The Ultimate Guide to Cinque Terre, Italy
The Ultimate Guide to Cinque Terre
About Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre was once a set of five sleepy fishing villages with terraced citrus, grape and olive vineyards that became really popular with tourists and cruise ship excursionists in the last 15 years or so. Now it is a heavily touristed area where foreign visitors outnumber locals on almost any given day of the year.
Most visitors are day trippers who arrive by train from the larger neighboring cities; the nearest one being La Spezia. At night, most of the day trippers leave and the vibe becomes more romantic, so take that opportunity to walk around the alleys and hilltops, sip wine and have a nice dinner by the water with your significant other.
Monterosso
Monterosso al Mare is the largest of the five towns and is a great base for beginning a hike, going on a boat tour, or joining a kayaking tour. We also noticed that it has minimal incline so as far as strolling, it will be quite pleasant for most people. Walking around Monterosso feels just like being in a beach town and in fact, it is the only place with a proper beach for swimming in Cinque Terre. The sand is soft, and the shore is not rocky like the other towns so you will be able to enjoy the aqua blue waters of Liguria. It also offers the most dining options and hotel accommodations compared to the rest of Cinque Terre.
Vernazza
Vernazza is the best town for watching romantic sunsets with your significant other as it has a large harbor with plenty of viewpoints and places to sit. Our advice is to grab a glass of wine and a slice of focaccia or gelato and sit on the rocks to watch the sun set on the Ligurian coast. In that moment, you will feel as though there can be no other place in the world this beautiful. And if you are with your significant other, you will feel grateful for the chance to spend this moment with them. Vernazza also has a small beach inside the harbor as well as plenty of dining options.
Corniglia
Corniglia is the most secluded town as it takes quite an effort to get there. It has tight, winding alleys, beautiful gardens, and is surrounded by vineyards and terraces. Walking through the narrow alleys, you’ll often see artisan jewelry shops, bohemian boutiques, gelato shops and limestone buildings. It also has no beach since the town is perched atop a cliff. Because it seems so isolated and cozy, Corniglia felt the most rustic, although one should expect large tourist crowds either way.
Manarola
Manarola is arguably the most picturesque of the five towns. In fact, when searching for a picture of Cinque Terre on social media or Google, Manarola is often the first picture that appears. As you walk into town from the train station, you may be greeted by accordion players, singers, knickknack shops and gelaterias. One of the best experiences that you can have is to have lunch at Nessun Dorma; a restaurant that is just a short walk up the cliff (don’t worry, the path is fully paved concrete so it is not a very difficult walk for most folks) with that iconic picturesque view of the town below while having some delicious food.
Manarola has no beach but it does have steps leading over the rocks and toward the water for the adventurous types who like to dive from the rocks. There are also ladders on the rocks that allow one to climb out of the water.
Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore is the southernmost town of Cinque Terre and a great base for renting a boat or going hiking. It is also a very vertical town so if you want to stroll and explore, be prepared to walk up several flights of short, uneven stairs/steps. However, the elevated views of the town with the sunset backdrop will leave you so charmed that your efforts will be well worth it. There is also a beach within walking distance of the main town, but it is quite rocky, so we did not partake in swimming there.
As far as dining, we had the most amazing octopus salad wrapped in red cabbage at Il Grottino Restaurant so we would highly recommend that anyone reading this give it a try. There are also various wine tasting experiences throughout Riomaggiore as well as a popular bar called Bar O’Netto that is open until late in the evening.
Helpful tips for your Visit
Activities/Excursions
Boat Tour - We highly encourage you to rent a boat in order to travel between the towns and see the rugged cliffs and coastline from the ocean. You can choose to rent a small boat with a captain or opt for a larger boat tour group.
In our case, we rented a small rubber boat in Riomaggiore that only had enough space to fit three people (us two and a captain) and it was the most romantic fun that we had while in Cinque Terre. The water was a crystal-clear shade of aqua blue and at one point during the tour, while we were snorkeling, our captain put on a wetsuit and dove to the bottom of the ocean floor to catch some sea urchin. After that, he cracked open the sea urchin and we proceeded to eat them fresh. Recalling this moment brings a smile to our faces every time, even as we write this now.
It’s important to note that since the water is so clear that you can see straight to the bottom, it might be difficult to judge depth. Also, depending on your tolerance, the water might be a bit cold for you at around 50 degrees – 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 – 16 Celsius).
You can find more information on boat excursions at https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/boat-excursions
Kayaking – You can rent a kayak at either Riomaggiore or Monterosso if the water is calm enough and you might even be able to join a kayaking tour which is a great way to explore caves or go snorkeling.
Beaches & Swimming – Most towns do not have a proper beach suitable for swimming (unless you decide to jump into the water from one of the rocks above the water). They are tiny and, in some cases, they are just an extension of the harbor so you may have some boat traffic. You will also have to deal with very jagged rocks close to the shore which can scrape up your arms and feet.
Monterosso offers the largest beach out of all the towns and you will often see row after row of beach umbrellas for rent at the main beach. The sand is soft, and the shore is not rocky like the other towns so you will be able to enjoy the aqua blue waters of Liguria without issue here.
Hiking – There are about 75 miles (120 km) worth of hiking trails that connect the various towns with differing levels of difficulty and steepness. Depending on your fitness and general preference, this could be a romantic way to spend the day and catch wonderful views.
There is also a romantic walkway that hugs the cliffside and takes you between the towns of Riomaggiore and Manarola. Unfortunately, we were not able to walk this trail during our visit due to a series of mudslides that had occurred some years prior causing the trail to be shut down. Hopefully, if somebody is reading this in the future, you will be able to enjoy this walkway once again as it is a lovely and easy trail that offers spectacular views of the coast.
You can find more information on hiking trails at https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/footpaths-cinqueterre
Food
Seafood - Since Cinque Terre is a coastal region and is located in a nationally protected area, all the seafood is fresh and absolutely delicious. When walking around the towns of Cinque Terre it is common for vendors to sell cones with fried seafood and lemon to passersby. A particular favorite dish of ours was the octopus salad wrapped in red cabbage at Il Grottino Restaurant in Riomaggiore.
Focaccia - Focaccia is a specialty bread of the region that is salted with fresh seawater and then baked to perfection in a traditional oven. At every town you will see shops selling multiple variations of focaccia such as plain, olive, rosemary and lemon.
Pesto - Basil pesto is a traditional specialty of this region and many pasta dishes as well as bruschetta options will include pesto.
Gelato - Gelato is not specific to Cinque Terre, however, the ingredients used are local and taste like artisan, home made gelato. The lemon sorbet/gelato is consistently delicious no matter which town you are eating in.
Shopping
Ceramics - Commonly found throughout the five towns were a multitude of hand painted ceramics, often with fish and citrus themes.
Boutiques - Most of the clothing sold in Cinque Terre was Boho-beach chic style with a local flare. The jewelry shops were unique, hand made and likely one-of-a-kind pieces.
Art Galleries - As you stroll throughout Cinque Terre, you will notice souvenir paintings of the landscape unique to each town.
Shops - Most markets sold pasta, spices, olive oil and pesto.
Plan your Trip
Arrival/Getting There
There are no airports nearby so you will have to arrive by train, car or boat. We recommend that you avoid driving as the terrain is very hilly, mountainous, and perhaps most frustrating, there is almost no parking at any of the towns, with the exception of Monterosso (the largest town).
You can find more information on the train schedules pertaining to Cinque Terre here https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-timetable
You can find more information pertaining to the boat schedules here https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/boat-excursions
Getting Around
There is a train system that connects all five towns. There are also boat rental options as well as hiking trails that take you from town to town.
You can purchase a Cinque Terre Card which gives you unlimited train rides for anywhere between 1 – 3 days, depending on which package you purchase. You can also purchase a Cinque Terre Trekking Card which gives you access to all of the hiking trails in the area. Both of these access cards can be purchased at any information desk located at any train station within Cinque Terre.
You can find more information on Cinque Terre Cards at the following website https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-card
You can find more information pertaining to the boat schedules here https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/boat-excursions
We did not notice any taxi stands at any of the towns so we would not recommend this as a form of travel.
There is also a bus network that connects the five towns to each other, but we did not use this form of transportation as there are more efficient means available.
Accessibility
The towns of Cinque Terre are not handicap accessible. There are often short, steep staircases and hills that you must climb in order to move around the towns. If handicaps or general fitness are a concern, then you are highly encouraged to stay in Monterosso as it has the flattest terrain out of the five towns.
If you are visiting Corniglia by train, expect to walk quite a bit. This is because the train station is about a 20-minute walk from the town and the path consists of a long, winding staircase that you need to climb towards the very end of said path. You can also opt to wait for the bus that takes passengers from the train station into town but there is only one bus that runs this route, and it is quite small, so capacity is very limited. During busy times it is faster to just walk into town.
Language
The official language is Italian but as it is a popular international tourist destination, most people speak English and are generally friendly towards visitors. Some of the tour operators also speak French and Spanish (Castilian) but English is the dominant language of tourism in Cinque Terre.
Currency
The currency that they use is the Euro (https://www1.oanda.com/currency/converter/) and credit cards are generally accepted, although you should always carry some cash just in case.
Weather
The weather is temperate, with a pretty consistent 50 degrees – 70 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius – 21 Celsius) year-round. The exception is during the peak summer months, where temperatures are said to be much higher.
Parking
As previously mentioned, parking spaces are extremely limited and even more so at the smaller towns (Riomaggiore, Corniglia and Manarola). This becomes even more problematic during the peak summer tourist season.
You can find more information on parking here https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/parking-cinque-terre
Accommodations
Hotels – You will not find any major hotel chains such as Holiday Inn, Marriot or Hilton in Cinque Terre. The few hotels that are available are small boutique hotels with limited capacity, especially in the peak summer months.
AirBnB – This is the best option available in Cinque Terre as the platform has really grown in popularity in recent years and it is very affordable in comparison to a boutique accommodation. Another reason why we prefer AirBnB is because there is more diversity in the locations. For example, through AirBnB you can rent a room right on the water with stunning views of the ocean and harbor or you can stay at a secluded farmhouse in the terraced hills above the main town, with vineyards, olive and citrus trees for you to sample while you gaze out over an equally stunning view of the Ligurian coast (the only downside is that you will have to walk into town every day, which given the terrain, may not be the most suitable for some).
Cameras - Throughout Cinque Terre, you will see vestiges of its past as a boutique destination and sleepy fishing village as you pass by several apartment houses with the word “camera” written on the door. Camera refers to the old guest houses where travelers who were passing through could rent a room during their sojourns. It was basically an AirBnB long before AirBnB was a thing. Now, most of these cameras have been replaced by AirBnBs and hotels.
Other
Drone flying - In addition to being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cinque Terre is a nationally protected park. Because of this, drones are not allowed to be flown at any of the five towns.
We were lucky enough to fly our drone while visiting Cinque Terre, but we received a lot of contempt from an angry local who reminded us that this activity was not allowed. In our defense, we had no idea that flying a drone was not allowed and at the time, there was no information available pertaining to this activity at Cinque Terre (which is why we feel the need to inform you all).
