Guide to Cinque Terre
Your self-guide: (updated 2022)
Cinque Terre is made up of 5 villages - Monterroso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. I would suggest spending at least 2 full days there to really take it all in and relax.
Where to stay
Staying in any of the villages itself would be great but do note that there are lots of stairs and up-slopes that may not be the most luggage-friendly.
My first time there, we stayed at La Spezia (Sunset Room) and took the metro train in since it was a cheaper and luggage-friendly way to get around. Did I mention there's a lift that brings your luggage up so you don't have to worry about your guns aching and how it's just a 5 minutes walk to the train station?
My second time here, we stayed at an Airbnb in Riomaggiore and the hike up the slopes was something else BUT it was worth it.
Making your way there
Take the metro train into any of the 5 villages. Intervals between trains can vary so do check their schedule before arriving at the platform. Now that this place is so popular, I would suggest you get the Cinque Terre Card as it covers both train and hiking. There are now train conductors who regularly checking your tickets onboard the trains!
Note: I would suggest starting your day early and either starting from the furthest village or the nearest first. Do validate your ticket before boarding, at the green ticket machine.
Cinque Terre Card prices can be found here.
Start your day
As mentioned, we started from Monterroso first, where we headed straight to the beach.
Other places of interest - Statua del Gigante and Convent of the Capuchin Friars.
Dessert / Snacks - Gelato artigianale Il Golosone (Via Roma 17) and Pasticceria Bar Laura (Via Vittorio Emanuele 59).
Note: The beach with umbrellas are chargeable, for the umbrella, chair and locker facilities they provide you, so head on over towards the second beach where it's free (and even has a shower off area)!
We then took a mini hike to the next village: Vernazza where we spent our evening chilling by the beach and exploring the streets.
From the hiking trail of Vernazza just follow the street and take this really narrow and dark stairs (that says "to the sea", just before house no. 31) down to where the boat port area is. Getting to the "hidden" beach from there is simple, just walk straight and turn left (where the pink building is, do not go up the stairs) and just follow the street until you see the entrance as shown in picture 2.
Other places of interest - Doria Castle/Belforte Tower.
The next day, we started our day in Riomaggiore where we went straight to the beach again. It was a 15 minute walk from the train station to the beach but it was worth it. Walk past the ferry ticketing booth and come down the stairs, the beach is near.
Other places of interest - Church of San Giovanni and Castello di Riomaggiore.
Note: The beach starts to get more crowded at around 11am so I suggest you go to the beach first if you want to secure a good spot.
Before taking a ferry over to Manarola where we took a dip in the water and just chilled by the slope where the road splits into 3 ways (one heading towards the cemetery, one heading to Nessun Dorma and the last heading down to the waters).
Other places of interest - Presepe di Manarola, Manarola Scenic Viewpoint and Cemetery Manarola.
Lunch - Nessun Dorma OR Trattoria dal Billy.
Note: The lunch crowd starts forming at 11.30am for Nessun Dorma and you cannot book your reservation in advance so it's a waiting game. Come early!
Sadly, we didn't manage to explore the village of Corniglia but here are some of the places of interest to check out.
Scalinata Lardarina, Chiesa Di San Pietro and Alberto Gelateria.
Highlights
Hiking from Monterroso to Vernazza!
The entrance from Monterroso is just beside the free beach area just continue up the slope of Via Corone street and follow the signs along the way.
Hiking tickets cost €7.50 for 1 day, so get the Cinque Terre Train Card as there are booths near the start point of the hiking trails (although when we went, the booths were closed).
Note: There are other hiking trails but you'll need to check if it's open for hiking. Also, it's advised to wear proper shoes for the hike as it can get a little rocky at certain areas.
Taking a ferry from Riomaggiore to Manarola!
The ferry ticket booth from Riomaggiore is just up the steps from where you can take your iconic Cinque Terre shot.
Ferry tickets can be bought at the booth and the schedule can be found here as well.
As for dinner, I would recommend eating at this restaurant in La Spezia, just 3 minutes away from our apartment! Really good and affordable pizza with great service staff too: Pizzeria Ristorante Pulcinella.
x,
Chey
