Cinque Terre
Italy, Europe
Five cliff villages, one coastline, and roughly ten thousand tourists.
The houses are stacked in colours that shouldn't work together — terracotta, mustard, faded pink — climbing cliffs that drop straight into the Ligurian Sea. In the villages, the streets are too narrow for cars and barely wide enough for two people with bags. The smell is anchovy paste and sunscreen, and by 10am in July the pathways between villages are single-file queues of people in inappropriate footwear.
Our honest take
Cinque Terre is genuinely beautiful and genuinely overrun. July and August reduce the villages to bottlenecks of selfie sticks. The trail between Vernazza and Corniglia is the real payoff — views earned on foot. Come in May or October and you'll understand why people keep coming despite themselves.
Why go
- The Sentiero Azzurro trail section between Vernazza and Corniglia — two hours of clifftop walking with the sea directly below and no road access to interrupt it
- Sciacchetrà, the local sweet wine made from dried Bosco grapes, drunk at a plastic table in Manarola with anchovies on toast while the fishing boats come in
- Manarola from the cemetery viewpoint at golden hour — the village looks like it was arranged by someone who wanted to make photographers cry
Skip if you can
- The Riomaggiore–Manarola 'Via dell'Amore' section — perpetually closed for renovation, been charging entry just to see a locked gate
- Any restaurant with a laminated photo menu facing the main harbour — they know you're not coming back, and the seafood pasta will reflect that
- Visiting all five villages in one day — you'll see everything and experience nothing, just a sweaty train-hop with no time to swim or eat properly
Things to do
- Hiking the coastal trail
- Swimming from rocky coves
- Wine tasting (Sciacchetrà)
- Boat trips between villages
Costs
Cinque Terre Card (train + trails): €18.50/day (~$20). Plate of trofie al pesto: €12-16 (~$13-18). Glass of local white wine: €4-7 (~$4.50-8). Gelato: €3-4 (~$3.30-4.50).
Airport, transport, and accommodation options
Good to know
- Trail sections close regularly after landslides — check parchinazionale5terre.it before hiking, some paths require timed entry reservations
- Hiking in flip-flops is genuinely dangerous on the Sentiero Azzurro — the stone steps are uneven and slick after rain
- Pickpocketing on trains between villages is common in summer — keep bags in front
- Heat exhaustion risk on south-facing trail sections July–August — carry at least 1.5L water, start before 9am
Prices, visa rules, and transport details may change. Always verify with official sources before booking. Last updated: August 2026.
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