Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Eating
Along the seafront, restaurants dish up local anchovies straight out of the sea, served fried,
raw (with lemon juice), pickled in brine or in a
tian
(baked with potatoes and tomatoes).
To wash them down, stop in at one of several wine bars throughout the village.
La Cantina del Pescatore
(Via V Emanuele 19, Monterosso; snacks €4-9; )
Try the pesto on toast, salads, hot dogs (for
kids) and local wine. You can also buy local food and wine includng excellent jam,
spreads and
limoncino
liqueur at this ultra-friendly restaurant-enoteca, making it worth-
while for a snack lunch. There's free wi-fi.
SNACKS
€
Ristorante Belvedere
( 0187 81 70 33;
www.ristorante-belvedere.it
;
Piazza Garibaldi 38, Monterosso; €30; lunch & din-
ner Wed-Mon)
As good a place as any to try all the local bounty, especially seafood, such as
octopus, prawns, clams and those famous anchovies. It abuts the seafront in the old town
and has a inclusive, unpretentious atmosphere.
ITALIAN, SEAFOOD
€€
Vernazza
POP 987
Guarding the only secure landing point on the Cinque Terre coast, Vernazza's small,
quintessential Mediterranean harbour guards what is perhaps the quaintest of the five vil-
lages. Lined with little cafes, Vernazza's main cobbled street, Via Roma, links seaside
Piazza Marconi with the train station. Side streets lead to the village's trademark Genoa-
style
caruggi
.
Sights
Piazza Matteotti and the harbour are a delight. There's a tiny sandy beach here and swim-
ming is possible.
Chiesa di Santa
Margherita d'Antiochia
(Piazza Matteotti, Vernazza)
The waterfront is framed by a small Gothic-Ligurian church built
in 1318 after a murky legend about the bones of St Margaret being found in a wooden box
on a nearby beach. It is notable for its 40m-tall octagonal tower.
CHURCH
