Caribana Guesthouse

What People are saying

Basic accommodations

amaroo7610on 30/05/2017 16:17

This guesthouse is very basic (reflected in cost). There was confusion about the size of the bed I reserved - I wanted a queen and received two twin beds. The owner said he emailed me, but I didn't receive the messages. The shower door was broken. The location is wonderful - very close to the train. The owner is not very friendly, but will help as needed. There is AC and extra blankets and pillows. Bring all of your own toiletries as none are provided. They were helpful in providing us with an iron - but you should not expect one. You pay for what you get and in this instance the price was very cheap. In return we had a basic room in an amazing location. If I went back I wouldn't stay here, but only because I think a roof deck/outdoor space where you can see the ocean is a must.

We stayed in Daria and it was great!

hippiefrogon 20/10/2016 15:18

We stayed in the property called Daria. When we got there, Francesco was very helpful and friendly. He spent time showing us on a map where we were and what were all the nice things to do at the other stops along the Cinque Terre. He was also happy to help us call people to make reservations, or to answer any questions that we had. The room was close by, and centrally located. It was clean, and really large, even with a balcony that we sat on each afternoon and evening enjoying a glass of wine. The room we had, Daria, also had free wifi, which was very nice. I highly recommend booking a room with Francesco and Amy. We will certainly do so again in the future if we have the opportunity to visit the Cinque Terre again.

A perfect vacation in 5Terre

emptynestravelleron 10/10/2016 17:42

We booked our apartment with Riomaggiore Reservations and it turned out to be the beginning of an amazing few days in Cinque Terre. Amy and Francesco were very attentive, with Francesco going so far as alerting us to a Trenitalia strike the day we were travelling from Florence to Riomaggiore. It certainly helped to have the advance warning and we were able to manage our travel accordingly because of it.
We stayed in Giando Mini Apartment – fabulous does not begin to describe the view from the balcony. It was perfect for enjoying a late afternoon glass of wine or cup of coffee. We were that couple on the apartment balcony that everyone below kept photographing :-) …. I think they were all envious. The apartment was spacious and clean, with a tiny kitchen that had everything we needed.
The recommendations from Amy and Francesco were super helpful. Make sure to try the take out pasta from Primo Piatto! The hiking suggestions assisted us in tackling some of the more scenic routes. We really enjoyed the hike from Manarola to the lovely Corniglia. We can't wait to come back!

Excellent Location and Exceptional Hosts

Shamim_Patelon 03/07/2016 15:09

5 gold stars. Highly recommended.

I went with my two children aged 14 and 17 and we had a fabulous and fun time due to following Francesco and Amy’s tips.

Colombo House is very easy to get to from the railway station room (less than 5 mins walk with wheelie luggage) and our room was much better than expectations. We asked for three single beds which we got. (You can also ask for a double and single if there are three of you). We had a room facing the front of the main street which means we did get some noise but this did not bother us as we were exhausted at the end of each day. Our room was on the 3rd or 4th floor – and in the morning it was just lovely to sit on the window ledge and watch the local morning hustle and bustle over a cup of coffee (kettle and coffee granules/tea bags provided:)) The bathroom was very clean and modern, towels were provided and changed every other day (but bring your own for the beach; Wi-Fi worked well in the room; and there was a decent flat screen TV, which seemed to have a lot of channels.

Riomaggiore is perfect location to base yourself in Cinque Terre. We stayed for 5 nights. 4 days were spent hiking, and in and around the around the 5 villages, and the final day was spent in Spezia as my children wanted to do some shopping. Spezia, is about 10 mins by train from Riomaggiore and has a huge flea market on Fridays and also a large shopping center/mall with Italian high street stores.

Colombo Guesthouse is run by Francesco and his wife Amy. We booked because I had read Amy and her friend Bianca’s blog (thank you both for sharing so much useful information). Unfortunately we did not get to meet Amy, but Francesco was very kind, friendly and super helpful. It was thanks to his little booklet of tips - which we tried to follow wherever possible - that we had such a wonderful holiday. Thank you, Francesco!

Wonderful hosts

Melissa Maree Bon 28/05/2016 14:18

Francesco was fantastic with his recommendations. I definitely got the best of the Cinque Terre hiking in due to his insight. The room was a good size, clean, and quiet as I was at the back, away from the street. Be sure to take your own shampoo.
A good value for money option, in a top location. Thank you Francesco.