There are places you feel you already know before you’ve even visited them. You’ve seen them in photographs, videos, reels and postcards so many times that you almost feel as if you’ve already been there.
For me, the Cinque Terre were exactly that.
At the end of July, I decided to dedicate four days to exploring a part of Liguria that, despite being relatively close to home, offers landscapes that seem to belong to a completely different corner of the world.
The trip was based in La Spezia, chosen also for its strategic location. From there I set off on a fairly intense itinerary that took me to all five villages of the Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare.
Five villages very close to one another, yet completely different at the same time.
Riomaggiore, with its colourful houses overlooking the sea. Manarola, probably one of the most iconic images of Liguria. Corniglia, perched on the hillside and different from the others because it isn’t directly on the sea. Vernazza, with its small harbour and one of the views that struck me most. And finally Monterosso, larger and with a much more seaside-resort feel.
Seeing all five in just a few days made me realise how hard it is to pick just one as “the most beautiful”. Each has something different to offer.
But the trip didn’t stop at the Cinque Terre.
I also spent part of my time in Portovenere, one of those places that perhaps gets overshadowed by the more famous destinations nearby, but which I personally consider an absolute must-see. The historic centre, the Church of San Pietro overlooking the sea, and the town’s distinctive colourful houses make it truly special.
From there I continued on to another emblematic area of Liguria: Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure.
Here the atmosphere changes once again. Portofino, with its small harbour surrounded by colourful façades and hillsides, is probably one of the most famous places on the Ligurian coast. Santa Margherita, on the other hand, struck me for its elegant centre and for the way it manages to combine the life of a seaside resort with that of a town lived in year-round.
Four days might seem like too little time to visit so many places, but with good planning it’s possible to see a great deal.
And, as often happens on my trips, the journey home also became an opportunity to add one more stop.
On the way back, I decided to stop for half a day in Pisa.
Here too, I didn’t just want to pass through a city without stopping. I took advantage of the few hours available to revisit Piazza dei Miracoli and the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, also strolling through the historic centre before continuing my journey home.
It’s something I like to do often: whenever I have the chance to add a new destination along the way, I try to take it. Even a few hours can be enough to discover a place and bring home a new experience.
And this is precisely one of the aspects I’d like to share through this column: not just which places to visit, but also how to organise a trip to make the most of the time available.
As always, I tried to tell the story of the trip through photographs and videos taken with my iPhone and shared on my Instagram profile. For me, photographing a place isn’t just about bringing home a memory, but about trying to convey to whoever is looking the same feeling I experienced in that moment.
And perhaps that’s exactly why, even though I had already seen countless images of the Cinque Terre before setting off, seeing it in person was something entirely different.
Because a photograph can show you how beautiful a place is.
But it’s only when you actually get there that you can truly understand why it’s worth the trip.
