Cinque Terre is many a traveller’s dream location (especially in Italy) and with summer just around the corner, promising with it oddles of sunshine, thoughts of holiday makers start to wander towards picture perfect colourful locations like this Italian gem in the Ligurian sea.
I honestly can’t recommend Cinque Terre enough, it’s one of those places that stays in your mind from the first moment you see it and when you eventually get to visit, truly lives up to the hype. If you’re convinced and looking to visit this summer, here are 15 things worth knowing about visiting Cinque Terre!
(We’ve also got a complete guide to help you plan your visit available here)
1.) Cinque Terre is amazing but the nearby towns of Levanto and Portovenere are also quite stunning places to visit as well.
2.) The best view of Manarola is from the walkway down by the sea front.
3.) The best view of Vernazza is from the mountains next to the town (which you can find via the small side streets).
4.) The best view of Corniglia is by boat.
5.) The best view of Riomaggiore is down by the seafront (which is the opposite direction of the town when you leave the train station). The view from the top of the town is also not too bad either.
6.) The best view of Monterosso al Mare is probably by plane/helicopter.
7.) It takes over an hour to drive between the towns through the mountains and only 2 – 3 minutes to get between them via train. Visiting Corniglia however requires a short bus ride in addition to the train ride here. (It’s the only one of the lot that does.)
8.) Cinque Terre is easy enough to get to from Pisa (by car) so even a long weekend trip can incorporate a trip to Cinque Terre, Pisa and Florence!
9.) You can’t actually drive in Cinque Terre. You can drive close to the towns but the rest of the journey has to be complete by foot.
10.) It’s also easy to get to Cinque Terre from Milan by train (another option for a combo Italian break).
11.) Cinque Terre gets VERY busy in summer time so a great time to visit is just before the start of summer or toward the end of it. Winter trips aren’t a bad idea but the sunshine that comes with summer does make a trip here extra special.
12.) Cinque Terre is actually 5 different places (5 towns – hence the name). This sounds so basic but I actually didn’t realise this till I arrived and was ready to explore this ‘one’ place called Cinque Terre.
13.) Hikers love it here. You can walk between the towns which is great if you’re into hiking and if you have more time to spend exploring the towns. If you’re here on a mini break, perhaps skip the hike and take the train.
14.) Accommodation-wise, you don’t need to stay smack bang in the centre of one of the 5 Cinque Terre towns to enjoy it, places like Levanto are less crowded (hence more accommodation options) and are just a few minutes away by train.
15.) It is possible to see all 5 towns in Cinque Terre on a weekend break here. You don’t need to spend a week to try to ‘see it all’.
Check Out The Very Best Of Great Britain!
