With approximately 1,500 inhabitants and a story dating back to the 11th century, Monterosso is the largest and oldest village of the Cinque Terre. It is located in the westernmost part of the area and can easily be reached by train from Genoa.
Monterosso is divided in two districts, the Old Town, or Centro Storico, and the western New Town. Especially in summer, tourists crowd the alleys of Old Town, strolling down the main street, Via Roma, which is lined with small, colorful buildings. It's a picturesque place to shop for gifts and taste the local cuisine.
A pedestrian tunnel connects Old Town to New Town. The entrance of the tunnel is decorated with quotes from the poetry of Nobel Prize-winning poet Eugenio Montale, who vacationed in Monterosso as a child and spent part of his life there.
In New Town, framed between the tunnel and the big statue Il Gigante (the giant) on the opposite side, is Cinque Terre's largest sand beach, Fegina Beach. Locals and tourists gather there in summer to swim and sunbathe during the day and to party on the beach under the stars.
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