At the bottom of the Italian region of the Liguria, in the province of La Spezia, lays a five mile stretch of rocky cliffs, narrow valleys plummeting down towards the Mediterranean sea and a sprinkling of Technicolor buildings seemingly held with a force stronger than cement to the land. In this territory are five small medieval villages that are known since the fifteenth century as the Cinque Terre.

 

These ‘five lands’; Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore are rich in historic, architectural, cultural and natural beauty. Protected by the world heritage fund and the UNESCO, their value is internationally recognized. The antique stone streets, the endless rows of stone walls held together solely by gravity, the opulent churches and villas that contrast with the beehive style apartments bring the tourist back in time. You are immersed in old world Italy.

 

The Cinque Terre’s magic is not limited to what you see- a big part of what one experiences here is about what you hear, smell, eat, feel. After a short while, you find yourself immersed in the town life, locals greet you on the street, you are invited to eat a Signora’s Easter pie and taste her husband’s Sciacchetrà while they proudly look on. During the appropriate seasons, you could find yourself going fishing, picking grapes or hunting mushrooms with a man that you met when you were getting a coffee the previous evening. Or… you get used to doing nothing-and enjoying it.

 

The Cinque Terre has priorities that are admirable; food, family, fun and work. These people are hard workers, proven by the back breaking labor done to transform craggy steep cliffs to vineyards and olive groves. They can seem to be closed and diffident. Once you gain their trust though, the fun, relaxed side is exposed. Respect and sincerity will help you get accepted.

 

While in the Cinque Terre, visit all five towns, either by foot, by train by ferry or a combination or each. (See Cinque Terre- how to get there for a more in-depth explanation). Even though the towns are each distinct in character and traditions, the towns are so closely linked that it really does not matter in which one you stay. Like I explain to my clients, you need to consider the Cinque Terre as a single entity-almost like one city- connected by a subway. You can sleep in Manarola, get up and go to the beach in Monterosso, eat lunch in Vernazza, go eat dinner in Riomaggiore and be back to get a coffee before you go to bed again in Manarola. Only a few considerations must be made;

- Monterosso has the only real beach- if you are planning to spend your time sunbathing, Monterosso’s best.

- Corniglia and Manarola have LOTS of steps and stairs to deal with.

- Vernazza is the smallest and probably most typical

- Nightlife is concentrated pretty much in Monterosso

- The only real luxury hotels are in Monterosso

- If all else fails, you can stay in Levanto, one train stop (towards Genoa) from Monterosso. They have a nice beach and some campgrounds (the Cinque Terre has none) but it’s more of a small city- more cars, movie theaters, etc.

 

The best times to visit the Cinque Terre are from late April to early June (avoid Easter, the 25th of April and the 1st of May-Italian holidays that make the Cinque Terre unbearably crowded) and from mid-September until the end of October. The summer months are over crowded and more expensive while the winter months are cold and everything is closed. If you must come during the summer, make reservations as soon as possible so that you won’t have to waste your first day here searching for accommodations.

le cinque terre