Hotel Villa Steno is a family-run hotel high in the hills of old town Monterosso. I can’t say enough about this hotel. We absolutely loved it. Finding it and getting up to it were a bit of a challenge, but it was well worth it. Built high up in the hills with a commanding view over old town, the grounds were covered with beautiful flowers and the air was filled with the smell of the lemons and oranges that grew in their gardens. Fourteen of the sixteen rooms in the hotel have a balcony. When we originally booked, a non-balcony …
Category: International
Italy and Wine Review
We booked our Tuscan wine tour through Italy and Wine. They have 6 Tuscan wine tours to choose from, as well as a truffle hunting tour and some wine tastings in Florence. We went on the Castle and Chianti Wine Tour and it was fabulous. I gave the full details of the trip in my Tuscany blog but suffice it to say, the tour was one of the highlights of our entire trip. The booking process was easy, the tour guide friendly and informative, the wineries well chosen, and the overall experience fantastic. (Note: this is obviously an adult activity …
Hotel Porta Rossa Review
Hotel Porta Rossa is an NH Collection hotel and claims to be the oldest hotel in Italy. It is located on a narrow street in Florence, close to the Uffizi Gallery and a short walk away from the Duomo and other sites. The historic building has modern updates but retains its charm. The staff at the hotel was fantastic. They were friendly and helpful in making reservations and providing us with directions and suggested activities. We had read widely positive reviews about the hotel but there seemed to be one underlying complaint… the noise level. Surely it can’t be that …
The Fifteen Keys Hotel Review
Well, I wish I could write a more informed review about this hotel but unfortunately I missed our night there because of my flight issues. But I will say that my husband absolutely loved it. Seriously, I had to tell him to stop talking about how great it was because it was making me sad. The hotel has a wonderful central location, close to it all yet still quiet and secluded. A converted 5 story townhouse, the inside is impeccably decorated in a modern yet understated manner. With only 15 rooms (hence the name), this boutique hotel provides wonderful personal …
Riomaggiore
While eating lunch in Manarola, we briefly considered whether we should complete our hike there or continue on to Riomaggiore. We knew the easy path (Via dell’Amore) was closed and after a long and strenuous hike, thoughts of food, drink and relaxation briefly outweighed the idea of another steep hike. While the last segment was one of the shortest hikes distance-wise, it was reputed to be one of the most challenging. But we had come all this way to see all five towns and it seemed silly to stop now. Taking the train was technically an option but seemed like …
Manarola
On our first day of hiking, we followed Trail 2 (Sentiero Azzurro) from Monterosso to Vernazza and then on from Vernazza to Corniglia. The blue trail is the most well-known trail in Cinque Terre, as it hugs the coast and provides the beautiful views of the five towns that the area is famous for. The idea was to take a train back to Corniglia on our second day and pick up where we left off, hiking on to Manarola and Riomaggiore. But both those sections of the trail were not just closed; they were “really closed” according to the daily …
Corniglia
Another slightly hidden stairwell on the opposite side of Vernazza’s main street pointed us towards Corniglia. Overall this hike seemed slightly easier than Monterosso to Vernazza, although it started out tougher. Yet again, this hike had many steep steps to get out of town and into the hills above, and the first half of the hour and a half hike was mainly uphill. We found the trails on this stretch to have a lot of loose rocks so you have to watch your footing. The second half of the hike – after reaching the highest point in Cinque Terre – …
Vernazza
After finally finding the start to Trail #2 (Sentiero Azzurro or Blue Trail) from Monterosso to Vernazza, we headed up the stone steps to start our hike. Since the normal trailhead was closed, I’m not sure how far we hiked before joining up to the main trail. I was nervous because we planned to purchase our hiking pass at the checkpoint and we seemed to walk a long time without coming across one. I was concerned that the checkpoint was on the section of the trail that was closed and we would somehow get busted for hiking without a pass. …
Monterosso
Monterosso was our home base so we were able to explore it more in depth than the other towns. We arrived at the Monterosso train station from Florence around 7pm. The train station is in the new part of town and you can either take a taxi or walk to the old part of town where our hotel was. We had been warned that there were only a handful of taxis in the town and that they should be reserved ahead of time. Since we didn’t plan the exact train we would be taking in advance, we figured we would …
Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre is a series of five picturesque towns built into a 6 mile stretch of cliffs along the Italian Riviera. Each town has its own distinct look and feel and they are connected by both trains and an awe-inspiring series of hiking trails. From north to south, the cities are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. We stayed in the northernmost town of Monterosso, which proved to be an excellent starting point for hiking between the towns. We researched online and fell in love with the Hotel Villa Steno and chose the hotel more than the town …