This list of places to see in Cinque Terre It will allow you to know and not miss any charming corner of one of the most beautiful areas of Italy and we would even dare to say, of the world.
Located on the coast between La Spezia and Genoa, you can find five picturesque villages hanging on steep cliffs, with colorful facades, which form the famous Italian Cinque Terre.
In addition to visiting Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, all bathed by the Mediterranean Sea except Corniglia on a cliff, here you can enjoy spectacular hiking trails through its vineyard landscapes and exquisite Italian cuisine.
Based on the experience of our trip to Cinque Terre, we have made this list of what we think are the 10 best things to do in Cinque Terre. We start!
1. Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore, located in the Maggiore River Valley, is our favorite and one of the most beautiful villages to see in Cinque Terre.
Its privileged location on a steep mountain, where its colorful houses extend to a small port, is gorgeous. In addition to the views, it is worth getting lost in the narrow streets of the historic quarter dating back to the 13th century until you find the Church of San Juan Bautista, the Castle or the church of the Confraternita dell'Assunta.
To say goodbye to the town, there is nothing better than going down to the port and walking to a small stone boardwalk by the sea from where you get one of the best postcard photos of Cinque Terre.
From the boardwalk, if you follow a small path you will reach a rocky beach, perfect for a refreshing swim.
Riomaggiore
2. Manarola
Manarola is the most famous town to visit in Cinque Terre and another reason why this area has been declared Unesco Heritage.
Located on a hill, Manarola extends through a small valley to the seashore, where the port is located and a few meters away a bathing area known as the Marina di Manarola.
In addition to seeing the port, we recommend you to visit the Via di Mezzo where most restaurants and shops are located, and see the Church of San Lorenzo.
Finally you can take a romantic walk at sunset to a viewpoint that is surrounding a cliff in the direction of Corniglia, from where you get the best photos of the town.
Manarola
3. Vernazza
Reaching Vernazza walking from Monterroso al Mare, is one of the Top things to do in Cinque Terre, although the journey especially in the middle of summer, can be hard.
This beautiful town of colorful streets and located on a small promontory, has several interesting points such as the views from the tower of the Castle of the Doria and the church of Santa Margarita de Antioquia, located in a beautiful square.
It is also worth taking a walk around the port, the most beautiful in the area, and seeing the surroundings of vineyards and olive trees.
Vernazza
4. Corniglia, one of the places to see in Cinque Terre
Corniglia, is the Smallest town to see in Cinque Terre and the only one that has no direct access to the Ligurian Sea.
This town is located on a promontory over 100 meters high, surrounded by terraces of vineyards and olive trees so that to reach the top of the town you will have to climb a long stairway of 382 steps known as the Lardarina, if you arrive by train, or directly by road to reach the upper area.
After recovering from the effort if you walk up, you can approach the Plaza de Largo Taragio, where two important churches are located.
Corniglia, one of the places to see in Cinque Terre
5. Blue Trail
Cinque Terre is a perfect place for hiking trails between cliff landscapes, fairytale villages, vineyards and olive trees.
The most famous route to do in Cinque Terre It is the 12 km Blue Path, which connects the five villages along the shortest and least difficult path.
The most popular section of this route, known as the 1 kilometer Way of Love and which borders the sea between Riomaggiore and Manarola, is closed until April 2021, which is also the same opening date as the section that goes from Manarola to Corniglia.
During this time, in case you want to do some, you can enjoy the one from Vernazza to Monterosso and the one from Corniglia to Vernazza, of 4 kilometers each and medium difficulty when having to climb a hill.
We made the first one and we recommend it, especially the final part when you approach the village of Vernazza from the top and enjoy fantastic views.
To do any of the sections you have to buy the Cinque Terre Card that costs less than 8 euros and it is also advisable to wear comfortable shoes and water.
Blue trail
6. Monterosso al Mare
Monterosso al Mare, located in a small natural gulf, is the town with the most inhabitants and largest to see in Cinque Terre.
If you do not have a high budget, this population has more hotel infrastructure in the area at more competitive prices, than the other 4 villages, so a good option is to stay in Monterosso and make day trips to the other four villages, by train or ship.
We stayed at the Hotel Souvenir, a charming hotel located 5 minutes from the beach and with an excellent breakfast.
In addition to finding a cheaper accommodation, Monterosso has the largest beaches in the area and has a wide range of restaurants and bars. To all this we must add that the town has a beautiful historical center with several highlights such as the Aurora Tower, the Church of San Juan Bautista and the statue "Il Gigante", symbol of the city.
Monterosso al Mare
7. Boat trip
The boat ride from Monterosso to Portovenere or La Spezia in summer is, without a doubt, one of the Top things to do in Cinque Terre.
This tour (Monterosso - Portovenere) is about an hour and a half and allows you to enjoy unique views of the four villages from the sea.
In addition to the possibility of buying a one-way ticket that costs about 20 euros, you can take one of the whole day, which allows you to get off and up in each town, for about 35 euros and not have to use the train, and you can also enjoy a unique perspective of Cinque Terre.
We recommend, whenever you can, before making the boat trip, check that the sky will be clear and the sun will rise, to see the colors of the houses in their maximum splendor.
Boat trip, one of the things to do in Cinque Terre
8. Restaurants
Some of the most recommended restaurants to try the delicious Italian cuisine in Cinque Terre are:
- Il Pescato Cucinato (Riomaggiore): This popular price place makes delicious fish and seafood fritters.
- Nessun Dorma (Manarola): It is one of the places to see in Cinque Terre essential for its fantastic views of the town. In addition to being a great viewpoint, the place offers good tables of sausages, cheeses and bruschettas, among other snacks.
- Piadiamo Vernazza (Vernazza): specializes in piadinas.
- Gastronomy San Martino (Monterosso): to eat good pasta at a good price.
- Enoteca da Eliseo (Monterosso): It is a good place to have a snack accompanied by a glass of local white wine.
For dessert we recommend ordering a pistachio ice cream at the Gelateria Vernazza.
Restaurants
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
9. Cinque Terre Beaches
Taking a refreshing dip in the crystal clear waters of the Ligurian Sea after a day of hiking or visiting, is another of the Top things to do in Cinque Terre.
Among the best beaches are these:
- Guvano: This mixed Corniglia beach is one of the prettiest to see in Cinque Terre having a wild appearance and crystal clear waters.
- Vernazza: Pebble beach and rocks located behind a cave.
- Fegina: The only sandy beach and the largest with all kinds of services and premises.
If you pass the town of Monterroso towards Genoa, you have two other good beaches nearby located in the towns of Bonassola and Levanto.
Cinque Terre Beaches
10. Gulf of the Poets
If you have an extra day or two, we recommend you go to the Gulf of Poets, located a few kilometers from the most beautiful villages of Cinque Terre, which include the beautiful fishing villages of Portovenere and Lerici.
In Portovenere you can not miss the port area with its colorful houses, the old town, the Doria Castle, the Fortress and the beautiful Church of San Pedro and in Lerici, it is best to get lost in the alleyways of the old town and go up to the castle of San Terenzo, from where you will have good views of the town and the gulf.
Portovenere
How to get to Cinque Terre
To get to Cinque Terre the best option is to land in Pisa and catch a train from the station of this city in the direction of La Spezia, the gateway to Cinque Terre.
From this city you can take one of the local trains that leave every few minutes and pass through the 5 villages. The trip takes from 10 minutes if you go down to Riomaggiore up to 20 minutes if you do it in Monterosso and the price of the train is 4 euros for the journey and 16 euros if you buy a daily pass.
Another good option in summer is to take one of the boats that leave from La Spezia and get off at the town where you have the hotel for about 20 euros, which is also another of the things to see in Cinque Terre more recommended.
If you are staying in Florence or in other Italian cities and do not have a rental car, you can take a train to Pisa or book some of these recommended day trips with a guide in Spanish:
If you want to help us complete the list of 10 essential places to see in Cinque Terre, add yours in the comments.
