The Best Cinque Terre Villages Guide in 2024

The cinque terre villages were the first Italian destination I visited that made me fall truly head-over-heels for Italy. Perhaps it was the breathtaking view of coloured houses high above a shimmering blue sea, or waking up to the sound of birds chirping after a 30+ hour travel journey from Australia. Or perhaps it was later the next morning when we wandered down to town and stumbled upon the lemon sagra! The entire town of Monterosso was decked out like a big yellow lemon with tiny children running up to offer us slices of lemon dipped in sugar, and adults offering limoncino. (Note it’s called limoncino here and not limoncello like along the Amalfi Coast!) Whatever it was, I was hooked and I think you will be too if you visit the right way to this touristic destination. Keep reading for my top tips on how to visit the Cinque Terre villages in 2024.

I first visited in May 2017 for three nights (not nearly enough) and whilst the weather was mild it was still not quite warm enough for swimming and already very busy with tourists. Thus, when I had the opportunity this June and experience the cinque terre villages without the usual horde of tourists I jumped at the chance. Read on for my top picks if you’re considering visiting yourself.

What are the villages of Cinque Terre?

The cinque terre literally means five lands and refers to the five gorgeous towns nestled along the coast in Liguria. The area is northwest of La Spezia and south from Genoa. The five villages of cinque terre include Monterosso al Mare (the biggest), Vernazza (normally considered the prettiest), Corniglia (up high on the cliffs), Manarola and Riomaggiore.

Where is Cinque Terre?

The cinque terre are a collection of villages found in the Liguria region of Italy. The 5 towns of Cinque Terre line the coastline of the Ligurian Sea and stretch from Monterosso Al Mare down to Riomaggiore. Have a look at the cinque terre towns map below for a little more context.

How to get to Cinque Terre?

If you’re searching for cinque terre airport closest please note that if you’re coming from abroad, the closest airport is Pisa in Tuscany. It’s just 84km from the villages which you can easily reach by train. Alternatively, Milan airport is another good option for those traveling from abroad without direct connections to Pisa. Cinque Terre from Milan takes around 3 hours on the fastest train connection.

If you’re traveling from anywhere else, by far the easiest way to get to the cinque terre villages is by train. This is because the villages are all pedestrian-only (besides Monterosso) and whilst there is parking available it’s at an absolute minimum.

When we visited in June 2021 we considered driving from Turin, and had the option to try our luck finding paid parking in the Manarola carpark or drive to La Spezia and then train to the cinque terre which is very quick. By the time we worked out the cost (20 euro a day for parking minimum, not to mention the cost of petrol and taxes getting there), the convenience of the train won. It’s very easy to move between the villages via train and they offer a fast and reliable service too. If you decide to stay up at one of the sanctuaries in the hills instead (for example Volastra), it would be recommended to drive.

When to visit Cinque Terre Villages?

I first visited THE towns of cinque terre in May 2017 for three nights (not nearly enough) and the weather was mild making it ideal for both hiking and pleasant enough for swimming for one day we were there. It was of course already busy with tourists, but not heaving. The next time I visited was in June 2021 during the pandemic and we had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the cinque terre villages without the usual horde of tourists. The weather was really perfect for swimming, although quite hot for hiking already. That said, I wouldn’t recommend visiting the cinque terre towns in July or August if you are keen to hike given just how hot it gets and of course peak tourism season. During the winter, this area can be very rainy so it’s not an ideal time to visit either.

Best Cinque Terre town

All of the 5 cinque terre towns are absolutely gorgeous and have their own feel to them, so you really can’t go wrong. However, if you’re wondering what the best village to stay in cinque terre is, let me suggest Monterosso for convenience sake. It’s the largest of the towns in cinque terre which means you have the most accommodation options and can also use a car here (note, you can’t drive in the other towns!) The first time I visited the cinque terre villages, I stayed in Monterosso and loved it. It’s got a sandy beach and lots of restaurants and shops. We stayed at a clean and simple B&B called Manuel’s Guesthouse.

Where to stay – Cinque Terre Hotels

Monterosso al Mare

If you are looking for a cinque terre hotel, there aren’t really any outside of Monterosso al Mare. Most of the towns have guesthouses or B&Bs instead. However, if you’re looking for something special, my pick for a luxury hotel cinque terre Italy would be at Hotel Porto Roca. It’s 4 star and there’s a pool on-site too!

– Manarola

The next time I visited the towns of the cinque terre, I wanted to try a new village so we stayed in Manarola. In my opinion, it is perhaps the most beautiful cinque terre town. We stayed a short walk up the hills which was hard on legs but meant we had an amazing view looking out to the sea. We stayed at La Terazza di Puen which has a stunning terrace with dining table too.

– Corniglia

Cinque Terre’s Corniglia would be a great home base if you weren’t as fussed with being directly by the sea and wanted somewhere really quiet (it felt the least touristy to me). I like the look of these rooms which have fantastic guest reviews.

– Vernazza

Unfortunately, Vernazza seemed to be a little less charming and a little more touristy so I was glad we didn’t stay there. However, many people do love Vernazza so you might consider staying there. Have a look at this lovely holiday house right in the center.

-Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore is one of the cinque terre towns and is another popular choice but we didn’t have time to visit on this trip so no new comments to add to that town. On previous visits I remember it being the smallest of the towns and very charming! If we were to stay here, I like the look of this sweet guesthouse.

Cinque Terre Activities

When putting together your cinque terre itinerary, here are some of the top activities (besides hiking) you should consider:

• Cinque Terre cooking classes: Learn the iconic pesto recipe from Liguria and enjoy a delicious lunch in the sun!

• Cinque Terre Boats: Looking for an unforgettable boat experience? Book in for this sunset boat tour experience with aperitivo.

• Swimming: We spent most of our day reclining on sun loungers at the Eden beach club in Monterosso while we were there! It’s arguably the best-positioned beach club in the new part of town and very close to the train station. The beach is sandy and it’s the easiest to swim in as you don’t have to jump off cliffs to enter the water.

• Snorkeling: We didn’t have time to do this but some of the locals recommended going snorkeling off the rocks in Manarola!

• Wine tasting: We had a great wine tasting of Cinque Terre wines at A Pié de Campu Wine Cellar. The sommelier Yvonne was incredible (she also did a stint on some wineries in Australia funnily enough!) and led us through a really thoughtful tasting of three wines from the area. They also make incredible focaccia, so if you’re not in for the wine, I recommend stopping for that!
• Food Tour: Join this 3 hour walking tour around Monterosso Al Mare to learn more about the history of the Cinque Terre and the best places to enjoy the local food.

• Shopping: There are a lot of tourist shops in the area obviously, but if you’re interested in buying some beautiful ceramics you will love Fabbrica d’Arte in Monterosso. They create beautiful, authentic, locally made ceramics and we picked up a gorgeous bowl there.

Cinque Terre Hiking

We had grand plans of a daily cinque terre hike but in the end we just did the Manarola to Volastra trail on our first afternoon. The walk actually continues if you choose past Volastra all the way to Corniglia, but we decided to turn back as it was pretty uphill already and quite tiring. There are so many hiking trails you can do but it’s best to check this site for all the latest information on whether trails are open or closed and to ascertain how difficult they are. Alternatively, why not consider joining a guided tour?

The Best Cinque Terre Day Trips

Whilst I highly recommend staying for at least two or three nights, I understand that’s not always possible. If you don’t have time to stay overnight, then the best thing to do is visit Cinque Terre on a guided tour. You would never be able to see as much in such a short period of time by yourself. Consider these tours if you’re staying in Milan or Florence:

Cinque Terre Food – Where to Eat

We loved the food in Liguria- from oily focaccia, to fresh pesto, to an abundance of fish- it’s totally a daily diet I could get behind. Here are some of our most favourite places we ate at during our short trip to the area.

1. Trattoria dal Billy, Manarola

If you eat anywhere in the Cinque Terre, please make it here! I first went four years ago and still had dreams of the lobster pasta and fresh white wine here. Four years later, it was even better than I remembered and we got the best seat in the house thanks to pre-booking a month in advance (bookings are highly recommended!) We enjoyed the mixed antipasti which were 16 little treats to start and the main course of lobster pasta. If you’re a fan of digestivo, make sure to order the homemade limoncino here too- it was the best we had!

2. Cappun Magru, Manarola

I read about this place over at Amy’s blog, ‘A Cinque Terre Insider‘ and thought we had to visit! It doesn’t look anything special from the outside, but we had some of the most comforting, delicious local food here. Our first lunch we had a panino with marinated anchovies and another with cod. Whilst on our last lunch there we enjoyed marinated anchovies (couldn’t resist), cappun magru itself (they describe it as a sort of fish lasagne without the pasta sheets), and an incredible black rice, broad beans and prawn salad, followed by a glass of the local Sciacchetrà dessert wine.

3. A Pié de Campu Wine Cellar, Manarola

Go here for a wine tasting with Yvonne or to enjoy delicious focaccia.

4. Enotecca Internazionale, Monterosso

We bought some local wine here to enjoy back at our Airbnb and the staff were really helpful. There’s a broad variety but of course we went for a local Cinque Terre wine from Riomaggiore.

5. Il Frantoio, Monterosso

Lunch at the beach in Liguria means focaccia. This was the best place in town and you could choose from a variety of different delicious options including ones with pesto and stracchino.

6. Gelateria Stalìn, Vernazza

Two words – basil gelato! This was a recommendation I read about from Emiko Davies great guide on her trip to the Cinque Terre in 2020. The gelato here was delicious and they offer a variety of unusual flavours but I couldn’t go past the refreshing basil one! We ate our gelato while looking out to the sea.

7. Ristorante da Cecio, Corniglia

Another recommendation from Emiko, this restaurant was a real delight! Away from the hustle and bustle at the top of the cliff in Corniglia, it was a lot more rustic than Trattoria dal Billy and had a stunning view of the pastel-coloured houses and the sea. We enjoyed marinated anchovies with tomato, pansotti (ravioli) filled with black lobster, and a tuna tartare. It felt very local and down to earth and the owner was so kind that they drove us back to the train station at the end of the evening!

Cinque Terre Alternatives

Whilst the Cinque Terre is undoubtedly beautiful, there is no denying that it is also extremely over touristed. If you’re tossing up between Cinque Terre – Amalfi Coast, consider the Amalfi much more luxurious and less about hiking (but even more touristed). It’s worth considering alternatives, and Liguria has plenty of other stunning towns with the same look and more local feel to them waiting to be discovered. This is why my friend Katy from Untold Italy and I have put together a tour to Liguria with local Enrica to explore another side to the region.

Cinque Terre Planning Resources

Here are some helpful blogs and Instagram accounts that I used for planning our trip and might come in handy!

• Cinque Terre Insider Blog
• Emiko Davies Guide
• Cinque Terre Loves Local Instagram

Looking for some more Italy travel inspo? Check out my travel articles here– I regularly add to this section as I uncover more places around Italy.