Let’s talk about breathtaking views. Let’s talk about expecting little, and being completely overwhelmed by simplicity, color and beauty. Much of Italy is like that – picturesque architecture, diverse geography, history, and utter beauty.

We spent one full day in Cinque Terre; I hadn’t done my research and certainly never planned on writing a travel guide. We started our trek from Florence, and it was fairly simple. Leaving from Firenze SM Novella train station, we headed straight to La Spezia in Liguria or the Cinque Terre region. What you need to know about Cinque Terre, is that it’s literally five villages overlooking the Ligurian Sea, which is an extension of the Mediterranean Sea. You can grab an express pass to stop at every town via train – or you can hike the trail connecting each of the towns. The five cliffside villages are: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. If there’s one thing we took away, it was that we consumed the best home-made, freshest on-the-go pasta at Primo Piatto in Riomaggiore. If you’re planning to visit Italy, check out things to do in different cities like Venice and Sardinia here.

Getting straight to the point however, here’s a glimpse of Cinque Terre to inspire you to visit and to remind myself to go back!