Cinque Terre in One Day: The Best Way
A Perfect Day in Cinque Terre
First things first, how do you get to Cinque Terre?
Dependent on whether you are coming from the north or the south, you want to get a train into Sestri Levante (on the north), or La Spezia (on the south). These two cities are the two ends of the Cinque Terre Express - the train that stops at all the towns in Cinque Terre. This express train will be your best friend, and I recommend getting comfortable with the stops it makes and the schedule that it runs on. Catching trains from town to town can either take five minutes or twenty minutes depending on how you do it. Tickets for the Cinque Terre Express begin at €18.50 for a one-day pass, or €5 for a one-way ticket. For this guide, we recommend purchasing the all-day pass as this will be your primary mode of transportation through the towns.
And yes, the majority of the time that you are on the express train, your tickets won't be checked. We have friends who thought that they didn't have to purchase tickets because they wouldn't be checked, then ultimately got caught and received a €100 fee. To avoid this, just purchase the all-day pass.
There is also a ferry that can take you between the towns of Cinque Terre. Although viewing Cinque Terre from the water can give you the best view of the towns, these ferries tend to fill up and are ultimately less reliable.
It is also important to get an early start on the day. We recommend arriving around 9am, as the towns of Cinque Terre can crowd up fast and take away from the magic.
Now where should you stop first?
Our personal opinion is to stop at Monterosso al Mare first. Monterosso is the northern most town, and is the only to offer a strip of beaches with crystal-clear water. The towns go from north to south in this order: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.
Monterosso al Mare
Monterosso is the Northern most town along Cinque Terre, offering stretches of beautiful beaches and a small village with accommodations. Monterosso is split up into two sides by a local convent, better known as Convento dei Frati Cappuccini. Because of this establishment, there is a tunnel that runs beneath the convent that connects both sides.
On the west side of this convent you will find the train station, one of the main beaches in Monterosso, and local vendors/restaurants. On the west side of the convent, you will find another large beach and a few streets that are full of restaurants, gelato, and souvenirs.
A fun gem in Monterosso - Statua del Gigante. Literally translated to "Statue of the Giant", this giant statue is found on the most western side of town. Crafted with iron and concrete, this statue is an old medieval gateway built in 1037, and is a must-see monument that should be on everyone's list.
We recommend scheduling a few hours in Monterosso, and leaving around 1pm-2pm before heading to the next town. This time frame allows you enough time to relax on the beach and grab a bite to eat. he next town on Cinque Terre is Vernazza.
If you aren't planning on hitting the beach and want a more adventurous day, there is a hike that you can take that connects the two towns. This hike is known as "The Azure Trail", and connects Monterosso to Vernazza. Although this hike is only two miles and takes about 80 minutes, don't be fooled. The Azure Trail is a strenuous hike that takes you up and down the cliffsides of Cinque Terre. Due to the constant change in elevation, this hike is not recommended for beginners.
The Beaches of Monterosso
If you are looking to spend time lounging on the beach, Monterosso is the town for you. Unfortunately, Monterosso only offers private beaches, meaning that there isn't anywhere for you to lay a towel down and lounge on your own accord. This is where arriving early comes in key. During the peak summer season, these beaches fill up by 10:30. The earlier you arrive, the better. And as mentioned earlier, there are two main beaches in Monterosso, one on each side of town.
On the west side near the train station, you will find a long stretch of umbrellas set up on the beach, also known as Scoglio di Monterosso. These umbrellas and chairs are available for rent starting at €25 for a half day.
On the east side of town, there are additional chairs for rental through Bar Bagni Alga. We chose to rent chairs here for €15 each for a half day. We chose this side due to the amount of places to find food and drink nearby. Aside from the main beach bar, the main town of Monterosso sits directly behind this beach.
Restaurants in Monterosso
Two things you must get during your time in Cinque Terre: focaccia and anchovies. If you are anything like me, the word 'anchovies' is scary. We'll dive into the anchovies of Cinque Terre later in this guide.
As far as focaccia goes, Monterosso offers some of the best in the world. In Monterosso, you can find everything from cheese-stuffed focaccia to hamburgers served on focaccia bread. With a handful of bakeries that specialize in focaccia, it is hard to pick a bad spot. My personal favorite was Il Frantoio, which is also the #1 ranked focaccia shop on the Italian Riviera. They offer an assortment of topped focaccia, made fresh every morning.
My two other favorite spots in Monterosso are listed below. These spots are both quick options and are perfect for grabbing a bite to eat before heading over to our next town, Vernazza.
Vernazza
The small fishing village of Vernazza is the second stop for our perfect day in Cinque Terre.
Vernazza is best recognized for its colorful buildings and busy port that is usually full of fishing boats. And if I'm being honest, there isn't too much else that Vernazza has to offer.
Cinque Terre is also home to another local novelty: seafood cones. These cones are cheap and come filled with your choice of fried seafood. From shrimp, to anchovies, to calamari, these cones are something you have to try at least once while in Cinque Terre.
Below are a few of my favorite spots to eat in Vernazza:
Ultimately, I recommend spending no more than an hour or two in Vernazza, as our next stop, Manarola, will take up a large chunk of your day.
Corniglia
Corniglia is the third town along Cinque Terre's coastline, and in my opinion, it isn't worth visiting. Corniglia is the only town in Cinque Terre that doesn't sit on the water. Rather, visitors have to hike up 380 steps from the train station to visit Corniglia.
Although because of this factor, Corniglia is also the most laid-back and least touristy. If you are interested in visiting Corniglia, there are many useful guides out there that offer things to do in this town. But for the sake of this guide, we're going to skip Corniglia.
Manarola
Without a doubt, Manarola is my favorite town to visit in Cinque Terre. It is one of the most photographed places in Italy for obvious reasons. This colorful village built along the mountainside creates a simply beautiful scenery for visitors.
Prior to arriving in Manarola, we recommend downloading the Nessum, Dorma app. Nessum Dorma is the most desirable restaurant in Cinque Terre, and downloading their app allows you to grab a spot in line. But what makes this restaurant so desirable? Aside from the bruschetta spreads and fresh sangria, Nessum Dorma offers that perfect view that you dream of. Dependent on when you're visiting Cinque Terre, you can wait either five minutes or three hours for Nessum Dorma. Regardless, this is a spot that you don't want to miss.
Nessum Dorma has pesto and wine classes between 10am-3pm everyday starting at €60. The main restaurant opens its doors for the public at 4pm. The most popular items here are bruschetta spreads, meat and cheese boards, and anchovy plates (don't knock it til you try it).
Manarola is also home to the largest fishing port in Cinque Terre (hence the surplus of anchovies), which you are also allowed to swim in. Swimming and cliff jumping in this port is the perfect way to cool off and kill time while you wait.
We recommend allotting a few hours in Manarola, and heading to Riomaggiore about an hour before the sun sets.
Riomaggiore
Welcome to our last stop on the tour of Cinque Terre. Riomaggiore is home to my favorite place for the sunset and has various great viewing spots. At this point in the day, the cruise ship crowds should have died down and the streets should be clearer.
In Riomaggiore, you have multiples options for how you end your day. If you are looking to save money, you could grab a fried seafood cone at Il Pescato Cucinato and watch the sunset from the rocks that line the water.
For a more upbeat vibe, La Conchiglia is a cliffside bar that offers a perfect view of the Riomaggiore and the sunset. Drinks and small bites are offered here.
If you're looking for a more intimate setting, dinner at Dau Cila is the way to go. Dau Cila is a charming restaurant that overlooks the Ligurian Sea. Although it is a little pricier, the food and views are worth every penny. Recommendations are recommended for Dau Cila.
After the sun is down, your next plans can be whatever you want. Unfortunately, Cinque Terre isn't known for its nightlife.
Our guide ends here, but if you need some inspiration, there are some amazing places that are very close to Cinque Terre. Portofino and Santa Margarita are only an hour north, and Pisa and Florence are only an hour to two south. Check out my guides on these places below:
If you are planning a trip to Cinque Terre or Italy in general, feel free to contact us via Instagram. We’d be happy to answer any questions or concerns that you may have prior to traveling.
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Thank you for reading through this guide and happy traveling!
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