Agriturismo L'Uliveto nel Parco — Hotel in Monterosso al Mare

We LOVED our stay at Uliveto nel Parco and if we are lucky enough to go back, we will plan our trip around their availability. It's spectacular. I found it very difficult to make a decision on which village to stay. After experiencing Cinque Terre, I think Monterossa is the perfect starting place for your adventures. It's the only village that offers views of all of the other villages and has beaches. Uliveto nel Parco is positioned on the hillside that faces the villages so it is optimal for both sea and land views. The lodging is charming with the most amazing views you can imagine. Think "garden of Eden". The windows and the door to the room have screens making it possible to have refreshing airflow and to enjoy the spectacular scenery. The decor is simple and comfortable. Each morning we had a lovely breakfast outside and two of the nights, we chose to partake in the offered dinner. It's so tranquil and gorgeous, we really appreciated having meals there. Tommy and his wife make lovely meals including pasta and a main dish of fish. They serve local wines and finish dinner with dessert and a sampling of homemade liquor such as limoncello. |Transportation: |Upon arrival by train, Tommy was gracious enough to pick us up by the train station and drive us to the agriturismo. Along the way, he pointed out the walking path which we used for the rest of the time. We quite enjoyed the 15-minute walk to town although it may not be suitable for those who aren't okay with steep inclines. All of Cinque Terre involves hiking up and down mountainsides so unless you stay by the water, you will have to hike. |Hiking:|We did the hike from Monterrosa to Vernazza which took 1.5 hours and was intense. We are in good shape and found our legs couldn't handle more than that. The train and ferry are very easy to use and that is what we did the remainder of the time. It's helpful to have the train app downloaded (Trenitalia or Trainline) so you can buy your tickets online. The ticket machines tend to have long lines. When you hike, wear a hat and bring and hand fan. It gets very warm and sweaty!|Swimming:|Monterossa is the best for access to the water and if it is warm outside, you will want access. We finished each day with a swim in the sea and it was AMAZING. The water is so clear you can watch the fish swim around your legs. There are no waves and no seaweed. Just beautiful, cool water. Public beach access is limited. You can rent a beach chair for as little as 10 EUR a day and if you do, you will have access to changing rooms. If you use the public beach like we did, be prepared there aren't places to change. We wrapped a towel around ourselves and changed that way. There are signs telling you not to change on the beach, but everyone does...

We went there as a group of ten and stayed for a week: we can only recommend this place as we have nothing negative to say about it. The hosts are really welcoming and made lot of efforts to compense our poor italian level. They offered us good advices concerning Cinque Terre and helped with our luggages. The property is absolutely stunning : there's a gigantic garden with olive and lemon trees, a beautiful view of the sea and the village. The rooms are confortable. On top of that if you ask for half pension they cook every evening some delicious variations of pasta, fish or sea food and vegetables : always well seasoned and accompanied by local wine. Plus they made the effort and veganised their dishes for 3 of us, without any lack of taste or deliciousness.

To sum up that's the place to stay in Monterosso for the kindness of the owners, the amazing view and garden and the local mouth watering food. You just have to be ok with walking up and down the hill every morning and end of day (around 15 min).

Thanks a lot...

Incredible location with views over the coast from the hillside, you can see all 5 of the cinque terre from this magical spot. Family owned and run. Breakfast included and they make great coffee. (If you normally drink flat white ask for double espresso con latte macchiato, with hot milk. Perfetto). Incredibili friendly hosts. Fish of the day for dinner if you want, let them know at breakfast. Dinner is usually some catch of the day from their local fishermen friends served with salads and vegetables grown on the Agroturismo property. You can see it growing all around. Fantastic place to stay for walking the path between the 5 terre. You walk into town to buy the ticket to the path and get started from the old town to take the route north to south. It is hot and sweaty, dress appropriately and wear closed shoes. Water is available in each terre and you can ditch the walk to jump on train or ferry from any of the terre along the way if you get tired. Laundry service available in town. Fans not air con. This is normal...