Cheerful, clean, comfortable and roomy apartment in a great town. We are a couple who stayed in Mariarita's apartment for 4 nights in December, 2013, and wish we had stayed longer. Levanto is our new favorite place, the apartment was very comfortable and roomy, and Mariarita was the perfect landlady. The apartment is very clean and has eveything you need for a comfortable stay. It has a full size kitchen, completely equiped for any cooking/serving. There was a big bowl of just picked oranges on the table, and orange, lemon, and mandarin trees in the small garden just outside. There is a clothes line in the yard, in case you wash a load in the washing machine. (We did.) The preset heating was perfect. The large bed is comfortable, the bedroom has plenty of clothes hanging and drawers, it is quiet and restful. The shower is great, everything works well, there are plenty of towels and even some bathrobes. We are a couple, but there is lots of space for a small family or some friends traveling together. The bedroom is separate and private and the living area next to the kitchen has a convertible sofa. Overall, the décor is cheerful and bright, with mural art painted on the walls, as in the photos. If you read Italian, there are lots of books! Mariarita is friendly, kind, knowledgable about the area, and very prompt in answering our questions. She introduced us to the pizza maker who makes the traditional Farinata (chickpea pizza), which we had with the locally made pesto: fantastico! And don't miss the Salty Dog Cafe for a glass of delicious Levanto wine, which they serve with small bites in a great atmosphere with music. A Conad grocery is a block away, and there is a covered morning market close by. We were fortunate to be there during the weekly Wednesday market around the corner. In December many of the water edge Cinque de Terra trails are closed, but we walked the one between Corniglia and Vernazza, with great enjoyment. We also hiked from Levanto to Monterosso, which is a more difficult rocky trail, but good exercise. (Not for someone with bad knees.) We also walked the easy path from Levanto to Bonassola and up into the hills. There are tons of trails for hiking and, we understand, for biking. There is a large beach in Levanto, and surfing. We wholeheartily recommend Levanto and Mariarita's apartment for your Cinque de Terra stay. Levanto has more stores, services and restaurants to offer than the hillside villages and the first village is a 4 minute ...