We’ve stayed in Cinque Terre for the past three days. The region is consist of five sea-side villages along the Italian Riviera coastline and is every bit as beautiful as the pictures we’ve seen online. From afar, the towns looked as if they’re made of colorful miniature cardboard boxes stacked on top of each other, peaceful and serene, but inside they’re swarm with visitors like ants crawling over sweets.

We made Riomaggiore our home base, the first of the five towns with one main drag with a few cafes and restaurants, and souvenir shops. We found it to be a good choice as it wasn’t as touristy as Vernazza and Monterosso, and the atmosphere is lively yet down-to-earth.

On Saturday morning after breakfast, we took the train to Vernazza — supposedly the most beautiful town in C.T., at least according to Rick Steve anyway. When we stepped out of the train station, it felt as if we’ve arrived at Pier 39, where the tourists were the main attraction. The end of the main street, a narrow and shady alley, opens up to the town’s harbor and a wide and sunny piazza filled with restaurants and bars, where people excitedly and eagerly partook in everything that the village has to offer.

After lunch we hiked south to Corniglia, the smaller and sleepier of the five towns as it had been described to us. To our surprise, we found it to be charming, rustic, and quieter, and it was by far our favorite Cinque Terre village! We spent the rest of the afternoon zig-zagging through the tiny streets and poking our heads into a few shops. Unfortunately, we were so busy exploring that we forgot to take photos of the town!

On our last full day in Cinque Terre we decided to check out the remaining two towns by first hiking from Riomaggiore to Manarola, then taking a train to Monterosso. We weren’t too concerned that the famous Via dell’Amour path was closed and that we had to take an alternative route until the staff at the Tourist Information said to us, “Vernazza-Corniglia, easy! Riomaggiore-Manarola, very steep, up and down, more difficult.” Oh boy, was she right! Trekking up and down the almost-vertical trail felt as if we were on a non-stop stair master which the steps have been replaced with unevenly paved stones.

We only stayed in Manarola long enough for a quick bite and a visit to its harbor after the hike. Like Vernazza, Manarola felt crowded and overbearing, which made us feel more anxious than relaxed.

Monterosso is the “glitzy” belle of the Cinque Terre town, touting the region’s only white sandy beach. It’s resort-like waterfront is lined with hotels as well as souvenir shops selling chachkies. Unlike Corniglia, Monterosso felt more spacious and airy, though no less touristy than Vernazza.

However, as we have found in other popular cities in Italy, sometimes adventure is only a few (less traveled) streets away.In this case our detour took us through the old town where we had some frito misto (a variety of fried seafood– often calamari, shrimp and anchovies. It’s a CT specialty), above the town to the Capuchin Friars Monastery, by the beautiful vineyards, and finally back down to the waterfront for some delicious focaccia and drinks.

We left Cinque Terre this morning. We enjoyed our time but both have mix feelings about the region. We had hoped for a more relaxed weekend, only to find it wasn’t the case. However, a couple of towns certainly have left an indelible impression on us.

We’ll be in Florence for the next four days. Until the next update!