During my most recent trip to Italy, I wanted to make sure we were in Cinque Terre for 2 days. Cinque Terre is one of those destinations that I’ve seen on Instagram or Pinterest for years and wanted to visit but didn’t think I’d have the opportunity, especially so soon. Yet, when I was planning the trip for my mom’s 60th birthday with the family, it happened to be one of the spots that everyone agreed on going to and seemed like the easiest destination to visit.
I won’t lie, planning this trip was rather stressful because I was flying in from London and my family was flying in from Toronto so trying to find an itinerary that made sense was hard. In the end, it made the most sense for us to all fly into Milan and then make our way down the coast from there.
First and foremost before going into anything, I will say that the train systems in Italy are very unreliable. Our train from Milan to La Spezia stopped halfway there and we were forced to transfer (twice) with very little direction or notice of what to do or where to go. Please learn from our (aka my family’s mistakes) and travel as lightly as possible. The last thing you want to do when transferring in an already stressful situation is to be lugging around insanely large, and heavy, luggage.
How to get around
In all honesty, I thought it was going to be trickier to get around than it actually was. Because all of the towns are located so close to each other the travel to and from isn’t arduous. The two different passes available are the Cinque Terre Card Trekking or the Cinque Terre Train Card.
We got ourselves a Cinque Terre Trekking pass which included hiking (we wanted to keep our options open) so it was easy to come and go as we pleased.
If you are planning on getting a pass, make sure to get one first thing in the morning or the night before you intend to travel. The line up for us was quite long and ate into some of our precious touring time.
Where to stay
I actually found it quite hard finding somewhere to stay. I was torn between convenience and price and luxury. As a group of 5 it was actually quite difficult to find a place that accommodated us all as well. From what we gathered by talking to other people on the train, most ended up staying in the larger town, Monterosso.
We ended up staying in the main town of La Spezia and quite enjoyed our time there. Because we were traveling onto Florence from this trip, La Spezia seemed like the better option because it was one less train we had to take before moving onto Florence. We stayed at The Poet Hotel and while it was okay for a couple of nights, there was quite a weird smell that came from the bathroom but it was otherwise fine – especially for the price.
What to see
Cinque Terre is made up of 5 small villages that are situated along the Western coast of Italy; Monterosso, Varnazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. We decided to start from the North and make our way down because we were staying in La Spezia.
Our theory was that we would try and do as much as we could within one day and whatever we didn’t get to, we would take the train to the next day for a bit of an easier itinerary.
Monterosso
If I’m being honest, Monterosso was my least favourite town out of the 5. It’s the largest town in Cinque Terre which makes it one of the more popular spots to stay in. It’s also the only town with a beach so it’s a popular spot for people looking for a relaxing stay.
We got there first thing in the morning so it wasn’t too busy. Having visited in the off-season, the beach also wasn’t very busy but I can imagine how packed it can get in the height of summer.
The two highlights of Monterosso is Torre Aurora and Chiesa di San Francesco. There are a number of stairs to get to either of these sights so be prepared for a bit of walking! Torre Aurora is a 16th-century tower that was originally constructed to protect the villagers from attacks. If you climb a little further you’ll get to San Francesco Church but make sure to stop and look around on your way up because the views can be incredible! This might sound creepy but it was really interesting walking through the graveyard and looking at the history.
Down in the village itself is another church: Chiesa di San Giovanni Batista. It’s pretty recognizable with the striped marble facade. As with most of the Cinque Terre towns, the best thing to do is walk around and area and take in the sights. The rest of the main parts of town is made up of little shops so take some time looking around.
Varnazza
Our next stop was Varnazza – one of the most beautiful towns in Cinque Terre. Take a walk from the train station right down to the water the minute you get there for an incredible view. Many people pick up a sandwich or some lunch to enjoy in the harbour. Instead, we decided to treat ourselves to a bit of a nicer lunch with a beautiful view!
The one thing to note about Varnazza is that they are trying to go completely plastic-free so you will see water stations dotted around to fill up your water bottles with.
Even if you don’t plan on hiking through the Cinque Terre towns, I would recommend you make your way up to the beginning of the hike that connects Varnazza and Monterosso for an absolutely incredible view of the harbourfront.
Corniglia
You’ll really have to work to get to this town in Cinque Terre but I promise it’s worth it. Coming from the train station, the hike to the top is about 380 stairs (we did count but I forget now). As far as towns go, this was one of the better ones to wander around because you’ll be greeted with epic views at every turn.
The one thing I did love about Corniglia is that it’s a little less commercial than the other towns. There are restaurants and little shops around almost every turn. Take your time and wander through the town, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Manarola
Many people vote Manarola as their favourite city in Cinque Terre, I am also one of those people. Once you get a view of the city you’ll understand why. Coming from the train station, follow the crowd down to the water and keep walking to your right. As you walk up the side of the hill, I promise you’ll find it hard not to stop every 2 minutes to take photos.
You absolutely can’t visit without dining at Marina Piccola. The restaurant has some of the best views you can get at a restaurant and it’s a Michelin star restaurant as well. I have to say, the food was absolutely divine!
The town is a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be so there is quite a bit to explore. I think we spent the most amount of time in this town just admiring the scenery!
Riomaggiore
This is another traveler’s favorite town and a close second for me. While it’s also the tiniest, it’s also one of the more famous towns. I’m sure you recognize the town as it’s one of the ones you see most often in photos of Cinque Terre.
You don’t need too much time to explore this small town. It’s also a great place to grab dinner if you’re staying in La Spezia because it’s only one station stop away.
For the best photos, trek along the left side of the harbour. It will take you up a sort of cliff area but as you round the corner there are steps that will lead you back down to the water. Venture down here, it’s perfectly safe and you’ll get some epic views of the little town!
When to visit
In all honesty, I was actually blown away by Cinque Terre. It was somewhere I had seen in photos many times but didn’t anticipate visiting it so soon. However, I can only imagine my experience would have been made slightly worse having gone in the height of summer with the hoards of tourists and cruises that come in and stop there.
I think visiting in October was an absolutely perfect time to visit. The weather wasn’t too hot and there weren’t really large crowds. It made for quite an enjoyable experience!
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