Travel :: The Cinque Terre at Night

The Cinque Terre during the day is bright, colorful, and mesmerizing, but also can be absolutely packed with tourists {including dozens tour groups from Florence and/or cruises}.  To be perfectly honest, at times it was overwhelming.  The trains were next to impossible from 10am-6pm {we actually missed one due to the fact we literally could not move through the mass of people at the station} and it was difficult to really get a true feel for the towns.  But in the evenings when the tourists all head back to their respective destinations, the Cinque Terre completely transforms.

A town square that is hot and crowded with tour groups during the day is nearly empty at night except for three or four locals sitting around a table playing cards.  An inlet along the coast that is filled with people taking photos by day is the perfect spot for a romantic moment alone at night.  A restaurant buzzing with English-speaking visitors during the day is a relaxing respite for a dinner of mussels, pasta, and a bottle of Cinque Terre vino.  I am so thankful we chose to stay a little longer than usual, as it allowed us to truly get a taste of the small-town life that is the Cinque Terre.

See more photos from our trip: Genoa, Lucca, The Cinque Terre, Manarola, Riomaggiore, Hiking the Cinque Terre.  Follow Dreams in HD on bloglovin' here.