What is and what are the best ways to see Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre national park is the smallest and oldest national park in Italy. But, although it covers an area of just 15 square miles, Cinque Terre must be seen to be believed - it is packed with rocky cliffs, scenic coves and clear waters. It’s also home to five of the most picturesque fishing villages in Europe. 

Cinque Terre is a truly special place that offers some of the finest and most scenic views on the planet. Here, we’ll discuss exactly what you can expect from your visit to the area, outline the best ways to see Cinque Terre and show you how to have the best possible trip if you’re visiting from NH La Spezia, our hotel in the heart of the city, just in front of the harbor.

An introduction to Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s located along the northwest coast of Italy, just south of Genoa. Known as the ‘five towns’, here you’ll encounter five picturesque fishing villages that are perched on cliff tops. 

The five photogenic villages of Cinque Terre are simply unforgettable. In fact, they’re so beautiful that they inspired a Disney movie (Luca). Around each corner, you can expect to find some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on the planet, plenty of photo opportunities and lots of great food and wine. 

Today, the entire area is a national park that contains around 120km (75 miles) of footpaths. Don’t fancy hiking and exploring? It’s easy to spend hours watching the waves break against the rocks or wander around a medieval castle. If you’d like to be even more relaxed, you can simply sip on a bottle of local wine. This is the perfect activity for sunset, which is truly breathtaking.

Must-see destinations: picturesque villages

Monterosso

Monterosso (officially Monterosso al Mare) is the destination in Cinque Terre that most resembles a traditional beach resort. It is the largest village in the area and is home to a long, sandy beach. It’s the best way to visit Cinque Terre from other villages easily and is well connected by train, making it a great option to stay in Cinque Terre. 

There’s plenty more to do in Monterosso other than top up your tan. The old village center is stunning and, at Convento Frati Cappuccini, you can see the Crucifixion by Antoon van Dyck. 

Vernazza 

The busiest of the five villages, Vernazza has an incredibly picturesque harbor that’s surrounded by colorful Ligurian houses. Here, you can stop and watch the world go by while capturing some incredible Instagram photos. 

The streets of Vernazza do get incredibly busy, but you can head up one of the steep staircases to escape the action. These reveal quiet medieval alleyways. They’re twisty, atmospheric and a lot of fun to explore. 

Elsewhere in Vernazza, it’s well worth exploring the atmospheric 13th-century church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia, as well as the charming plaza that’s lined with restaurants and bars. 

Corniglia 

Corniglia is perched high above the sea and is a haven for hikers and nature lovers. 

However, although it’s a bit of a walk from the sea level train station to the village (there are 383 steps), the views you get at the top are simply breathtaking. Added to this, while you’re here, it’s also worth visiting the surrounding vineyards and olive groves, where you can buy outstanding local products. 

Manarola

Many people regard Manarola as the prettiest village in Cinque Terre. Here you’ll find a tiny harbor that’s filled with colorful boats and admire the cottages that are stacked up and over the cliffs. 

While in Manarola, it’s well worth wandering up the footpath at the north side of the village. After a short walk, you’ll find that you’re fully immersed in the cliffside vineyards. Here, you’ll enjoy spectacular views of the sea. Alternatively, you can also get the perfect photo of the village by taking a short walk along the rocky coastal path by the harbor. 

Riomaggiore

The southernmost of the five villages, Riomaggiore contains a great collection of fine-dining restaurants and great bars. So, it’s a paradise for foodies; particularly those that love seafood. 

While you’re in Riomaggiore, it’s well worth visiting Castello di Riomaggiore, the clifftop castle overlooking the village. 

Riomaggiore is arguably best enjoyed at sunset. At this time of day, the fading village lights cast a beautiful orange glow. Due to this, the village is particularly popular with couples and honeymooners.

What is the best way to see Cinque Terre?

Cinque Terre is in one of the most remote parts of Italy. In fact, the first road wasn’t built in the area until the 1960s! 

Driving here from your hotel in nature should be avoided. Only residents are allowed to park in the villages, and this means that tourists only have very limited access to parking. These car parks are also incredibly expensive and are normally a long and steep climb away from the villages. Added to this, the narrow cliff top roads really aren’t for the faint hearted! 

All of this means that even if you have a car with you as part of your trip, it’s well worth parking it in La Spezia and coming into Cinque Terre on the train. 

Thankfully, it’s easy to travel between the villages via rail. Trains usually run every 15-20 minutes and stop at each of the five villages plus La Spezia and Levanto, so this is an option to see Cinque Terre. Tickets for individual journeys cost around €5-10 per journey for adults, depending on the season. However, it’s usually best to buy a Cinque Terre Card. This allows unlimited train travel between Levanto and La Spezia (the cities north and south of the area), as well as all five of the villages. The card also includes hiking fees, as well as bus travel to the more remote villages. Proceeds go to the national park. 

Don’t fancy the train? It’s also possible to get around by boat. Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti runs between La Spezia and Levanto, calling at all the villages on the way. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that services can be suspended during bad weather. 

Finally, it’s important to say that in the villages themselves, your only real option is to walk. Sadly, if you have mobility issues, then you’re likely to find it difficult to navigate Cinque Terre. This is because a lot of the terrain is steep.

Where to stay in Cinque Terre?

Staying at a hotel inside one of the five villages will reduce your travel time. However, because the area is so popular, accommodation prices are incredibly pricey. Plus, aside from the larger villages of Monterosso and Riomaggiore, most accommodation options are basic guest houses or apartment rentals. 

As a result, it’s usually much cheaper to stay in somewhere well connected with Cinque Terre, like neighboring Levanto or La Spezia. Both locations are on the Cinque Terre train line, so it’s easy to reach the villages each day. Plus, accommodation, food and pretty much everything else is usually cheaper in these cities. 

In our opinion, La Spezia is the best accommodation option for experiencing Cinque Terre, as it also provides direct connections to Rome, Florence, and Pisa. Additionally, during your stay here, you can simply hop on the train to visit the villages in Cinque Terre. This couldn’t be simpler, as the train leaves every 20 minutes or so. Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that La Spezia itself is beautiful and includes several tourist attractions that are well worth visiting, including Castello di San Giorgio, Monesteroli and the Technical Naval Museum. 

In the heart of the city, just in front of the harbor, you’ll find NH La Spezia. The train station, which is just a leisurely 15-minute walk away, will take you right to Cinque Terre. Plus, you have the additional benefit of having all of La Spezia’s shops, cafes and restaurants right on your doorstep. So, when you stay at this hotel, you get the best of both worlds.

Top tips for visiting Cinque Terre

Ready to organize your trip to Cinque Terre? Here are some of our top tips. 

When to plan your trip 

So, by now you’re probably wondering when you should start packing your bags for your Cinque Terre stay. Well, the good news is that the region enjoys beautiful summers, so it is possible to visit in the peak season. 

However, Cinque Terre isn’t really a place for lounging on the beach and working on your tan. It’s a place to walk, explore and embrace the local culture. So, although it’s definitely possible to visit in the height of summer (when temperatures can reach average highs of 29ºC/84ºF), if you’re planning on being active and doing lots of hiking, then a visit in spring or fall may be a better option. For context, in spring you can expect average temperatures of around 17–21ºC/63–70ºF and it’s mostly dry at this time. 

Another factor to consider here is that Cinque Terre is at its most crowded in the summer months (particularly July and August), so visiting in spring or fall may also provide you with a little more space. 

Similarly, the area is at its quietest during the winter months. However, as the weather can be unreliable, you may not be able to hike throughout winter, so these months may be worth avoiding if you do want to be as active as possible. Added to this, in October and November, the area is particularly wet. This means there’s a risk of thunderstorms and landslides. Added to this, although it’s cheaper, the train doesn’t run as regularly out of season, so your travel options may be more limited. 

Finally, before you plan your trip, you should also cross-reference your dates with Italian public holidays. This is because the villages can become incredibly busy on these days. This can make it much harder to make your way around, see everything you would like and get photos without crowds. 

Organizing your transport 

As we mentioned, the best way to see Cinque Terre is by train. Between March and November, the Cinque Terre Express trains usually run once every 20 minutes. These trains visit all the five Cinque Terre villages, plus Levanto and La Spezia. During the winter months, the trains travel once to twice per hour. 

The cost of a journey depends on when you are visiting. The categories are: 

● Low Season (Green) 

● Medium Season (Yellow) 

● High Season (Red) 

● Off Season (Winter) 

You can find out exactly how much your journey will cost by visiting the Cinque Terre tourist website and looking at the calendar, which updates annually. You can also view the timetable for the train here. 

Tickets can be purchased at every train station in Cinque Terre, plus Levanto and La Spezia. They can also be purchased online via the link above or via the app. 

If you’re making multiple journeys rather than visiting an individual village, it’s best to buy a Cinque Terre Card. This allows you to enjoy unlimited train journeys on the Cinque Terre Express trains. Plus, it also gives you access to all hiking trails in the Cinque Terre national park (if you don’t have a Cinque Terre Treno MS Card, you must still pay to access the Monterosso-Vernazza and Vernazza-Corniglia trails). 

Prices start at €7.50 a day in the low season and €15 a day in the high season. Meanwhile, Cinque Terre Treno MS Cards cost between €19.50 per day and €32.50 per day (multi-day passes are also available). You can find a full breakdown of the pricing for Cinque Terre Cards, as well as everything they entitle you to here. 

All Cinque Terre Cards are valid until midnight on the day of validity. They can be purchased online, at every train station and at the Tourist Information Points in Cinque Terre, Levanto and La Spezia. 

Before you travel via train, you must first validate your ticket. If you fail to do so, you will be fined. If you purchased your ticket at the station, then you just need to validate it using the green stamp machines that are in the stairs on the way to the platform.

If you bought your ticket online, then you should check-in before departure. To do this, open the ‘My Journeys’ section area in the app or on the website. Alternatively, you can open the link in the email or text message you received and select ‘check-in’. 

If you purchased your ticket online but your travel plans have changed, then you’ll be pleased to hear that your travel date and time can be changed an unlimited number of times before 11:59 pm the day before your scheduled departure. You can also change your departure time an unlimited number of times on the day of your journey if you have not yet checked in. 

When the ticket inspector is checking your ticket, you will have to show your Digital Regional Ticket with the dynamic green bar to prove that you have checked in. You must also show a valid ID. This is because the Digital Regional Ticket is in your name and cannot be used by others.

Where to hike in Cinque Terre

Hiking is another great way to see Cinque Terre. But, with more than 100km of paths and 48 different hiking trails available, it can be very hard to decide which routes to take. 

Our favorite is the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Path), which is also one of the most famous. It links all five of the villages across the cliff sides and provides some spectacular views. Sadly, these days the trail is rarely open in its entirety, largely thanks to winter storm damage. 

One of the most popular areas to uncover stretches from Corniglia to Vernazza. This part of the trail is 2.5 miles in length and you will need to be moderately fit to hike along it, as it finishes with a steep downhill section. You’ll also need a Cinque Terre Treno MS Card to hike on this trail. 

To start the hike, take the shuttle bus from the train station up to the village (this is free with the Cinque Terre Treno MS card). Then, simply follow the signs and enjoy the wonderful sea views as you descend. It’s particularly worth stopping at Prevo during your hike. Here, at 208 meters above sea level, you can visit a bar and enjoy a lemon granita as you soak in the sea views. 

If you don’t have a Cinque Terre card but still want to hike, head to the Manarola-Corniglia (via Volastra) trail. You can hike on this trail in either direction, but it’s usually best to start in Corniglia, which is a hundred meters above sea level.

The first part of the trail starts with a steep climb, behind the small church of Madonna della Salute in Volastra. From here, you’re greeted with beautiful scenery. You start by walking through ancient terraces, before descending to sea level. Here, you’ll find the local wine makers. While you stroll through the vineyards, you’ll also enjoy wonderful views of the Mediterranean and the villages.

How long to stay in Cinque Terre

It’s possible to see Cinque Terre in a day and spend an hour or so in each village. However, although you can get some great photos this way, you’re not really getting the full experience, as you won’t have time to relax, enjoy the views or properly explore. 

Similarly, the best time of day to visit the villages is usually in the early evening, when most of the day trippers have returned home. At this point, the villages feel much more relaxed. Plus, you’re perfectly positioned to watch one of those incredible sunsets we mentioned earlier. 

As a result, it’s generally best to book a hotel in La Spezia like NH La Spezia and split your visit across 3-4 days. This will give you plenty of time to fully explore each village, embark on a few hikes and even take a boat trip along the coastline. To make travel simpler, the best way to see Cinque Terre from La Spezia is to purchase a multi-day Cinque Terre Treno MS Card. 

If you’re staying in La Spezia, then you can even stay for up to a week. This will give you plenty of time to explore both La Spezia and Cinque Terre. Plus, as you’re on a direct train line with Rome, Florence and Pisa, you’ll even be able to visit other cities in Italy. 

That’s everything you need to know about the beautiful Cinque Terre, which is one of the most stunning locations on the planet. So, why not book a stay at our hotel in La Spezia and make the journey to these remarkable villages? Just remember to fully charge your camera before you go!