CINQUE TERRE

Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage site and National Park located in the region of Liguria, Italy. The name Cinque Terre translates to “Five Lands” and refers to the five villages that make up the park: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The Cinque Terre is known for its stunning scenery, its vibrant colorful houses, and its production of wine and pesto sauce.

Cinque Terre, nestled between Pisa and Genoa is a string of seaside villages - Manarola, Vernazza, Monterosso al Mare, Corniglia and Riomaggiore. Situated on a mountainous stretch overlooking the Italian Riviera coastline these towns make for the dreamest of summer expeditions.

The vibrant, colourful houses, vineyards clinging to the steep terraces with breath-taking scenery, harbours housed with fishing boats and seafood eating joints, and the cliffside hike trails are included that link the villages should be reasons enough to visit Cinque Terre for your next holiday. Explore these wonderful places and more attractions with best Europe packages.

This quaint Italian destination is best explored on foot, taking up the hiking trails along the cliffs with majestic vistas of the Italian coastline. Or the next best option is a train ride to travel between the five centuries-old villages.

Moreover, all these towns offer the best of sights, including Santuario di Nostra Signora di Montenero, a viewpoint in Riomaggiore. Additionally, the food scene in Manarola’s Nessun Dorma is the very best, and besides gorging on Italian delicacies, you can also take up a Pesto making class here. Or you can try out some of the most flavoursome ranges of wines, bubbles, grappa and Passito wine within Cinque Terre.

Cinque Terre has some of the most alluring sunsets that one can witness. Climb up the many viewpoints across the five towns to engrave a golden-hued evening in your memories or capture the moment in photographs. Further, surrounded by clear azure water, it would be a shame, not to take a dip in the sea or go on a boat ride. In Cinque Terre, you can go to several beaches, including Monterosso Beach in Manarola village.

Another nearby place worth seeing, although not part of Cinque Terre is Porto Venere. This UNESCO world-heritage village is situated on the Ligurian coast and is known for Porto Venere Regional Natural Park, a protected area with trails and dive sites, Fezzano and Le Grazie.

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Highlights

• Admire the dramatic coastline dotted with pastel-colored buildings clinging to cliffs, its vineyards and olive groves, and its steep hiking trails with breathtaking views.
• A great way to see Cinque Terre is from the water. You can take a ferry between the villages or even go on a wine-tasting cruise!
• There are numerous hiking trails connecting the five villages. The most popular is the “Sentiero Azzurro” which takes you along the coast with stunning views of the sea.
• With its crystal clear water and lovely beaches, Cinque Terre is a great place to take a dip!
• Cinque Terre is famous for its delicious seafood dishes, so be sure to enjoy some local specialities during your stay!
• Each village has its own unique character and there are plenty of activities to keep you busy, from exploring the shops and cafes to visiting landmarks such as churches and castles.

How To Reach

You can reach Cinque Terre by flying into the Genoa Airport - the closest airport to Cinque Terre. From Genoa, you can take the shuttle bus at the Airport to reach the Genoa train station. There are direct trains that reach the villages of Cinque Terre.

The overall travel time from Genoa train station to Cinque Terre villages is around 1 hour 20 minutes. Further, you can also drive to Cinque Terre from either Pisa or Genoa which would take around 1.5 hours.

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Best Time To Visit

For the best-ever experience, the shoulder season –starting from September & lasting till October is regarded as the best time to visit the Cinque Terre in Italy.

Summer Time: The best time to visit the Cinque Terre is from September to October. This is the time when the tourists look forward to spending the summertime in full enjoyment. 

Winter Time: The given period offers access to cooler temperatures with emptied-out trails of the region. The region is known to witness wintertime from the months of November to February. As such, the place remains chilly and unpleasant during this time.

Moreover, you might as well experience some amenity closures during the winter season in Cinque Terre. While the cold season is averted by most tourists out there, December vacation is still known to bring some glow into the region during the chilly days. At the same time, you might as well get access to cheaper accommodations in the region. 

Spring Time: Spring in Cinque Terre is another pleasant season to explore the region & its natural beauty. Spring –just like fall, might allow you to embrace the beauty of rainfall in the region.

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Other Essential Information

Location :

The Cinque Terre is situated along the coastal lines of Liguria –in northwest Italy. Given its prime location towards La Spezia’s western end, the Cinque Terre has become a famous tourist spot in the region. 

Entry Fee:

When you are visiting the exclusive Cinque Terre National Park in the region, you can expect to pay around 7.50€ for the adults and 4.50€ for the kids for one day. The entry fee to the park is inclusive of unlimited utilization of the park buses for commuting. If you wish to commute by train, there is an additional fee of 16€ for the adults & 10€ for the kids.

Distance from the Nearest Airport:

The closest airport to Cinque Terre is Genoa.

Distance from Genoa Airport -100.7 km

Photography:

The place is full of picturesque views that allow you to capture stunning images of the scenes nearby. 

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Where Should I Stay in Cinque Terre?

Cinque Terre is composed of five beautiful cliff-side towns that offer abundant options of high-end as well as budget-friendly accommodation for every type of traveler out there. Being one of the major tourist attraction spots in Italy, the towns of Cinque Terre are home to a wide number of accommodations that are widespread across the towns –overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

All these towns provide access to multicolored houses and sprawling sea-facing vistas for an amazing vacation ahead.When you are visiting Cinque Terre towns, it is important to note that these are fishing villages. Most of the available accommodations in the towns are in the form of luxury private rooms in some of the historic family-owned buildings. 

1. Hotel Villa Argentina- a high-end accommodation located in Riomaggiore. The hotel is known to provide bespoke views of the entire Mediterranean.

2. Hotel Marina Piccola- Situated in the village of Manarola, this hotel offers a perfect romantic getaway to those who are searching for serenity and ultimate beauty. 

3. Sandra Villa Rooms- One of the most famous villa rooms in Corniglia, this accommodation option is highly sought-after by those who wish to enjoy the true essence of Cinque Terre.

4. Manuela Rooms & Apartments- If you wish to live in a place like home, this premise offers easy access to lavish rooms & even apartments in Vernazza.

5. Hotel Villa Steno- Get access to ultimate hospitality at this leading Monterosso hotel. The hotel also provides access to luxury amenities for your overall comfort.

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What to Eat in Cinque Terre?

The Cinque Terre towns are not only known for their splendid views of the sprawling Mediterranean, but they are also famous for the huge variety of the Mediterranean delicacies the place has to offer.

Visiting the Cinque Terre & its small towns is not only a feast to your eyes, but also a great delight to your taste buds. If you are here, we have prepared a list of the top food items that you should try out during the foodie break in the majestic Italian Riviera:

1. Anchovies: The immensely bright & silver-textured “acciughe” in Cinque Terre is something you must try out on your trip. This is because the anchovies here are famous for the overall exquisite quality in entire Italy. The locals in Italy are known to enjoy the seafood in a variety of ways –with a sprinkle of lemon & olive oil, stuffed, raw, with parsley & garlic, cooked with potatoes, fried, and various other types.

2. Pesto: Liguria in Italy is hailed as the birthplace of Pesto -a delicious sauce that originates in Genoa, Italy. Cinque Terre is renowned for presenting its own unique range of Pesto. This basil variant in Cinque Terre is known to have a stronger essence in comparison to the basil from Genoa. The Cinque Terre’s pesto or basil grows in the shade of olive trees and the vines. As such, you get to try the flavors of slightly less minty and more citrusy basil in comparison to the one that is grown in full sunlight. 

3. Focaccia: Focaccia is a famous Italian bread product that is baked in the oven. If you are out on a hiking trail, you can consider taking along this hiking-friendly snack –quite famous amongst both the tourists as well as the locals here in Cinque Terre. This snack is a staple in most of the bakeries in Liguria. It is believed that the locals even tend to dip the focaccia in their morning coffee. 

4. Seafood: The Mediterranean is rich with a wide variety of seafood other than fish. The only exception to the fish variety found in the Mediterranean is the Anchovies. In addition to the impressive array of seafood, you will also come across friggitoria in most of the restaurants in Cinque Terre. You can also come across several takeaways in the region offering ‘fritto misto’ -a type of snack that is deep-friend and piled onto a paper cone. 

5. Wines: In addition to the myriad of options that you get with food in Cinque Terre, the five villages of the place are also renowned for their exclusive vineyards. These vineyards are responsible for producing exotic, world-class wines that are high on demand across Italy and other parts of the world. Some of the exotic wines to try out in the region are White Wines (the Cinque Terre DOC White Wines), Sciacchetra (a local dessert wine), and other wine variants.

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Things to Know About Visiting Cinque Terre

Some of the top things to know before visiting Cinque Terre in the Italian Riviera are:

1. Cinque Terre National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: The tourists from all over love visiting the Cinque Terre villages that also comprise a national park –a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. Cinque Terre is Quite Hilly: Featuring a wide number of hiking & trekking trails, all the villages in Cinque Terre are situated atop steep cliffs & hilltops. Therefore, be prepared with your sneakers to hike across the hills. You would be required to walk a lot. Try packing as light as possible to avoid issues while hiking up or down the steep cliffs in the region.

3. Avoid the Summer Time: Cinque Terre is home to as many as 4000 residents. At the same time, this famous tourist destination in Italy is known to receive around 2 million visitors per year. The majority of such visits happen during the summer months. This is the reason why you would find accommodation in the region quite expensive and sparse at the same time. Instead, you will get access to warm temperatures during the spring & fall. Therefore, it is the best time to visit the region.

4. Fly into Pisa: Pisa serves to be a convenient touching point when you wish to reach Cinque Terre easily & comfortably. Pisa International Airport is located conveniently –just a few kilometers from the main town center. Moreover, you can also reach Cinque Terre from Pisa easily via the regular train services. Pisa serves to be an ideal pitstop when you wish to travel in a budget-friendly manner –especially when you are traveling from some other city in Europe. By doing so, you can be convinced of significant savings throughout.

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Tips for Visiting Cinque Terre

You can look forward to having a great time in Cinque Terre. Here are some additional tips to make the most of your time in Cinque Terre.

1. If you are visiting for the first time, it is recommended to look into your accommodation options initially. Cinque Terre being home to five small villages, the accommodation options can be limited especially during the peak tourist season. 

2. Look out for budget-friendly accommodation options in the region.

3. Research on the best dishes or restaurants in the area.

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