In the North western corner of Italy lies a bunch of five pretty towns that draw the world to its narrow lanes, cluttered buildings, sweeping hills and azure seas. What is it here that is not found elsewhere in Italy, you may wonder. I had the same question when I planned this visit, our 4th to Italy. Postcard views, quaint lanes and colourful architecture is pretty much a constant in Italy. After spending 4 lovely days I can see why millions flock to this tiny corner of Italy!
Cinque Terre literally means five lands. The five towns of Monterosso al mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Rio Maggiore that line up the Ligurian coast are only two minutes apart from each other by train. In fact they are so close together you can see the neighbouring towns from one town and all the four from Monterosso Al-Mare. Many choose to day trip to these towns from the nearby, more popular city of Pisa or even further away from Florence. However staying in these laid back, quiet towns after the day trippers are gone makes them even more charming.
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Having visited Pisa and Florence before and wanting to soak in the real atmosphere of these towns, we decided to base ourselves in Manarola for four nights. Some would say that’s an overkill but it most certainly, wasn’t. This gave us plenty of time to wander aimlessly admiring the non-touristy corners, enjoy breathtaking sunsets every single day from one of the towns or simply stare at the waves lashing against the rocks that held up those colourful buildings. It also gave us time to extend our visit to Portovenere, a bustling sea town that had its own charm.
Tip: Skip the summer visit and plan to visit between September and December or March and May to beat the crowds and prices, but just as stunning views as summer.
Day 1
Manarola
We reached Manarola in the afternoon after a long train ride from Turin with a change in La Spezia. Despite seeing a zillion pictures and poring over Google Maps live view, the sight and the atmosphere is drastically different as you alight from the train.
Tip: Book intercity, Freccia and other long distance trains 2-3 months ahead for the best fares and choice of seats. Regional trains need no advance booking and can be bought on the day of travel.
The Manarola station is located between two tunnels and faces out into the open sea. As we alighted from the train, the stark sunshine hitting our faces, the fresh breeze tingling our nostrils, the sound of gulls cawing out to each other and the view of the deep blue sea melting into the sky transported us instantly into the charming and distinct world of Italian coast.
We made our way into the long tunnel that took us to the old town where we met our Air BnB host. After brief introductions we made our way up into the winding lanes to reach our pretty apartment that looked out over the neighbouring mountain. The reason I chose this apartment was for the view of the Presepe or the nativity scene.
Presepe di Manarola is the largest nativity setting in the world. An entire mountain is covered with lights depicting the birth of Jesus every year between December and January. It is an attraction in itself and people from all over Italy come to Manarola specifically in December to see this spectacle. And we had balcony seats to this!
As soon we got the tour of the apartment done, we quickly freshened up and took the steps down to the marina for the sunset. We grabbed some facoccias and farinata on our way down to the marina as we had completely skipped lunch. Being our first sunset in CT, we were surprised to see how crowded the marina was! There was absolutely no spot left along the rails to look out into the sea and at the sun that was sliding down fast! We found ourselves some seats at the back and munched on our delicious focaccias and farinata while watching the skies turn orange and the sun slowly sinking below the horizon. As is common in numerous other places many clapped to bid farewell to the golden sun for its journey across the rest of the world before it would come back to Manarola. Many tourists left after the sunset while some climbed up the hill to wait for the Presepe to come on. The lights were turned on at 5:30 pm and stayed on until midnight.
On the way back to our apartment, we stopped at the COOP to pick some groceries up for our dinners for the next few days. After a long day we went to sleep staring at the Presepe from our window.
Day 2
We woke up to mist swirling on the mountain tops with golden sunshine from the winter sun gently breaking them apart as it rose over the sleepy towns of CT. Today was our first full day and we decided to go to Vernazza, the most famous of the five towns for its marina surrounded by colourful buildings and also for inspiring Disney’s film, Luca.
Tip: Install the Trenitalia app on your phone. You can book tickets whenever and wherever you want to (while you’re connected to the internet). They are automatically validated at the time of departure. You can also change tickets before the time of departure or even cancel until the night before. Avoids the hassle of stamping and keeping a paper ticket safe.
Vernazza
We rode the train to Vernazza. The town was still waking up with not many tourists in the lanes around the station. However as we walked to the marina we realised this was the most favourite spot to hang out for tourists! One side of the town was in shade while the other side was bright and gleaming in the morning sunshine. Some tourists walked around the square facing the small beach and harbour while the rest found themselves a spot in the sun and were admiring this pretty town.
There is more than one viewpoint to admire Vernazza from. The first one was down the harbour looking back at the town with its colourful buildings arranged around the square and tiny fishing boats bobbling in the gentle tide. We walked to the furthest end of the harbour and gaped at the awe inspiring view. One of Sam’s favourite Disney movies is Luca and she was elated to find her “Portorosso”!
Being winter the hiking paths were all free to enter, so we decided to catch the view of Vernazza from above and started our hike up the steep path. Even in winter it was quite warm and we had to take off our fleece as we hiked up the hill catching glimpses of the marina, harbour and the building between foliage.
Continuing past the hut that validates the hiking pass in summer, we climbed further uphill and located the spot that gives the famed postcard picture view of Vernazza. The Piazza Marconi, framed by colourful buildings that continued along the harbour, the church of Santa Margherita flanking the other end of the piazza and the Doria Tower rising distinctly in the horizon gives us the memory of a lifetime!
There were hardly any tourists that stopped at this point and we almost had it to ourselves while we were there. We rested in the shade staring out at the view while we caught our breath from climbing all the way up.
It was almost time for lunch as we made our way down the same path that we came up. Once in the main square we started hunting for restaurants that served considerable vegetarian fare. Despite being winter the restaurants were all busy and had a lot of wait times until we finally decided to wait it out at Gianni Franzi. Simply because they had the most vegetarian options.
Shash and I had Trenette al pesto, a Ligurian speciality while Sam chose her usual favourite Spaghetti al pomodoro. SC had the minestrone. This was hands down the best pesto we had on our trip. Basil pesto is freshly made in this part of Italy using mortar and pestle. It is bright green unlike the dark green ones we find on the shelves in supermarkets. Once we had a long and delicious lunch we ventured back into the Marina to catch the pretty town gleaming in the late afternoon sunlight.
SC and the girls decided to go into the church while I waited in the square to continue gaping at the views. The square was busy with tourists milling about, kids playing and cats lazying in the afternoon sunshine. We also found a real life Machiavelli that posed for our pictures reluctantly!
We then made our way around the marina, this time to the right for a different perspective and also to find out if we could locate the sea cave. We made our way to the furthest end the path would allow and popped ourselves on the rocks to see the buildings flaunting their bright colours to the golden sun that was scrambling across the horizon, waiting to get into the depths of the nether world.
As Sam was getting restless we decided not to wait for the sunset and made our way back to the train station and rode the train back to Manarola.
Day 3
Monterosso Al Mare
The flattest and perhaps the largest of the five towns has an expansive beach and a new town for more accommodation and dining options. This also is a stop on the express trains that run through CT connecting the other major towns in the Ligurian coast. As you step out of the train station you are greeted by the expansive south facing beach, Spaggia di Fegina. In the summer it would be filled with beach chairs, umbrellas and tourists soaking up the mediterranean sunshine but our winter visit meant it was empty and free! The shimmering blue waters of the Ligurian sea were reflecting the bright sun that was warming up the air, even in winter.
Tip: If you are going to ride on the train in CT multiple times on the same day, a day pass could be cheaper. If you are visiting in summer and are also planning to hike between the towns, a Cinque Terre card with train fare included could be a great deal.
As we are usually drawn to old towns and their quaint atmosphere, we made our way down Via Fegina to the old part of town that reportedly had some of the best focaccias and some interesting souvenir shops. We soaked up the sun for a while in the main square bordered by buildings with their distinct arches and a small park and playground in the middle.
Our next stop was the 14th century church of St. John the Baptist (Parrocchia di S. Giovanni Battista). The church with its black and white marble gothic facade was free to enter. The interiors were modest but calming and peaceful.
We then continued to explore the labyrinth of streets that were filled with restaurants and souvenir shops before finally joining the queue to taste the focaccias of Il Frantoio. The wait was for over 30 minutes and I grabbed some pesto and tomato focaccia and some cheesy ones when I finally got to the tiny shop. We carried them back to the main square for our delicious lunch after which we made our way back to the train station and decided to take the train to Riomaggiore to explore the town and catch the sunset.
Riomaggiore
This was the last of the five towns and was touted to be the best place to catch the sunset. We arrived around 3 ish in the afternoon and realised we were way too early for the sunset so walked around the town for quite a while.
The town of Riomaggiore has two parts divided by the tunnel through which the trains run. The upper part that has a long steep Main Street running into the depths of the city and the lower part that takes you to the busy marina. The upper part of town seemed absolutely deserted with just a couple of restaurants and COOP supermarket open. On the other hand the Marina was bustling with activity.
Tip: If you do not like to climb steep hills or stairs choose to stay in Monterosso al Mare which is completely flat. The second best option would be Manarola where you can skip steep steps and climb a gentle gradient. Vernazza and Riomaggiore have considerable steps with Vernazza being the most expensive town to stay.
Facing west, the marina was open directly to the sun and had colourful buildings that were glowing bright in the late afternoon sunlight. The town was predominantly a fishing town and there were boats parked all around with just a narrow path to walk to the promontory. The promontory offered the best views of the colourful buildings and it was already crowded. With the sun shining directly it was way too bright and hot! We found ourselves a spot in the shade and waited for the sun to go down.
The one disadvantage of visiting in winter is that most gelaterias are closed. We hunted up and down for one that was open but sadly we were left disappointed. So we munched on some Italian cookies and crisps as we waited for the sun to set.
As with all towns in CT the sunset was indeed magical. Many boats departed the marina for a sunset trip. The sea was calm and the weather glorious. It was at moments like these that you realise what a great idea it is to travel in winter.
Day 4
This was our last full day in CT and we decided to skip Corniglia, the 3rd town that’s situated on top of a hill. One, the best gelataria in town, Alberto’s, was closed and two, it required a bus ride or a climb of 300 steps to reach the town from the train station.
Instead we chose to venture out into the Gulf of Poets to Porto Venere. We had quite a few options to venture out of CT. Portofino, the resort town of the wealthy that needed a longer train journey followed by a bus, Pisa, the famous city, Lucca, a charming walled town in Tuscany, Carrara, famous for its marble mountains, or, Porto Venere, a bustling seaport.
Porto Venere
To get to Porto Venere we took the train to La Spezia and a bus from there. La Spezia is a bigger city than the CT and it was busier but still pretty. However with a tight schedule we didn’t have much time to look around except for picking up some delicious croissants at Pasticceria Dolci Magie. The shop would be closed on our return and I needed to get some for our early morning return the next day. We also had some of their delicious deserts packed and with the croissants it cost us only €12!
Tip: Get the tickets for the bus at the Tabacchi in the train station including return. You need to remember to stamp them when you board.
There was supposed to be a bus every 30 minutes unfortunately the one we were aiming to take was canceled for some reason and we had to wait for a really long time for the next one which came heavily crowded. We reached Porto Venere about 25 minutes later.
We were greeted with a wonderful views over the gulf of poets and with a bustling town. The beautiful town of Porto Venere had a hill in the middle with a fort on top and the harbour on the bottom. The streets inbetween ran parallel to the harbour. We entered the town through one of the city gates and walked through a narrow lane with interesting shops, cafes and restaurants occasionally broken up by a pretty, tiny square. Some of the cafes has interesting displays and we were drawn in by the smell of freshly baked focaccias that we stopped at Focaceria da Paolo to grab some pesto and cheese and olive focaccias. Sam was hungry and she gobbled up her olive one in no time!
We then climbed down the stairs and walked along the marina to St. Peter’s church located on a promontory at the end of the town. The visit to this church was the highlight of our visit to Porto Venere. As we climbed the steps to the church we were surrounded by such incredible views that it was impossible to continue without stopping to take pictures. Apparently Lord Byron swam across the Gulf of Poets to see his friend Shelley in the town of Lerici. The gulf has been named after the poets who lived in the region enchanted by its beauty.
The cliff the church is located in offers 360º views of the area. On a sunny day the blue ocean, the cliffs and islands around offer such enchanting views. The weather was warm and the fresh ocean breeze kept us cool.
After spending considerable time we decided to head back. We stopped by the marina to take some pictures of the interesting, colourful facade of the town. We then climbed the steps back up to get some more focaccias for lunch.
Tip: La Bottega del Pesto sells fresh basil pesto and quick pasta with pesto for lunch. Good spot to buy some Genovese pesto home as souvenir.
The bus frequency was better on return and we didn’t have to wait for long to board the bus back to La Spezia and then train to Manarola.
It was our last evening in Cinque Terre and we enjoyed yet another gorgeous sunset from the viewpoint while spending considerable time looking back to the pretty little town of Manarola and wondering when our next trip to CT would be.
Fly ✧ Ride ✧ Drive 