Without Tim’s advice, we would not have stayed in Levanto. We would have stayed in Monterosso or another one of the villages in the Cinque Terre. Though the cities are lovely, they’re busy, the streets are narrow, and it’s a challenge to avoid ‘tourist food’. But Levanto, Levanto. It’s the kind of town where children play outside after dark and their parents don’t worry. It’s the kind of town with hotels like this  that have comfortable beds, quiet rooms, and lavish breakfasts, served until 11:30(!) with freshly made cappuccinos and eggs and bacon cooked to order.

Levanto is a small sea town with a beautiful beach – the perfect place to explore the famous Cinque Terre by foot, ferry, or train. It’s also the perfect place to ignore the Cinque Terre, ride on a borrowed beach cruiser to a perfect swimming spot, enjoy a meal of fresh pasta with pesto and fish caught today, and then take a nap.