The Garden

First, this “loft” was advertised as being in Riomaggiore. It was not. The lofts are in Volastra, about 15 minutes away and on their own mountain in the middle of the Cinque Terre Naional Park. But, oh my gosh, what a blessing this distance has been! We came to Liguria the second half of September and Cinque Terre- all of it- was pure madness. Hordes of people everywhere. Except in Volastra. This little Italian village is the Italy of your dreams. Village church with the chimes on the half hour. Narrow Cobblestone paths between brightly painted homes. No streets or people to speak of. Just charm galore. And peace and quiet. There are a few local restaurants and a small corner market ( open until around noon, when it closes, until it reopens at 5-7 in the evening. ) There are two lofts. We stayed on the lower level. And yes they are in a hidden garden, at the end of a winding garden path. They are meticulously cared for, super clean, with modern furnishings and all advanced electrical and plumbing conveniences. There is a complete kitchenette. It is beautifully decorated. The only challenge is this: the lofts are on a mountain. You have to have a car to get there. OR you have to know how to use the local bus to get up and down the mountain. The bus runs more or less on the hour every day except Sundays at a cost of $2.50 euros per passenger. It will get you to the train station at Manarola and from there to the rest of Italy. The other challenge is communicating with the owner who does not speak a great deal of English. WhatsApp is your friend here. (Not only with her but all the hotel owners and taxi drivers in Italy. ). She will bend over backwards to accommodate you but it has to be on her tool. And that tool is WhatsApp.

The entrance to The Garden is not very obvious, was hidden behind the trees and abundant vegetation. We occupied the upper apartment with access to a beautiful garden with lounge chairs, table and an outdooor shower. The apartment is not very big for a family of 4, but modern, clean and it looks like new. When you arrive they will have the pull out sofa extended for you, with all the bedding you need. All mattresses and pillows are very comfortable. The bathroom looks amazing, they offer all the toiletries you need, and they even have a hidden kitchen place with a sink and refrigerator and kitchen utensils behind the cupboard. Such a smart use of space! The host was very responsive, and she left juice bottles, water and toast on the table. AC was working and was pretty quiet. Once you exit the room the AC would stop working. You can park your car close to the house, the host will guide you. The shuttle (small bus) who goes to Manarola is in a 3-4 minutes walking distance. You can find the bus timetable online. From Manarola you can take the train to all the cities on the coast, and come back to this tranquil place and enjoy the beauty of the place. Locanda Tiabuscion is an excellent restaurant in Volastra, we went to eat there twice, once for lunch and once for dinner. Better than any other restaurants we tried in Cinque Terre. In terms of accomodations, this apartment was the highlight of our trip, and I highly recommend it, despite the high price.:)