Discover Travel to Cinque Terre

Your Guide to Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre, which means ‘five lands’ in Italian is located on the coast of the Italian Riviera, and is made up of five towns, each with a unique atmosphere and beautiful landscapes. The villages include: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The five villages, and the surrounding landscape is all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracting visitors from all over the world. Part of the charm of Cinque Terre is the lack of corporate development in the area, rare for such a popular holiday destination, giving visitors a real experience of local life.

About Cinque Terre | Getting to Cinque Terre | How to Get Around Cinque Terre | Activities in Cinque Terre

About Cinque Terre

The most striking thing about the region of Cinque Terre is the amount of color along the coastline. The reason the houses vary in so many different colors is so when the fishermen were out at sea they could see their house easily. There are many beautiful beaches to enjoy across the region, and during the summer the sea is warm enough to swim in. The region has a lot of interesting history to discover and many walking activities to see the impressive views.

Climate

The mountain range surrounding the area protects the region from most of the northerly winds meaning the weather in Cinque Terre is quite mild. During the summer, temperatures reach around 30 degrees, although the autumn and spring often see a lot of rain. The best time to visit is from March to October.

Language

The official language of Cinque Terre is Italian.

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Getting to Cinque Terre

	Plane	Getting to Cinque Terre by plane is usually the quickest and most convenient. The closest airports to the region are Genoa, which is 111 km from the area, and Pisa, 84 km far from the region. As Cinque Terre is a popular holiday destination flights are usually direct from within Europe, and run often.
	Bus	Megabus connects Milan, Rome and Turin to Genoa from where is possible to get to the Cinque terre by train. Baltour connects Bologna to Genoa and Simet and Baltour connects Florence to Genoa. There are very few buses that run straight into the area and therefore visitors will more than likely have to switch transport modes.
	Train	Trains to the area are frequent and easy to navigate. The Cinque Terre card gives a convenient discount to visitors. Trains run from Genoa and Rome, once in La Spezia visitors can take one of many regional trains which take passengers to all five of the villages.

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How to Get Around Cinque Terre

Train

If you want a relaxed way to see the region then the easiest way is by train. Regional trains connect all the small towns of the coast and have a very frequent service. From La Spezia to the popular town of Levanto takes just 30 min,making it easy for visitors to see the different areas with ease. With a "Cinque Terre Card" you can hop on and off the train for a discounted fee.

Boat

A nice way to get around Cinque Terre is enjoying the coastline from one of the boats that are available during the Spring and Summer months. Boats departs from La Spezia, Lerici e Portovenere and travel to Levanto, Bonassola, Deiva Marina, Moneglia, and Portofino. Visitors can choose between a day trip or an afternoon trip and costs differ depending on the tour. Prices start from 11 Euros and go up to 22 Euros. Tours offer discounts for children.

Foot

A popular way to see Cinque Terre is by foot. There are three main tracks at different difficulty levels. Sentiero del Crinale (the high path), Via dei Santuari (road of the Sanctuaries) and Sentiero Azzzurro (the blue path). These tracks are used by locals and tourists alike to move around the region. See the Trekking section in the Activities Tab for more info.

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Places to Visit

The Five Villages

Riomaggiore was founded by a community of Greek refugees in the seventh century and the first historical documents date back as far as 1251. The village is divided into two areas; the Old Town in the north, and the fishing village in the south. Among the most famous buildings of Riomaggiore there are the Church of St. John the Baptist dating back to 1340, and the Sanctuary of Montenero, which, built in the 18th century, is the oldest building in the city.

Manarola is full of charming narrow streets on different levels of the hilly landscape, connected by narrow stone steps. The best known sites in the area are the bell tower, and the Gothic church of San Lorenzo. Corniglia is the smallest of the five villages and the only one that is not directly facing the sea. It is located on top of the cliff and surrounded by picturesque vineyards. The only way to get to the village is to go along the steep staircase of Lardarina, which includes 382 steps and 33 ramps, but is definitely worth the walk. Vernazza is believed to be named after the local wine, Vernaccia. The remains of the castle are a highlight to see, as is the church of St. Margaret of Antioch

The largest and the most popular is Monterosso al Mare and is home to the longest beach in the region. There are a few historical churches to see in the village, along with great views and many walking opportunities.

The Beaches

From late spring onward tourists begin to visit the little beaches dotted along the coast, and swim in the warm sea. Some can only be reached by boat, and others only accessible by foot, making each beach visit a fun day out. Fegina is the largest beach in Cinque Terre, but is also the busiest. Visitors looking for a more relaxed atmosphere should head to Manarola or Vernazza which offer small cove beaches.

Cusine

One of the main attractions in the region of Cinque Terre is the great food and drink. The region's specialty is wine, one of the most famous is Sciacchetrà, a sweet wine, which tourists often taken home as a souvenir. As Cinque Terre is based on the sea the cuisine includes a lot of seafood. Some of the most famous dishes are stuffed fresh muscles, and fried squid and whitebait. If visitors want something other than seafood the region has some of the best pesto sauces in all of Italy, served with pasta, along with fried courgette flowers.

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Activities

Water Sports

The crystal clear turquoise sea and the National Park of the Cinque Terre is the ideal place for both water sports enthusiasts and beginners. There are numerous sailing schools and companies that rent out kayaks and wind surfing equipment. As well as this the area is also very popular for scuba diving, although because the area is protected visitors can only dive with permission from the park, it is therefore suggested that visitors take part in one of the organised diving excursions.

Hiking

One of the most popular activities in the region is hiking. There are 120 kilometers of paths that are generally easy to navigate and most of the trails require minimal equipment, such as proper footwear and water. There are more difficult paths that can take up to ten hours to hike, although they have the most rewarding views. One of the most popular walking routes is The Sanctuary Road which gives visitors the opportunity to visit all five of the villages shrines which are the object of devotion to the local people during religious festivals.

Cycling

Visitors don’t just have to hike the paths, it is also popular to hire a mountain bike from one of the many companies in the area and cycle through the region. There are routes of different difficulty levels and some much better for mountain biking than walking with the same rewarding views and attractions to stop off and see on the way.

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Events

Manarola Nativity

Based in Manarola, and taking place annually from the 8th December to the 31st January, 15,000 bulbs light up the Hill of Three Crosses to make a nativity scene. The beautiful view can be seen from a boat if the sea is calm, making for romantic Christmas evenings.

Sciacche Trail

Taking place on Sunday, March 20, 2016 is the second edition of the Sciacche Trail, a hiking race that runs among vineyards, villages, and ancient shrines The race starts from the old town of Monterosso and loops back around to also end in Monterosso where many side events take part throughout the day.

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