We love this apartment! Our family of five, including two teen girls, 17 & 15, and a boy, 12, are backpacking Europe for a month. Riomaggiore is stop ten enroute so we have a few apartment experiences for comparison. This one is brand new with lovely decor and appliances and the best view! Our return trip after twenty years away revealed a busier, more touristic village, but high up above the main road, you will be isolated from the noise...except when Italy plays Spain in the Euro Cup and the whole village roars! We're soccer fans and found this collective cheering charming and fun. Mostly though, this apartment is a quiet, lovely, light filled space. The San Giovanni piazza to the left of your balcony is a gathering spot in the evening for kids playing soccer and neighbors chatting. To the right is a restful sea view and everywhere are delightful tiny lanes to explore. We dropped into this wonderful life for four beautiful days. We shopped locally for homemade pasta and sauce for at home meals and cheese, prosciutto & olive anti-pasta plates. We also walked down into town for some excellent sea food. "Rio" is a great home base for seeing the other villages as well. We hiked through Corniglia and Vernazza, swam in Manarola's deep harbor pools, and had a beach day in Monterroso, taking the big boat back "home." The apartment is spacious enough for our family and we were very comfortable with the layout.
So who would not enjoy this apartment? It would not be the best choice if you have limited mobility. There are many steep stairs up from the village and inside the apartment building itself. Also, it is a breezy space with two floor to ceiling windows and fresh sea air, but no a/c. We found it comfortable, but others might not. Overall, we found a rental that is new, immaculate, and well equipped (we learned how to use an Italian coffee maker!) We used the clothes washer and just about every thing else provided. Cristina is very efficient with communication and we had no trouble locating the apartment and letting ourselves in. This one is a winner! We hope others enjoy this space as much as we did. We will be back!