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Vistamare - Cinque Terre
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Accommodates 6 — 3 Bedrooms
— 3 Baths
As its name suggests, Vistamare
enjoys a spectacular uninterrupted view of the sea. The location
is right along the seafront in Monterosso, northernmost of
the now famous Cinque Terre, the five cliff-hugging villages
along the southern end of the Italian Riviera. Monterosso
is about an hour by train from either Genoa or Pisa, and the
airports of either of those cities are particularly convenient
for getting to the property. The town is ideal for exploring
the other Cinque Terre — plus other attractive towns
up and down the coast like Portofino, Santa Margherita, Camogli
and Portovenere — either by train or by the many boats
which depart a short walk from our Vistamare accommodation.
Vistamare is essentially a very
spacious flat which takes up the entire third floor (no elevator)
of a 5-story 1920’s structure in the heart of the town.
The beach is literally 20 feet away. But this is only part
of the story. Equally convenient are all shops, groceries,
post office, banks, restaurants, and so on. So here you have
the opportunity to immerse yourself in the life of a real
Italian town, gradually getting to know the local grocer,
butcher, postal clerk, and bank teller.
The train station is less than
3 minutes’ walk. You oughn’t to have a car here.
It is utterly useless. If you must have one, then you must
park it in the large public lot about 5 minutes’ walk
away. There is no parking at the property. In fact, you cannot
even drive up to the property itself to drop off bags. You
must park in the public lot and either carry/roll the bags
to the house on your own (not far and totally flat) or have
the parking lot attendant call a minicab/rickshaw to take
them for you.
The flat, which is full of light,
is composed of an unusually spacious living room separated
by arches from the dining area. This room looks out over the
sea. Furnishings throughout are tasteful and very comfortable.
Three bedrooms mostly face the back (for maximum quiet), one
somewhat larger than the other two and containing a matrimonial
bed, while the other two are furnished with joinable twins.
Baths are old-fashioned but perfectly functional; one of them
is positioned away from the bedrooms which causes some awkwardness
but isn’t fatal, I think. The kitchen is good and fully
equipped. There are a washing machine, dishwasher, and telephone.
Internet cafes abound in the immediate neighborhood. Bed and
bath linens are excellent. Housekeeping is available for a
fee. Finally, there’s a small terrace with room for about
3-4 chairs facing the sea. This is a nice touch, but we would
prefer descending to street level and becoming part of the
“scene”: there are literally dozens of cafes lining
the seafront.
Quiet? Well, you’ll inevitably
have your front windows open anytime between April and October,
and there is definitely the pleasant roar of passing pedestrians
in the living room. The bedrooms are relatively quiet, though
there’s the sound in the background of the occasional
passing train. We’ve stayed in Vistamare ourselves and
did not find noise to be a problem.
The flat could work for 3 couples,
though we think it might feel a little crowded. It’s
better suited for 2 couples or for a family. Children are
welcome, but they must be well-behaved, and we have to tell
you that Italian owners aren’t much impressed with the
behavior of 99% of the American children they have seen. After
17 years in this business, we have to agree with them.
Our judgment on Vistamare: A
delightful place to relax and explore in one of Italy’s
top resort destinations.
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Tentative
rates:
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July 1 - Sep 2
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Apr
8 - July 1;
Sep 2- Oct 28;
Dec 16 - Jan 6, 2007
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Other
periods |
2,200
euros
per week |
1,850
euros
per week |
1,300
euros
per week |
| Extras: |
Final cleaning
120 euros
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| Arrival: |
Saturday
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Minimum
stay: |
1 week
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