by Katherine
When I was trying to find a hotel for Cinque Terre, I was willing to stay in any of the towns because they are all gorgeous! But finding a hotel was tricky; thankfully, I found an awesome apartment, and it happened to be in Manarola, the second town when approaching from the south. It had been one of my favorite towns on my last visit, and after this trip, both Brad and I definitively determined it was our favorite!
Since the trains don't run often enough throughout the 5 towns, it really made the most sense to eat dinner in the town that you were staying in, so we ended up eating in Manarola every night for dinner. There were just the right number of restaurant options, including one across from the water, one up in the hills, and several more that just had great food!
Manarola is also great because it isn't as popular or as big as Monterosso or Vernazza, so there are far fewer tourists around, especially at night. But it still has a lot to offer in the way of food and things to do. It is also the great home base for hiking! Lots of great trails nearby!
After we ate some focaccia for lunch, we headed for a stroll around town. Manarola is the only town where you can walk up into the hills without having to go far away. The path heads upward and then circles just above all of the buildings of the town, before you head back down. It allows you to go on a mini-hike (Cinque Terre is known for its great extensive hiking trails) and walk near some grape vines and beautiful flowers. It also gives great views of the town itself, as well as the coast.
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