I hiked one of the most beautiful trails in Italy - here's what I wish I had known going in

There's no debating it. The Cinque Terre in Italy is breathtaking.

What you won't see when you're looking at the picturesque photos on social media is the out-of-breath photographer behind the lens. Trust me, there's no way after hours of hiking, anyone would look anywhere near as glamourous as the views ahead.

The experience, however, was absolutely worth the hike. In total, I hiked almost 4.5 miles of uphill terrain and my phone tracked 119 flights climbed. Needless to say, I got my steps in for the day.

This was a few weeks ago. It was my first time exploring the cliff towns along Italy's west coast. After learning the proper pronunciation (think cheenkwah-terrah) and discovering it's English translation ('cinque'-five, 'terre'-lands), I was ready to take to the trail.

I'll admit- my previous hiking experience was limited. And while I can't compare hiking the Cinque Terre with hiking Everest, I did learn a few tips that should benefit visitors of all experience levels.