A small guide to the cities of the Cinque Terre in Italy. Check out our review and advice!
Why are the cities of the Cinque Terre so popular? It's all to blame for the colorful Italian houses huddled on a cliff and cascading down to the sea. And although there are many other picturesque towns and villages in Liguria, it is the Cinque Terre that is well-known among tourists.
There is a legend that once in some guidebook someone glorified a new attraction, and crowds of tourists rushed here. Now this is a tourist hell, and you will definitely not like it if you do not know some of the nuances - but more on that below.
My impressions
You may ask, why follow everyone else to the Cinque Terre, if there are no less picturesque fishing villages nearby? At first we thought so too, but then we looked at the photos, and away we go. This place is beautiful without exaggeration! Just believe it. And look at other places too - as a pleasant addition or during another trip.
So what will you see in the Cinque Terre. There are no cult sights - famous cathedrals or palaces. The five-land - as the Cinque Terre is translated from Italian - are five vibrant seaside towns connected by rail and hiking trails: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso. Houses, narrow steep streets, observation decks, trails - these are the sights. All this looks lovely and cannot but captivate even sophisticated tourists. We really liked the Cinque Terre - I'm sure you will like the bright, photogenic houses too!
Of all the towns in the Cinque Terre, I liked Manarola the most - I don't even know what exactly. I just sunk into my soul. Perhaps a cool observation deck, from where we admired the huge waves that crashed against the rocks and breakwaters with noise and splashes. We spent a lot of time there, admiring the waves and golden sunset.
When is the best time to go
Remember - not in high season! We arrived at the end of November and were pleasantly surprised - the towns are almost deserted. I thought the Cinque Terre was so raped by tourists that the towns are overcrowded any season. But no! Sometimes it's nice to be wrong.
If you are traveling in low season from another city, such as La Spezia, plan your trip carefully. Daylight hours are short and trains don't run every 5 minutes, so arrive as early as possible. 1 hour per town is sooo little, sometimes we in a hurry did not even have time to visit all the viewing points. After all, you want to take a leisurely walk, admire the view and eat something tasty. But 2 hours is enough for each town!
Advice: The weather is changeable during the low season, so please wear waterproof clothing and shoes. For example, on the eve of our trip there was a storm and torrential rain, but we were lucky - the next day only huge waves and strong wind reminded of the bad weather. It was warm and sunny.
If you want to walk along the trail (and if it is open at all), the trekking is all the more necessary. The official website says that it is mandatory with a Vibram-type outsole. No slippers and sandals!
How to get to the Cinque Terre
Since it is better to allocate a whole day on the Cinque Terre, you need to spend the night somewhere. The most convenient place is in La Spezia, where we stopped. It is only 15 minutes by train from the first town of Riomaggiore.
In principle, you can travel from other cities, but it will take a lot of time on the road. We find and buy tickets for trains and buses between cities in Italy on Omio - this is a very convenient site that compares the tickets of many carriers.
Tickets for the Cinque Terre
The entrance to the towns themselves is, of course, free. Tourists pay only for travel by train and bus, as well as for the passage along 4 trails between five towns. The rest are free - there are more than 30 of them.
The shortest, most beautiful and popular Ligurian trail, or Path of love - paid, and often it is closed due to landslides. Landslides are a big problem in the Cinque Terre, so check the condition of the trails, as well as prices and routes in general on this website.
At the time of our arrival, the trails were closed, so we bought an unlimited train ticket only for 13 € per person - it is called Treno Card... With this ticket, you can travel between Levanto and La Spezia on the regionale trains as long as you like and get off anywhere during the day. Also, the price includes a bus ride to Corniglia, because the station is far from the city.
These tickets are sold at the railway stations of the cities of Cinque Terre, La Spezia and Levanto. Look for a kiosk that says Cinque Terre Point. On the ticket you need to write your first and last name in Latin. You don't need to validate it, unlike the usual ones.
In high season, it is better to buy tickets online - most likely there will be queues at the kiosk. On the website, you can choose the type of ticket - train only (Treno) or for tracking (Trekking Card).
Where to live inexpensively in the Cinque Terre
Everywhere is pretty expensive. It is a tourist attraction and hotel prices start at 90 € during high season. If you really, really want to live in the Cinque Terre, settle in Monterosso al Mare - it's cheaper there.
And even lower prices in La Spezia and neighboring towns of Monterosso. For example, in La Spezia we rented a cool apartment with all the amenities for two days on Airbnb for 40 € per day - for that kind of money you won't find even the most modest room in the Cinque Terre.
For your convenience, we have found some cool hotels with balconies or terraces in the cities of the Cinque Terre and neighboring La Spezia:
- The First - La Vista di Marina in Riomaggiore
- 5 Terre Pelagos 2 in Manarola
- Lisetta Rooms in Vernazza
- Affittacamere La Torre in Corniglia
- Casa della Domenica in Monterosso
- Galleria 38 in La Spezia.
Where to eat
The owner of our apartment suggested that in low season the chances of eating in the old town of Monterosso are higher than in other towns. This is true - in other towns, many cafes were closed. I think this is also true for the high season - Monterosso is larger than the others, and there are also more cafes marked on the map. In general, you will definitely not have problems with food in the summer - cafes and restaurants are full everywhere.
The food is no worse or better than in other cities in Italy, and prices are about the same or slightly higher. For example, we ate "Margarita" with beer for 7 € for two. Find out what are the prices for food in Italy.
