Cinque Terre has been a place that I have thought about over and over again since my first visit in 2012. I mean, how could I not think about it? With its stunning seascape, charming quaint villages, and amazing hikes. Naturally, when it came down to planning our trip, we knew we would have to visit this place again.
This time around, we decided to stay in Villaggi La Francesca, a family run holiday escape in the Ligurian Eastern Riviera. With 55 villas and apartments facing the sea, Resort La Francesca is the perfect place to relax and unwind.
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The Resort La Francesca
Located between the town of Levanto and Bonassola, Resort La Francesca is the perfect location to explore Cinque Terre if you want to be away from the hustle and bustle. With little bungalows and villas spread out around the resort’s rolling hills, one can’t help but sit out on the balcony and enjoy the majestic view of the ocean.
We had the pleasure of meeting the owner, who kindly gave us a brief background of their resort. Built to give guests the best experience while being connected to nature, Resort La Francesaca has a wild yet rugged feel to it. With flowers and foliage growing at every corner, the resort is like a small village itself with a restaurant at the bottom, swimming pool, mini supermarket, and a tennis court. Although most of these were shut when we went (it was winter!), we can definitely imagine the beauty of this place during summer.
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The Rooms at Resort La Francesca
The rooms are simple yet has everything you need. Outfitted with a small kitchenette, balcony, and bedroom, each cottage or bungalow is a little home away from home. Coming back to our little cottage after a full day of hiking was nothing short of relaxing. There were days where all we wanted to do was sit on our balcony with a bottle of wine as we watched the sun set over the Cinque Terre sea.
Each cottage had a balcony with a seaside view which was one of our favourite features. Our only comment was that even if the kitchen was complete with cooking equipment, it didn’t have any basic condiments like salt, pepper, and oil. Although this wasn’t a big deal, I had to get creative while cooking during our first evening there.
Location and Activities around Resort La Francesca
La Francesca is located in the middle of Bonasolla and Levanto which is just a train ride away from the famous Cinque Terre villages. To those of you that don’t know this area, it has recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the most visited places in Italy. The beautiful five villages along the coastline including the Cinque Terre National Park have some of the most amazing hikes and treks, attracting people every year. (READ: The Best Ways to Travel around Europe)
La Francesca is located up a hill which has a path leading to the bottom. From there, you can walk to the town of Levanto. Although it was a beautiful walk, it still took us about 40 minutes to get to the train station in order to begin our trek down the villages. In the evenings or when we first arrived, we had to organize a taxi to take us there as the walk would have been impossible with our backpacks. The taxi cost 15-20 euros from the train station. The people over at La Francesca can give you a number to call to help you organize it.
Although it was a bit further than expected, it was actually a bit nice to be away from the five villages as especially during summer time, the places there can get quite busy. If you want to take a break from the trekking, La Francesca has plenty of facilities to keep you entertained.
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Our Overall Experience at Resort La Francesca
Overall, we had a great stay at La Francesca. We enjoyed the beautiful sunrises and sunsets by our balcony that overlooked the ocean and had two nights of good sleep and rest. Cinque Terre is a place that we will just have to go back to, and if we do, we wouldn’t stay anywhere else but here.
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Please note that despite receiving complimentary services from Resort La Francesca, all opinions are ours and remain completely unbiased.