CREUZA DE 5 TERRE

La tranquillità del posto.

Rustig gelegen en toch op korte afstand van de 5 dorpen van le cinque terre. Fijne gastheer met goede tips en activiteiten. Altijd bereikbaar.

Posizione ottimale, ristoranti caratteristici del posto

Away from the crowds and bustle of the 5 villages. We appreciate the way the owners still work in agriculture, although it would be great if there was the option to integrate this with the stay, e.g. organise a tasting. The terrace was a nice bonus, with a beautiful view in each direction, including over the olive and grape terraces, gardens, and over the sea (although can't see Manarola from there). There is a handy bus service between Manarola and Volastra if you don't always feel like tackling the steep 30-45 minute walk; note that it's €1 cheaper to buy tickets from train station than from the driver. The rooms and bathroom had ample space and were in good condition. Our host spoke reasonable English, which compensated for our minimal Italian, and welcomed us at the bus stop.

Communication was challenging. There were no responses on booking.com to our questions until the owner contacted us the day before our arrival, and we got no answer to a request we made during our stay. There is a small fridge and a coffee machine, but only paper cups (which flavour the coffee) and a few pods were supplied. Volastra has only a small shop and two restaurants, so if we had known that situation beforehand, we would have brought travel mugs with us, and bought a supply of coffee pods (getting more means a trip to another village). Volastra is beautifully quiet, although there's still the chance of tranquility being interrupted by a loud TV or leaf-blower. Mostly, though, I'd recommend it.