Dream view

The apartment has 2 small bedrooms each with a double bed and a kitchen. The highlight of "Balcone Castello" is the small balcony with panoramic views over Manarola and the Cinque Terre coast, which is reached by one of the two bedrooms. It is in the shaded until the afternoon, and when the sun sets you have a great view. If you are with 4 people in the apartment, it becomes very tight. The kitchen is at the same time the living room for everyone joining at the small table. The apartment amenities are a bit older, kitchen equipment is incomplete. Very friendly and helpful was the local renting agency, and they found the small defects quickly.

Cinque Terre as a holiday destination

General: The villages are what they promise: picturesque location on the rocky coast. Many tourists in July / August. If you go to the beach, bathing shoes are very useful (pebble beaches). If you are a light sleeper, you should choose your accommodation a bit away from the railway line and also on the edge of the village. By car, it is recommended to book a car park / garage at least in the summer. The best way to get between the villages is by train, which runs at least every hour during the summer. Or (more expensive) by boat. Or hiking.
Manarola: Unfortunately the famous "Via dell'amore" walk along the coast from Manarola to Riomaggiore is currently closed (August 2016) due to landslides. Also the path along the sea towards Vernazza is blocked because of landslides. The small "yellow" road from Manarola to Monterosso is also blocked behind the junction of Vernazza. Unfortunately you only notice this each time if you stands before the appropriate barrier, there is nothing pre-announced. So it runs currently through the neigbouring villages of Manarola with some good mountain trails (firm shoes!). And if you like to go by car from Manarola to a place farther west than Vernazza, the best is to drive via La Spezia.