Western Mediterranean Cruise La Spezia and the Cinque Terre #Arvia

All prices correct June 2024 Half way through our 14 night cruise we arrived in the Italian port of La Spezia. Most people take excursions to Pisa, Florence, Portofino and Lucca from here. We decided instead, to take the opportunity to visit the UNESCO world heritage site of the Cinque Terre. We bought a Cinque terre card beforehand online from the Trenitalia website :- https://www.trenitalia.com/en/service... Buying the tickets online meant that we did not waste time at the station in La Spezia. We got a taxi from the port to the station, which also saved us some time. We had to stand on only one of the trains journeys but as the stations are 5 to 10 minutes apart, it didn't really matter. Cinque Terre, the five towns, is a string of five ancient fishing villages perched high on the Italian Riviera between Genoa and La Spezia in northwest Italy. The tiny villages were until recently linked only by mule tracks and accessible only by rail or water. Riomaggiore is one of the most scenic places in Cinque Terre with its lovely harbor and amazing atmosphere. Manarola is one of the most picturesque villages with its tiny harbor filled with colorful boats. Corniglia, in the heart of Cinque Terre, is situated on a promontory overlooking the sea and surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. For those who are looking for a quiet place to stay in Cinque Terre, Corniglia is the right place. Vernazza is one of the most popular of the five villages. The tiny harbor is surrounded by colorful typical Ligurian houses and the charming piazza is lined with good restaurants and bars. Monterosso is the largest of the Cinque Terre villages. Here you will find a long beach promenade with cafes, gelato stores and restaurants. The town has several beaches, both private and public ones, and beach-lovers should definitely stay here. With planning and an 8:30am disembarkation, it is possible to do all five villages, have a 2 hour lunch break and still get back to the ship for 5:30pm P&O Ship review by Ben and David :-    • We Took a Cruise That we REALLY REGRETTED ...   #laspezia #cinqueterreitaly #monterosso #vernazza #riomaggiore #Corniglia #manarola #arvia #cruise #unesco #unescoworldheritage #worldheritage #travel #mediteranean #italy #italytravel #italianriviera 00:00 - Introduction 00:14 - Sea days & Speciality Dining 01:15 - La Spezia , The Cinque Terre, starting with Riomaggiore 02:15 - The Cinque Terre - Corniglia O4:10 - The Cinque Terre - Manarola We missed it!! 05:34 - The Cinque Terre - Vernazza 07:04 - Ristorante Belforte 08:11 - The Cinque Terre - Monterosso 10:20 - Missed the train and flew past Manarola 10:30 - La Spezia, walk back to port