We had decided to stay 4 nights in Torino with realatives. Next, a week in CT, staying in Monterosso at La Spiaggio. Then, to Rome for 4 nights and then home. We have visited Italy several times but never the Cinque Terre. Will we get bored for that long? We are active and like to hike or sit on a beach. Is it easy to do day trips to Lucca or Portofino? Thanks for anyhelp, Sandrettos
We spent two weeks in Levanto a couple of years ago and had a good time. You can take a train to Lucca. For Portofino, you take the train to a nearby town and then a bus. For both of these places it is better to take the train than drive (we drove to Lucca, got caught in traffic, then spent ages looking for parking). You could also take the boat to Portovenere and/or Lerici.
You can probably swim from June to September. The beach at Monterosso is nice - so is the one at Levanto. We swam in September when we were there. It may be too hot for hiking in July and August.
You might want to consider elsewhere on the Italian Riviera, as Pauline suggests. The towns of Camogli and Santa Margherita Ligure are on the north and south sides respectively of the Portofino peninsula, which has a hiking trail over it. Both towns are on the train line, with easy access to the Cinque Terre and Genoa.
Posts: 128 | Location: Seattle, WA USA | Registered: 11 March 2004
What about Lerici in the Gulf of Poets? YOu can enjoy the gorgeous bay, the small seaside (and less touristy) villages of Tellaro and Sarzana, visit Lucca (50 minutes by car), the Forte dei Marmi flea market, Lunignana, Carrara, etc.
After I read these posts I got really sad - I have only 7 nights planned staying in Camogli. This is supposed to be a particularly slow travel trip we are planning. (If we get much slower we'll do a Shirley Valentine and sit on a beach and talk to a rock). After reading all this, I wish I could stay the whole five weeks in this area. I want to see every single place mentioned, more than once. Imagine spending quality time at the Bay of Poets, not just going for morning coffee and lunch. Imagine spending more than a few hours at Portofino - and this time I have to try to get up to Castello Brown where Enchanted April was set. I fell in love with Vernazza after part of a day day last April while having 10 days on the Ligurian coast. Imagine having the time to get to know all the towns and all of towns before and after. At least I have the message board and the trip reports. And as everyone keeps saying - it's not the only or last trip to Italy - I am going for 5 weeks in October then "same time, same bat channel", again, 5 weeks in October 2007. Leslie Life is too short - I'm going to do it now.
you will love your time in beautiful Camogli. Everytime I go there I feel like stretching out on a rock near the beach and just taking it in, and then meander around for a cool drink. I especially like that it is not a yacht harbor, but rather a fishing harbor, with kitties hanging out near where the fish are cleaned and people shouting to eachother from accross the way.
Hmmmmm...maybe I will hop in my car and drive down now...it is about an hour and ten down over the hills....OOPS too much to do today. Maybe tomorrow!
Hi Diana, I first went to Camogli in June 92 with my 2 little children for a few hours, and then thought about it often until finally last April I got to go to Liguria again. I had my sister with me and she was rapt! Now we are booked into Hotel Casmona for 7 nights, in all the Camogli pics it's where the pine trees are on the front on the right. To the right of this pic I am inserting for you as you mentioned the cats. This pic is on the desktop of my computers. I have a Smartboard computer where I teach and the screen is huge so the picture looks great. Leslie. (my name was taken so I used my siamese cat's name)
Diana, that is a really cute pic. Here is another one I found of "Vernazza cat". When I was there in April I videoed and my sister took pics of a similar cat and the owner told me all about her 10! cats she has in Vernazza. My sister and I have so many Italian cat photos. In Certaldo Alto in April there was a cat I hadn't seen before. I have it on video - it has the coloring and blue eyes of a tabby point siamese, but it doesn't have the triangular face of a siamese so it must be part moggy. We see a lot of "blue" in the calico cats in many of the places we go to. Leslie.
Ooh! Someone else part from me! I am so excited! Last week in October. What info have you got? I booked it from the slow trav review. There isn't much on the internet but I have an old video I made of an afternoon there in 92 and I have the video I made last April before I knew the hotel existed. I know it is the hotel behind the pine trees. We have a room (for my sister) with a drawing room with a sofa bed? for me and a sea view. What do you know about it? How exciting Leslie.
We are going in May so I'll be able to tell you more after that. I also found these reviews on Trip Advisor for Hotel Casmona- they are extremely positive!
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