our two rooms were very modern, spacious and comfortable with beautiful ocean views. Both rooms have a private balcony with a table and chairs for two where we could sit & relax after a busy day out. A/C and Wi-fi were also included. Each room had a small fridge with a few water bottles inside them. We finished stocking them up with drinks purchased at La Bottega convenience store across the street.
Time to explore Monterosso!
After taking all our stuff up five flight of stairs we were ready for the beach. It was midafternoon, and we headed to the water, kicked off our shoes & flip-flops, and put our feet in the water. The water felt cool and refreshing on another hot July day. It took a lot of restrain for Nicholas not to dive in headfirst. But we wanted to explore more and grab a bite to eat somewhere.
We took the promenade (Via Fegina) along the water towards the old town. The way is lined with, shops, affittacameres, and restaurants on one side and beautiful views of the sea & cliffs on the other.
The way the land curves around the water, makes it so you can see the other Cinque Terre towns in the distance. We could see them clinging to the cliffs over the sparkling water. The view was spectacular! There was no direction I could look in where I wasn’t in awe of my surroundings.
As we reach the top of the incline, we could see the tunnel that leads to the old town. It is well lit and there is a break in the middle with an outlet that leads to a small amphitheater. As you come out the other end, it gently rolls downhill. We went past some beautiful waterfront hotels with restaurants, shops, & gelateries.
The path took us right under the raised train tracks and into the old town’s main square, Piazza Garibaldi. The sun washed buildings, and old-world charm makes you feel like you’ve gone back in time. We strolled up and down the allies, browsed in & out of the many souvenir shops. You can find clothing, beach towels, figurines, houseware and more.
We peaked into the black & white striped marble Church of John the Baptist and the very unique Oratorio Mortis et Orationis – Confraternita dei Neri. There was a great variety of restaurants. We kept it simple; shared a charcutier board and a pizza. It was not a busy part of the day so we sat back and soaked up our surroundings while we planned what to do next.
Beach & Paddle Boarding
We headed back to the B&B and changed into our swimsuits. We grabbed the beach towels provided by our B&B and went down to the beach. New Monterosso’s beaches are split by a breakwater that holds a huge parking lot. We had noticed rentals on both sides and chose to go to the left as we faced the water. As we walked onto the sand there was a couple of men with a small stand who manage the rental of paddle boards, kayaks and the beach umbrellas.
The kayaks & paddle boards are rented by the hour. Once you get an umbrella, it is yours until sundown. That is when they close-up the umbrellas for the day. The boys rented some paddle boards and I got a set of two chairs & umbrella. The paddle boards are laid right on the sand and once you’ve paid, and sign an agreement, you pull them into the water and start paddling. It looked like they were having fun and, every once in a while, they’d take a dip in the water and got up again.
After taking a dip in the water to cool myself off, I retreated to my spot and pulled a drink out of our backpack cooler. I was in the back row but I didn’t mind. It was a high 90* day and I welcomed the shade from the raised boardwalk above. After a while the boys joined me in the shade and we all took time to just breath in the ocean air. There are a few kayak companies that offer guided tours on that beach. I’ve heard it’s not for beginners since the waters can be quite choppy. We skipped it this time but I bet that would be an amazing experience. ***
That evening we headed back to the old town. While we were there earlier, we had noticed a restaurant on the main square that was setting up a big screen on their terrace, The Midi Bar. They were going to be showing the game to see who would advance in the 2024 World Cup. Tonight, it was England vs. Netherlands. We were lucky to find a table because everyone else had the same idea. The kitchen was closed but the bar was open. We were welcome to bring outside food. Many were having pizzas delivered from the adjacent restaurant EMY’S WAY. It looked and smelled delicious. But since we had eaten pizza earlier that day, we opted for pasta from Pastarita.
The pasta is served in to-go bowls and were made to order. We picked from the fresh pastas they display behind a vitrine, chose a type of sauce and meat. They quickly put it all together as we waited. Back at Midi’s we ordered some drinks, and enjoyed them with our meal as we watched the game al fresco under the Ligurian sky.
Don’t mis Il Giante on the most western point of the new Monterosso’s beach. It is an enormous sculpture on the rocks that overlooks the sea. It is quite a sight.
At the same end of the beach is a rock that protrudes from the water. Locals and tourists alike, make it a sport to jump off it and into the water. I think this was the highlight of this trip for Nicholas.
