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The best things to do in Mallorca, Spain
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Like Riomaggiore, we got the impression that all the little houses with their colorful facades held on to each other. It’s said that you’d feel right at home in Vernazza, with a very intimate feel. In our case, we visited this village in the middle of August, and the town was really too crowded with tourists… Numerous boats were pouring large numbers of tourists into the town every ten minutes… We found it quite oppressive and were therefore unable to enjoy Vernazza to the full.
You’ll find in our article our selection of good Vernazza hotels, but also our advice on what to do and where to eat in Vernazza.
If you’re looking for a beautiful apartment located in the heart of Vernazza you’ll love this address. Beautifully decorated and boasting a lovely balcony overlooking the village, this 4th-floor apartment is an excellent address. Staying in the heart of Vernazza will enable you to enjoy the calm of the village in the morning, as well as visiting the other villages of the Cinque Terre.
The small village of Vernazza is said to have been founded in the year 1000. It’s the only village in the Cinque Terre with a natural harbor, giving it a very “fishermen’s” atmosphere. Here you’ll find a small stone companionway, where tourists stroll and sunbathe, and dozens of colorful little boats.
In 2011, the village suffered a deadly natural disaster. An impressive landslide created an enormous mudslide, which buried a large part of the town. The village was renovated over a period of 3 long years, during which time it was completely closed to the public. Today and since 2015, you can discover the village in its best light!
Santa Margherita church square with its cafe terraces with colorful parasols. Climb to the Castello Doria tower, which overlooks the whole village and offers an incredible panorama of the sea and neighboring villages (Monterosso and Corniglia). Vernazza is said to be one of the richest villages in the Cinque Terre, thanks in no small part to the many vineyards that dot the land.
To the south of the village, you can climb the 100 steps up to Vernazza Castle. In the past, the castle went all the way around the village! Today you can only visit the large 60-meter-high circular tower. You can climb to the top of the Castello Doria tower for €1.50. At the top, you’ll have a breathtaking view of the sea and the neighboring villages of Monterosso al Mare and Corniglia, making for some great photo opportunities.
As we discovered afterwards, Santa Margherita is Vernazza’s patron saint and protector. This church was built in her honor in the 1300s! You can go and admire it for free and even visit it every day, outside mass times.
This small restaurant in Vernazza is a bit hard to find, you have to climb up to the castle to get there. The dining room is very small, so it’s best to take away! Piadiamo’s specialty is a piadiana (a small home-made wrap-like pancake) topped with homemade products. In this restaurant, they’ll cut ham in front of you to garnish your little piadiana, a delight.
The Place to Be! This super ice cream parlour in Vernazza is very affordable (count €2 per cone) and above all a real delight. If you’re looking for a good ice cream place in Cinque Terre, go to this glacier, you’re in for a treat.
Numerous hikes link the villages of the Cinque Terre. A very simple color code represents the Cinque Terre hikes, and it’s not for their difficulty but for their gratuity.
Red sign = you’re on a 100% free hike.
Blue sign = you’re on a paid hike, unless you’ve already purchased the Cinque Terre Treno Card (the train pass), which includes the hikes.
The hike is therefore not free, but is included in the train card. This hike is well worth doing, and takes around 2 hours from one end to the other. You’ll discover some superb views!
Something to cheer you up on this hike: a Cinque Terre resident has been selling pressed orange juice for €2 right in the middle of the hike for almost 20 years. This little grandpa, 100% purebred, will cheer you up before you set off again!
To find the best mode of transport to your destination, we recommend you always look on the OMIO comparator. This will give you an overview of all available modes of transport. You’ll be able to compare prices very easily.
In order to find the best hotels and benefit from the best conditions (security, cancellation…) we go almost exclusively through Booking.com for our trips. We recommend that you take a look at the available hotels before you leave. You can filter them according to their ratings. There are plenty of recent customer reviews, so there are no unpleasant surprises when you’re traveling!
Riomaggiore – Manarola – Corniglia – Vernazza – Monterosso Al Mare
We hope the tips and good addresses on our travel blog will help you visit Vernazza!
You can also follow our daily adventures on Instagram 🙂
Clem & Alex
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