Village of Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore

When approaching it from the south, the Cinque Terre officially begins at Riomaggiore, a quaint fishing village that spills down the slope of a hill to the Mediterranean. The main street now covers the course of the Major River, the town’s namesake. As one of the larger Cinque Terre towns and being the southernmost, Riomaggiore is seething with tourists - Germans, Australians, and especially Americans. The disproportionate number of our fellow countrymen is likely attributed to the "Rick Steves effect" in that the area was prominently featured on his PBS travel show. What is clear is that trainloads of tourists arrive every 20 min or so clad in fleeces, cargo pants, hiking boots, backpacks and wielding walking poles - resembling an Eddie Bauer & LL Bean fashion show. Nevertheless, Riomaggiore, and the whole Cinque Terre for that matter, seems to subsist on tourists. Each new train brings another load looking for rooms, food, and charm. The only place to go from the water is up. The main street winds up through the terraced valley and leads to stairs in all directions meandering past houses and ultimately to panoramic views. Riomaggiore, which is the most eastern and the nearest village to La Spezia (connected by a scenic road), is named after the stream crossing it. It’s interesting to see the seashore and the upper side of San Giovanni Battista, with its two wonderful twin doors made of marble, which are placed in its southern side and which date before the church itself. Above the village, the Sanctuary of "Madonna di Montenero" stands out, built on the hill. We only got to stay here for a short while but I made sure I took lots of pictures.