A Short Guide to Cinque Terre, Italy: The Five Seaside Towns

Words and photos by Maddie Firmin who is studying abroad in Florence during Spring semester 2022.

Cinque Terre, meaning “five lands”, is a must-see when in Italy. These colorful, cliffside towns sit between lush green hills that contrast with the turquoise sea. The towns themselves are lively and charming and are filled mostly with locals during the winter months. One can take a peaceful hike along cliffsides and through the rolling hills to reach each town or conveniently catch a short train to explore each one.

My friends and I took a break from the city and explored Cinque Terre for the weekend. With it being only a short train ride away from Florence, I would recommend a visit to all students who are studying abroad here.

Here is a short guide to making the most of a trip to Cinque Terre in Italy.

ACCOMMODATION

During the “off-season”, in the winter and early spring months, many hostels may be closed and accommodation within Cinque Terre may be sparse. Therefore, I recommend staying in Le Spezia at this time of year. Le Spezia is a town located just outside of Cinque Terre, but is just as beautiful. It has its own train station that makes it easy to get to from other parts of Italy as well as only a 10 minute train ride to the first town of Cinque Terre.

Getting a group together and renting an Airbnb was the cheapest option for us. We found a large AirBnb and split the cost, which worked out to less than $50 each for the whole weekend. 

GETTING THERE

We booked our trains through Omio which offered an extensive list to Le Spezia with options every hour from Florence. Direct trains are offered from Florence. I had a transfer in Pisa, but the overall time of both direct and transfers were about 2 hours in total. Overall, the trains cost us around only $26 roundtrip.

At the train station, a Cinque Terre card can be purchased. It gives you unlimited train rides throughout the day for $15. From March-November, a trekking card will also be required if you want to hike the most popular trails. This card means that you can easily ride the trains between the five towns to explore them all. The trains come once every hour. We found that one hour was plenty to explore each town and to get back to the train station to ride to the next one.

HIKING

Another option for getting between towns (and my preferred option) is hiking. There is a continuous trail that connects Riomaggiore to Monterosso called the Blue Trail. It would take at least five hours to walk the length of the trail and would be about eight miles one-way. In the winter months, there can be trail closures, so do research beforehand on the recent updates.

We were only able to hike from Corniglia to Vernazza and from Vernazza to Monterosso which was well worth it. Each section was around two miles with moderate elevation gain. We walked looking down on the sea below with views of the dramatic cliffs. We could spot the various towns we had just visited or were headed towards sitting upon the hills. The hike held views you couldn’t get by taking a train. It was very peaceful with streams, trees, cacti, and various plants along the way. In the middle of the trail between Corniglia to Vernazza, there is a unique, lone house that appeared to serve food and provide trail and guest information later on in the summer months.

THINGS TO DO

Each town is unique. I recommend exploring them from South to North so you can relax at the beaches of Monterosso at the end.

In Riomaggiore, I recommend walking to the marina to get the best views and to feel the sea breeze. There are boats that you can rent in the later months and various restaurants overlooking the sea.

Manarola, the second town, was my personal favorite. I could spend hours sitting on the rocks in the sea with views of the town above. There is a trail that goes along the cliffside that provides views of the town without committing to the full hike between towns. Locals were painting various watercolor pictures of the towns.

Corniglia was significantly smaller than the rest but provides views of the hills between towns. It is a nice small town to get a bite to eat or a cappuccino at a local café.

Vernazza has a pathway extending to the water as well as a small cave. I would recommend getting lunch in this town, such as a panino to go, and enjoying it by the sea.

Monterosso, the final town, has a beach that is perfect to go swimming at after a long day of trekking and exploring. There are various beach-side restaurants for Aperitivo.

In the winter months, numerous restaurants and shops are closed, but this did not affect our time in Cinque Terre. There were minimal tourists making the towns and trails less crowded and giving a more local feel to Cinque Terre. I would highly recommend going in February or March as long as you’re alright taking a swim in some cold, refreshing water.

Thanks Maddie!