3 Days in Cinque Terre

Tell me I’m not the only one who’s had pictures of the quaint picturesque towns of Cinque Terre plastered all over their Pinterest Boards for years now? Years ago I didn’t know that Cinque Terre was actually a collection of five towns, pronounced “chink-weh tear-e” not “sink teray,” and actually means the five lands, but I knew for gosh darn sure I was going to visit it someday.

Here we are, almost 10 years later and we live just a short road trip away.

Let me tell you, it does NOT disappoint.

Cinque Terre is one of, okay no, the most charming place I have ever been. It is a string of five towns: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore. Some like to compare it to Positano (the gem of the Amalfi Coast), saying that Positano is just a larger Cinque Terre, but boy oh boy do I disagree. The allure of Cinque Terre is incomparable. The people are the most kind you’ll find anywhere, there is zero tourist vibe in the air, and it is truly a bucket list destination. Though we visited shortly after COIVD19 (the week that italians were allowed to travel between regions; you could say we were antsy), it is obvious that these towns are always buzzing with locals, kind as ever, and booming with the coastal Italian vibe you dream of. *Cue accordion music.*

I’m going to show you where we stayed, what we did, where we ate, and how to make the most of your Cinque Terre trip.

Getting Around Cinque Terre

By Car

If you are coming from a country with normal size roads, and by that I mean there is enough space for two regular size cars to fit and has at least three inches of a shoulder, then you better buckle up. There is a single road that connects each of the five towns that is narrow as ever, with a hefty cliff RIGHT next to you. Did I mention they don’t use guardrails here? Anywho. If you opt to drive, take your time, soak up the excitement of “driving in Italy” and grab your “oh shit” handle.

If you do opt to drive, before each town there is a parking lot where you can park your car for your stay, as the towns do not allow cars through them. If you’re going during tourist season (summer months), these parking lots are not huge, so get ready to fight for your spot.

By Train

For a less expensive option, plenty of people like to stay in La Spezia, which is the port city right next to Cinque Terre, and take the train to each town. The train is only about five euro and takes around two to five minutes to get to each town. This is how we opted to go from town to town (though we stayed in Corniglia, not La Spezia) most of the time, so easy! Just be careful you don’t miss the last train back! May or may not be speaking from experience…

Flying

If Cinque Terre is the first stop of your overseas adventure, you can fly into Florence and easily take the train right into Cinque Terre. We use the app “trainline” to purchase train tickets.

Getting From Town to Town

To get from town to town you can either take the train, rent a little boat, or hike. I HIGHLY recommend hiking at least one of the scratches. We hiked Corniglia to Vernazza and the views were stunning. Not to mention the adorable little bar halfway through! Italians are quite known for having bars either in the middle, or at the top of their hiking trails, so fun!

Otherwise, the train is around three to five euro per person and just a few minutes ride between each town.

We did not rent our own boat, but I hear it’s a great option for a day activity to go from town to town at your own pace.

Where We Stayed

We stayed in Corniglia, the town in the center of the five. Corniglia is the only town not actually entirely on the water, but rather up on the cliffside. If you’re arriving by train with some heavy bags, beware of the 250 steps up to the actual town. Corniglia was the perfect place to stay for our first trip there, given its central location. We were only there for 2.5 days, so we spent one day in Manarola and Riomaggiore on one side of Corniglia, and the next day in Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare on the other side. Monterosso al Mare has some bigger hotels that are very charming, but I highly suggest staying in an Airbnb when visiting Cinque Terre. The views from the homes are unbeatable. We stayed in this one. It had a rooftop patio, with a view of all five towns. The host was wonderful. I highly recommend it!

There is also a really great hiking trail that connects all five of the towns. Unfortunately, half of it was closed for maintenance when we were there, but hiking from Corniglia to Vernazza was breathtaking. It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to do this, so if you want to also hike to Monterosso al Mare after, be sure to plan for the time!

The Food

Cinque Terre is known for its seafood and its pesto sauce. It’s a must when you’re here!

There were a few restaurants that we had to go to while we were here, Nessun Dorma and Trattoria dal Billy, and everything else we sort of just stumbled upon.

Enoteca Internazionale - a wine bar in Monterosso al Mare with the BEST bruschetta of your LIFE. They probably have around 20-30 different kinds of bruschetta. Highly recommend the salmon one!

We stopped at Santa Margherita di Antiochia for a spritz and lunch after hiking from Corniglia to Vernazza. It’s right on the beach, with an adorable view of the towns square (my favorite town!).

We arrived to Corniglia right around lunch time. We stopped into the Cecio Ristorante Camere for it’s view. It is a bit touristy (given the view), but the salmon pasta was UNREAL. Unreal.

Also in Corniglia are Cantina da Mananan and Enoteca Il Pirun. We had dinner at Cantina da Mananan. If a romantic atmosphere and old style Italian charm is your vibe, you will love this place. Enoteca Il Pirun is one that I saved for the future because it has the cutest of cute courtyards.

If you come to Cinque Terre and you don’t go to Nessun Dorma in Manarola, you’re doing it wrong. Finding good cocktails isn’t very common in Italy, as most people stick to wine or an Aperol Spritz, but Nessun Dorma is another story! It’s known for its view (um, hi, picture below), and their aperitivo (Italian Happy Hour appetizers) is unbeatable! You have to get the bruschetta! After a drink or two at Nessun Dorma, head up the street (or cliff?) to Trattoria dal Billy. A quaint little restaurant with DELICIOUS food.

Unfortunately we didn’t eat in Riomaggiore, but we did get some spritz! Spritzes? Spritzs? Spritz plural. Riomaggiore had some of the CUTEST bars. We picked one up near the square with outdoor seating, but there are a few right by the water that are way too cute.

Overview of Each Town

Each town has its own quirks and charm. My favorites were Vernazza and Riomaggiore.

Vernazza is a town for hikers. Hike up to the cute little bar on the pathway between Corniglia and Vernazza for lunch, hike up into the vineyards above it, or down into the center to the beach. Vernazza seemed like it had it all without the touristy vibe. The town square right on the beach is as charming as charming gets, great restaurants, adorable boutique stores, vineyards, and honestly everything you could ask for!

Riomaggiore is the poster child of Cinque Terre, see below the photo you’ve seen 5,000 renditions of on Pinterest. But, rightfully so. Perfect for boat days, beach days, or just relaxing and taking the day Italian style, one glass of wine at a time.

Corniglia is a great place to stay given it’s in the center. It’s great as a hiking starting point and I love that you can see all the towns from its lookout points. But honestly, it doesn’t have much else to offer.

Manarola is pretty similar to Riomaggiore but a little smaller. I honestly just loved it because of Nessun Dorma and Trattoria dal Billy.

Lastly, Monterosso al Mare is the biggest of the five, with the famous beach characterized by orange and turquoise umbrellas with a really beautiful rock formation on the beach. It’s bustling with restaurants and plenty of shops, and holds most of the traditional hotels. But with all of this, you get a pinch of a “touristy” vibe when the other towns have none of that. I know I said earlier there is zero tourist vibe here, but there are a handful of "tourist” shops in Monterosso. I would absolutely stay here giving its liveliness, though.

Every town is worth meandering through its streets. They all hold a special character and you’re sure to find something you enjoy about each, definitely don’t miss out on any of them!

That’s all friends! I hope you get to Cinque Terre one day, and when you do I hope you let me know how you love it, and where from this blog you visited! And if you’ve been there already I’d love to hear what you think we need to do next time! Leave a quick comment for me!

XO,

Di

P.S. if you don’t have a trip to CT coming up, but you want to save some of the restaurants or destinations I’ve mentioned, head to my Instagram story highlight “travel tips” to see how to save them on Google Maps for later!