Don't Miss This Article:
We Give Detailed Info for 103 FAQ's - Including Recent News:
Sections Below
-16 Tips to Avoid the Crowds
-Accommodations In Cinque Terre
-Accommodations In Nearby Base Towns
-Guidebooks for Cinque Terre
-All About Nearby Towns & Hill Towns
-Ferry / Boats
-Food - Regional Specialties
-The Path of Love - Via Amore - Will Reopen
-Transportation
-Weather - When to Go
-Maps: Overview & Hiking
Avoid the Crowds in Cinque Terre
We have a special article to help you have a great visit.
Link: Cinque Terre - 16 Tips for Avoiding the Crowds
Accommodation In & Around Cinque /Terre
Click Liguria / Cinque Terre / Portofino Map to see the Cinque Terre towns & Base towns.
Book as early as you can - the CT is very popular. We use and recommend Booking.com because they have an excellent selection of hotels with VERIFIED REVIEWS!
Book as early as you can - the CT is very popular. We use and recommend Booking.com because they have an excellent selection of hotels with VERIFIED REVIEWS!
Booking.com
Monterosso The largest little town with a resort feel & the most restaurants and hotels. The only real beach in CT, some parking & the best train connections. There's an old town and a new section and it's fairly level. The full town name is Monterosso al Mare. Link to: Booking.com - Monterosso
Vernazza The prettiest, most celebrated town with the most visitors. You really should see it. Photographers love this town especially at sunset as the nearby hills provide stunning views. Link to: Booking.com - Vernazza
What's It Like? - Our Vernazza Photo Gallery Link
What's It Like? - Our Vernazza Photo Gallery Link
Corniglia Sitting prettily on a promontory high above the sea with an historic church. It's the least crowded. It's a climb from the train and the boat doesn't stop here, but it's still very romantic and the views are the best.
Link to: Booking.com - Corniglia
Link to: Booking.com - Corniglia
Manarola The second most popular to explore, it's very photogenic & colorful. Approached from the sea, the town seems balanced on a cliff. Below there's a tiny harbor with quaint fishing boats and the famous terraces loom nearby. Link to: Booking.com- Manarola
What's It Like - Our Manarola Photo Gallery
What's It Like - Our Manarola Photo Gallery
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| Riomaggiore CC by Nick Grosoli |
Click Liguria / Cinque Terre / Portofino Map to see the Cinque Terre towns & other Base towns.
Nearby Base Towns.
Minimize the crowds while you enjoy Cinque Terre, Portofino, and Liguria. Here are the Pluses & Minuses for each possible town with hotel recommendations by Martha:
Part 1 Liguria Hotel Guide & City Selector Visit Cinque Terre & enjoy the Gulf of the Poets.
Lerici, Portovenere, La Spezia.
Part 2 Liguria Hotel Guide & City Selector Visit both Cinque Terre & Portofino.
Levanto, Bonassola, Moneglia, Sestri Levante, Lavagna, Chiavari.
Part 3 Liguria Hotel Guide & City Selector Towns on the perfect Portofino Peninsula.
Rapallo, Santa Margherita, Portofino, Camogli, Recco.
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Guidebooks for Cinque Terre
What's the best guidebook for Cinque Terre?
First, buy your Cinque Terre guidebook before you arrive as you won't easily find them in Italy. For a guidebook dedicated to Cinque Terre, the best by far is Pocket Cinque Terre Rick Steves
(Amazon US) (Amazon UK) (Kindle UK). Most all of the Pocket Cinque Terre info is also included in Italy Rick Steves 2024 (Amazon US) (Amazon UK) which is Amazon’s best selling Italy guidebook.
For advice and reviews on guidebooks for Liguria, Florence, Rome, Venice & more, read our article:
All the Best Italy Guidebooks Reviewed
All About Pretty Towns Near Cinque Terre
Seven Hill Towns
Link: Great Italian Hill Towns near Cinque Terre
Lerici Link: Castle to Castle Along the Gulf of the Poets
Link: The Jewish Ghetto of Lerici
La Spezia Link: La Spezia Travel Guide - Top Ten Attractions
Link: The Naval Museum of La Spezia
Link: La Spezia's Lia Art Museum
Portovenere Link: Portovenere Travel Guide - Top Ten Attractions
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Carrara Link: Anarchy, Michelangelo & Marble
Pignone, Montemarcello, Tellaro, Castelnuovo Magra
Link: The Most Beautiful Villages in Liguria - Part 7
Pontremoli Link: The Attractions of a Small Tuscan City
Ferry / Boats
A favorite way to enjoy the fabulous Ligurian coastline.
Cinque Terre / Gulf of LaSpezia
The only source for a full season of Cinque Terre schedules:
Complete Cinque Terre & La Spezia Ferry Schedules.
Camogli
Link: Camogli to San Fruttuoso Ferry Boats - with Portofino & Recco
Portofino Peninsula
Link: Portofino Ferry Boat Schedules from Rapallo and Santa Margherita
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Food
Regional food specialties can be the best part of Italian travel. Look for these treats:
Link: A Guide to the Local Food of La Spezia & Cinque Terre
The Path of Love - Via Amore
Link: Cinque Terre's Path of Love Is Reopening
Transportation
Link: Where to Rent a Car from Cinque Terre - La Spezia, Pisa, or Genoa?
La Spezia
Link: La Spezia Getting Around - Bus / Parking / Boat
Link: La Spezia Transportation- Bicycle Sharing
Portovenere
Link: Getting to Portovenere
Weather
When to go? We suggest either April 20-June 10 or September 10-October 15.
Our Spring article includes: What to Pack & FAQ.
Link: Spring Weather in Liguria & Cinque Terre
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Maps
Liguria / Cinque Terre / Portofino Map for an overview of the Cinque Terre towns & nearby base towns with story links.
1 of 2 Cinque Terre Maps
Below is the Official Cinque Terre Park Map PDF (Click map to enlarge or click link on the left for 5MB.pdf ).
2 of 2 Cinque Terre Trail Maps Click to Enlarge
This is a simplified map that can be useful for an overview.
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