Cinque Terra means “five lands” in Italian and refers to five small fishing villages built on the side of the steep mountains in northwestern Italy. The villages starting from the most northern and going south are: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.

These towns remained isolated (the Ligurian Sea on one side and the Apennines mountains on the other) until about 150 years ago when the railroad went in and connected them with the outside world. Visiting this area offers a glimpse into the unique Ligurian culture, geography, terraced vineyards, and art. This entire area is a national park and is protected by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

 

Getting to and around Cinque Terre?

 

First of all, I would NOT recommend driving there. There is very limited vehicle access to the towns, and the roads connecting them are quite circuitous and would take too much time away from your time in the towns. Instead, drive to the city of La Spezia and park at or near the train station. Purchase a Cinque Terre Card at the train station.

This card will allow you unlimited train rides (the La Spezia to Levanto line, which includes the 5 villages), unlimited bus services in the towns (use this especially in Corniglia to get from the train station to the town center in order to avoid climbing the steep flight of nearly 400 switchback stairs), use of toilets at the train stations (otherwise they are 1 euro), access to the hiking trail (the blue path) that links the towns, free entry to some of the museums in the national park, and usage of wifi (we didn’t know about this at the time, which would have been very helpful since cell phone service was limited in many villages).

 

We took the train to Monterosso al Mare first and worked our way back south. By the time we were in Vernazza, the crowds were already growing large, and by the time we reached Corniglia, it was shoulder-to-shoulder getting out of the train station and walking through the town squares.

What to do in Monterosso al Mare

 

This village has the best beaches by far.  If you want to spend time on the beach, make this your first stop in Cinque Terre in order to get a head start on the crowds. It is one of the larger villages, which makes it easier to find somewhere to eat or buy souvenirs.

The blue path from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza was the only section of the blue path that was open when we were there and will take about 2 hours to hike. There’s a checkpoint a short distance into the hike where you must either show your Cinque Terre Card or purchase one. They also check your feet to ensure you wear adequate footwear- no sandals!

There are beautiful views of the sea as well as the other towns along the pathway as it winds its way through terraced vineyards and forested mountains. It is NOT an easy hike and may not be for the little ones.

What to do in Vernazza

 

This is one of the most picturesque towns of the five, with a promontory into the sea and large rocks at the end on which the kids can climb. It is a smaller village but still boasts plenty of places to eat. The “castello” or lookout tower provides a great view of the harbor and the rest of the sea.

The blue path from Vernazza to Corniglia is normally open but happened to be closed the day we were there due to rock slides. Unfortunately, we did not find this out until we had hiked all the way up the mountain to the top of the town where the checkpoint was located.  Oh well, we got some beautiful photos!

What to do in Corniglia

 

This was my favorite village, albeit the most difficult one to reach due to the switchback stairs mentioned earlier (We didn’t know about the buses at the time!).

This village is set high up on promontory with steep cliffs on either side and has more old-world charm than the other villages. Restaurants were a little more scarce here, but the winding streets, old buildings and churches, and sea views were spectacular! This is one of the not-to-be-missed villages.

The blue path from here to Manarola and Riomaggiore was closed due to landslides years earlier. Both sections are scheduled to re-open in April 2021.

What to do in Manarola

 

This was one of the smaller villages, and was challenging to find something to eat (although there was a take-away fish and chips place with a huge line). I’m sure there were plenty of fine places to eat but to accommodate all of our needs (like gluten-free, low-carb, and just plain picky), it was a struggle.

This village lacked some of the charms of the northern three. Spend some time walking up the steep steps just off of the main street and wind your way through the quiet sections of the village. You will be rewarded with some good views and charming nooks.

What to do in Riomaggiore

 

This village was perhaps the most modernized of the five and least charming. It was also quite small. However, it may not be fair of me to judge this village as it was the last one of the day, we were rushed to get back to La Spezia to leave for Rome, and we were exhausted from all of the walking. To top it all off, the train to get back to La Spezia ran 35 minutes behind schedule.

 

Cinque Terre was definitely worth seeing as it is a beautiful part of Italy with a unique landscape and picturesque villages. The crowds were a deterrent to the charm of the villages, but the train made it so convenient and quick to get from one to the other. I very much enjoyed not having to worry about the car!

Tips for visiting the Cinque Terre

•  Please note that there has been talk of limiting the number of people who walk the blue path between the villages in the future. Check here before you travel to ensure you don’t need a reservation.
• Start as early as possible! The crowds pick up by 11 am and make getting from one town to the next more difficult.
• Stay until the sun goes down as crowds thin out after the light does.
• Wear your best hiking shoes, it will be a big day of travel.
• If you want to spend more than a day you will want to stay in one of the Cinque Terre towns. This will keep you from spending so much time traveling.

Best Hotels in Cinque Terre

Hotels in Cinque Terre are not as expensive as you might think. Prices for most hotels are still around $120-$180 per night, which is far lower than in other parts of Italy like, the Amalfi Coast, Venice, or Florence.

Hotel Porto Roca

This beautiful hotel in Moterroso al Mare has some of the most spectacular views of the cliffs and town. It has a swimming pool and a delicious restaurant.

To book click here.

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Affittacamere San Giorgio

This hotel is all about the view! If you want a spectacular view of the town of Manarola this is the one of the best hotels in town. It is highly rated for cleanliness and hospitality.

To book click here.

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Luxury Seaview Apartments Manarola by Arbaspàa

These apartments are some of the nicest places to stay in all of Cinque Terre. The interiors are modern with old world charm and each is unique. Plus the views of the town and sea are gorgeous.

These apartments are large enough to stay in for multiple days as well.

To book click here.

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I hope you enjoyed learning all about the beautiful small towns of Cinque Terre. If you need more information about traveling to Italy, please check out these links.

Beautiful Small Towns in Italy

What to do before your trip to Italy

Best Movies about Italy

Souvenirs to bring home from Italy