Cinque Terre is a gorgeous coastal area in Italy’s Liguria region. Cinque Terre is known for its five charming villages, where each village has a characteristic and offering distinct in nature that makes visiting these villages a unique proposition. Cinque Terre brings big surprises to many tourists as it has often been hidden under the radar due to its popular neighbors like Rome, Venice, and Florence. You are not allowed to use a car in the town as the town wants to maintain its rustic charm and elegance. So, walk your way through the narrow archways and hidden alleys as you look to explore the tiny squares that are oozing with busy cafes, wine shops, and bakeries. We bring you the ultimate guide to Cinque Terre for enjoying a budget trip for first-time visitors. Apply for your Italy tourist visa and witness the magical ambiance of Cinque Terre.
What is Cinque Terre and Why Visit it
Cinque Terre is a charming coastal area of Italy’ Ligurian coast that strips together historic villages along the rocky coastline. It is also a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated south of Genoa. There are five official towns & each is so splendid and colorful that people love to revisit them. While exploring Cinque Terre, also take a day out to another 70 kilometers and enjoy things to do in Genoa.
The crystalline sea, beautiful beaches, and hiking trails captivate tourists and each visitor leaves with a mixture of both excitement and peace. Regarded as one of the most romantic places in Italy, Cinque Terre is filled with aesthetic and antiquated hotels, restaurants, bars, and cafes with its colorful classical architecture surrounding the rocky and grainy beaches.
Each of the villages here flaunts its terraced vineyards, exceptional cuisine, lush-green hiking trails, magnificent mountains, and coastal forests to attract almost 2.5 million people every year.
What makes Cinque Terre a hidden treasure?
Placed on the northwestern coastline in the Liguria region of Italy, Cinque Terre is just a few hours by train away from popular Italian cities like Florence and Milan. However, we recommend you travel by train to Cinque Terre because there are narrow alleys and limited parking spaces.
The essence of Cinque Terre is the five magnificent villages, all known for their incredible natural beauty. The five beautiful, vibrant, and colorful villages are spread down the steep hillside into the crystal-clear blue waters surrounded by olive groves and vineyards that also provide a great opportunity for hiking.
Like most famous tourist destinations in Italy, Cinque Terre gets crowded with huge numbers of tourists and visitors lining up during the summer season. The beaches are packed with visitors and tourists during the day as they set out to explore the villages and swim in the crystal clear water. The bars and restaurants are quite swelled up during the late evenings. The city comes to a standstill around 10 pm as it slowly fades off for the day.
How to reach Cinque Terre?
All five villages are interconnected, and you can easily travel between the five villages via train. You can also walk through, but you must go through many stairs. An incredible number of stairs.
By car – You would take approximately 2 and a half hours to reach Cinque Terre from Florence and 5 and 6 hours from Milan and Rome, respectively.
By train – You would take roughly 3 hours to reach Cinque Terre from Florence and Milan. From Rome, it takes approximately 4 and a half hours. Therefore, it is also efficient and easy to use the train services.
Best time to visit Cinque Terre
The months between April to October come with mild weather perfect for several activities and events hosted in the five villages. You can also try visiting during the shoulder season, running from November to March, to explore the place with far lesser crowds. Finally, if you want to hit the beaches, June brings beautiful weather, significantly reducing the crowd.
If time permits, spend at least a week exploring this beautiful place. You will have sufficient time to hike and explore the beaches and towns of Cinque Terre. If time is a luxury for you, spend 2 days exploring the five towns. Anything less than two days would do an injustice to the gorgeous Cinque Terre.
The five beautiful towns
1. Corniglia
Hiking is a great pastime in this beautiful town. The town has its rustic charm and elegance. Due to its long distance from water, the town feels smaller and quieter than other buzzing towns. The highest Cinque Terre town is perched on a cliff. You will have to walk about 300 steps to reach the center and the active part of the town.
Several shops and cafes dot the landscape of this town. This town is the least convenient in terms of facilities and amenities, as it still maintains its rustic charm. Reaching the beach is another milestone. There is no sand on the beach; it’s all rocks and a dock. Enjoy a round of swimming in crystal clear waters. The best places to enjoy a scrumptious lunch are Bar Pan e Vin and Caffe Matteo, where you can enjoy some great bruschetta.
Where to eat : The best places to enjoy a scrumptious lunch are Bar Pan e Vin, Caffe Matteo, and La Posada Ristorante where you can enjoy some great bruschetta. For an ancient and intimate taste of the Ligurian diet, visit the Osteria A Cantina De Mananan, & vegan lovers! Da Cecio must be on your list.
Where to swim : Corniglia gives you two beautiful but hidden beaches. Spiaggione De Corniglia is just near the railway station to attract you enough for your first swim on the coast. At the same time, Marina De Corniglia is just a stairway away from a little heavenly dive.
2. Manarola
This is a vibrant and colorful town where the buildings in the town are painted in sunset colors. A small harbor and pleasant walks are the highlights of this town. The town is known for its delightful cuisines, best swimming spots, and mind-blowing natural vistas. The mornings are quiet and peaceful. You can sip your cappuccino and savor a brioche at one of the cafes while diluting in the alluring sun rays. The sunset is beautiful to witness up the stairs.
We recommend you venture till the end of the town by the water to get unparalleled views of the town. The food served here is fresh and flavourful, all prepared using local ingredients. Unfortunately, there is no dedicated beach area here, but we recommend you visit the swimming spot in the center by the big rock and the one behind Nessun Dorma. The local seafood and pasta are the culinary highlights. Some of the best cafes to grab a quick bite are La Regina di Manarola, Nessun Dorma, and Trattoria dal Billy.
Where to eat : The local seafood and pasta are the culinary highlights. Some of the best cafes to grab a quick bite are La Regina di Manarola, Nessun Dorma, and Trattoria dal Billy. And if you do not want to miss the delicacy of the best Farinata de ceci in the city, make sure to visit Pizzeria & Focacceria La Combusa.
Where to swim : Manarola does not have a beach but if you like cliff-jumping, you can take a jump from its cement ramps to the deep sea and enjoy the swim.
3. Monterosso
This town has two sections – an old section and a new one. There are plenty of amenities for tourists where you can look to explore the town to the fullest. This remains the only town here with a full sandy beach. The water is crystal blue in color surrounding a big iconic rock.
A beautiful town to enjoy some sunbathing and the sun’s warmth. Orange umbrellas are synonymous and blended with the town’s landscape. The town is surrounded by the ancient Monterosso Vecchio and the new Fegina beach at either end, with both sides accessible via a tunnel. The Monterosso Vecchio features an amazing cave with a big rock to jump from and swim along the clear waters.
The beach features several cafes and bars for a relaxing time. However, you may find it unusually crowded. The free beaches are small and get swelled up during the summers. If you want to catch the best beach spot, we recommend you go early because the lounge chairs get booked quickly. There are plenty of lunch spots where you can savor delightful cuisines overlooking the blue waters. The La Cantina del Pescatore is great for some seafood.
Where to eat : There are plenty of lunch spots where you can savor delightful cuisines overlooking the blue waters. To taste Monterosso’s famous anchovies and traditional Ligurian food, visit Restaurante Miky which has been serving people since 1980, and L’Ancora Della Tortuga. For Wine Connoisseurs, Enoteca da Eliseo flaunts flavors from all over Italy from grappas to Sciacchetràs.
Where to swim : The Fegina beach of Monterosso is the queen of the area being the most famous and largest beach on the island. Securing a spot at the parasols and lidos by arriving early will surely give you a break when tired. Though it is suggested to distinguish between the ones which are private and public to make sure you don’t have to pay if you don’t want to. As the queen, Fegina doesn’t forget to serve you with bars and restaurants around to let her tourists quench their thirsts and feed themselves between the dips.
5. Riomaggiore
The main town streets are dotted with cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops. Many shops here serve fresh cheese, snacks, and wine, ideal for a picnic or a hike. Placed in the southern part of Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore’s landscape is decorated with stacked houses, cute cafes and shops, and stunning views. A great place to feature in an Instagram post or story. Get your hiking shoes on, as there is plenty of uphill walking to be done here. It’s a bit tiring but totally worth the effort.
La Fossola is a small beach spot found here where all rocks and water are a bit rough. It is a magnificent place to explore but not for long. Be careful, as the waves are strong enough to sail you through. It would be great fun to hone your swimming skills before entering the water. Street food is the best served here in Riomaggiore. Plenty of small shops serve fried seafood at a great price. Tutti Fruitti is one such café that has hit the headlines in the tourist world with its classical fried seafood.
Where to eat : Plenty of small shops like Il Pescato Cusinato serve fried seafood at a great price. Tutti Fruitti is one such café that has hit the headlines in the tourist world with its classical fried seafood. You can also enjoy the terrace sea view & culinary delights of the area from the wine bar restaurant A Piè de Mà & Rio Bistrot.
Where to swim : Towards the south Riomaggiroe, you can swim at the hidden gem of Canetto Beach with untouched beauty. Rent a boat and get ready for the pleasant and gentle ivory sands through transparent waters. Another peaceful swimming spot is the petite pebbly shoreline called La Fossola, but be vigilant enough of the rocky edges while being awe-struck by its beauty. Do not try to swim at the marina of Riomaggiore for it is not allowed as boats mostly come and go from there!
6. Vernazza
The seaside church and the medieval castle discuss the town’s rich history in detail. The quaint alleyways and the ancient harbor are something you should not miss out on while exploring the town. This charming town by the harbor is dotted with small cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating. There is an Italian elegance to this town that is blessed with spectacular natural views. Once you get your Italy tourist visa, this should be the first tourist place on your bucket list after you get your Italy tourist visa.
There are small sandy beaches where you have opportunities to indulge in a relaxing swim as well as flat rocks for some sunbathing and enjoying the sun’s warmth. The natural harbor around the beach helps keep the waters calm and provides shelter to the local fishing boats. If you find the beaches too crowded, you can walk up to the end of the marina, where you will find plenty of rocks and lounge lazily enjoying the sun or plunge into the sea for a swim. The Ristorante La Torre serves delicious seafood, pasta, veal, and spectacular ocean views.
Where to eat : Ristorante La Torre’s delicious seafood, pasta, veal, and spectacular ocean views are to die for whereas For couples, Belforte fulfills the romantic ambiance that you’ve been searching for and of course, the traditional seafood dishes are Complimentary! All surrounded by beaches, don’t forget to treat yourselves to ice creams and frozen delights at Gelateria Vernazza.
Where to swim : For a clean dip at the sea, you can visit the end of the marina near Santa Margherita di Antiochia Church of Vernazza Beach. Though crowded, but safe for kids, this beach is surrounded by colorful buildings and rocky parts of the beach when accessed through a small tunnel-like alley.
Eating in Cinque Terre
Easting out every day could be a big loan on your pockets, so consider packing tiffins or takeaway snacks while you go hiking or just wandering around. Try to find hotels or accommodations that provide free breakfast or have kitchen facilities. Cinque Terre’s cuisine revolves around Seafood exploration all over the areas. Fried seafood is good to be packed for a go at any time. It is advised to do proper research and look for good reviews online to not lose money on restaurants with terrible food. You can sit at cheaper cafes in Corniglia due to the lower number of visitors and have affordable pastries, coffee, & gelato.
Stay the night in Cinque Terre
As per the Italy budget travel guide, you may opt for hostels, dormitories, guesthouses, or shared apartments that won’t break your bank. Riomaggiore and Corniglia are the best options to stay the night because of their proximity to smaller villages that accommodate people at cheaper rates than the 5 official cities. You can consider staying in towns like La Spezia, Levanto, Rapallo & Portovenere.
5 things to do in Cinque Terre
1. Hiking
Cinque Terre has an extensive network of trails spread over 120 km surrounded by mountains. The blue trail links all five towns at just 11 kilometers and takes around 6 hours to finish even while enjoying the nature and cities in between. The path between Monterosso-Vernazza and Vernazza-Corniglia hugs the coast to offer a seaside view while the Corniglia-Manarola and Manarola-Riomaggiore allow you to enjoy the green & scenic beauty of the coast.
2. Swimming
Famous for its beautiful beaches, Cinque Terre won’t let you go if you do not take a dip into its crystalline waters. You can enjoy sunbathing, cliff jumps, showers, and drinks at the beaches here with the warm sunshine giving you that nap you’ve been needing. Beaches at Manarola and Monterosso are the most tourist-loved beaches from the area that you can explore.
3. Travel through Trains
For fun and budget-friendly travel at Cinque Terre, trains are the best option. The largest station is the Monterosso station, a 10-minute walk from its center. Vernazza & Corniglia has scenic stations with them resting above. On average, train travel provides you the scenic visuals, cheaper travel costs just around 5 euros for adults and half of it for children with convenient schedules to go around according to your plans.
4. Eat
With Pesce Azzurro a.k.a oily fish being the local most famous fish, Frittura di Paranza is another fried mixture of small fishes, squids, and prawns drizzled with lemon. Do not forget to check out the Monterosso anchovies, Focaccia, and Pesto, and reward yourself with the allrounder sauce, the Pesto alla Genovese, Wine, and torta Monterossina, the one dessert you just cannot miss.
5. Explore the villages
Each of the villages has its history and their flavor. These are so small that you can walk around them in just one day. You can travel through each of them by bus, hikes, trains, or ferries. Take a bite of the cuisine of each of these villages and do not hesitate the locals to suggest you must-visit places.
Important tips
- Sunscreen, an umbrella, shades, and hiking shoes are absolutely necessary. The landscape of Cinque Terre features a lot of stairs.
- No dangerous sea animals like sharks, stingrays, and whales are found in the water here.
- Nightlife here is almost negligible. Most shops, cafes, and restaurants close by 10 pm.
Also Read: When is the Best Time to Go to Italy