You are finally planning your dream vacation to Italy but there is one problem. Italy is so big and there are too many good options to choose from! Trust me, when I was planning my travel, I got overwhelmed whether to go to Tuscany or Sardinia or Naples or Rome or Venice or Milano or Puglia and the list goes on!
But don’t worry, in this post I am going to help you with exactly that dilemma, so you can enjoy your very first trip to Italy. Let me present to you (drumrolls), the perfect combination of stunning beaches and beautiful mountains – CINQUE TERRE! This post will help you make your Cinque Terre Itinerary and it is going to be your best 2-days travel guide.
Falling under the north-western region of Liguria, the picturesque seaside 5 villages of Cinque Terre are unique, and perfect fit for a weekend trip if you are short on time and still want to get the “vacay feeling” before heading back to your mundane routine (oops)!
How to Reach Cinque Terre?
The easiest way to reach Cinque Terre is by train and depending upon the starting point, it can be either from La Spezia or Levanto. But, if you happen to start from Milan, take the intercity train via Milan Central Station. We did the latter and it was pretty convenient. The link to book the ticket is here. It takes approximately 3.5 hours to reach La Spezia which is the 2nd largest city in Liguria and also the closest to Cinque Terre.
Where to stay?
One of the options is to stay in La Spezia as the town has good accommodations, big markets, and nice restaurants. Most importantly, it has good train connectivity to go to Cinque Terre. We were a big group of 8 people, so we found it better to stay in La Spezia. You can click on this link for the stay option in La Spezia which was fantastic and also quite affordable.
But if you want to get the real feel of Cinque Terre, it is recommended to stay in one of the 5 villages. There are lots of good options in all of these villages. You can click on each of these village names and choose the option of your choice: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore.
Good to know
Now that you have decided where to stay, take care of these things.
- You need to get the Cinque Terre Card. A day pass costs 7.5 euros to hike between the towns but the 18.20 euros pass includes the trains between the villages which is a better deal. You can get this pass at the railway station or the entrance to the trail.
- It is a good idea to start early in the morning around 7 am to go to Cinque Terre as it tends to get pretty hot during the day in summers and the hiking becomes more difficult.
Day 1: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia
Monterosso
If you end up staying in La Spezia, you can grab a nice breakfast there and catch the train to get to the 5th village Monterosso which takes around 25 mins. Monterosso is the northernmost village in Cinque Terre and makes the perfect starting point for the hike. It has a stunning beach and is totally worth spending a day there (we did that on the 2nd day). On reaching the village, it is a good idea to walk around the charming old part of the Monterosso. You can visit the ruins of an ancient castle in Monterosso and take some photos.
Then head towards the departure point for the Blue Trail and start hiking to Vernazza. It is not a difficult trek and takes approximately 2 hours to complete. The trek is absolutely beautiful with gorgeous landscapes, olive plantations, and breathtaking sea view from the top. An important tip is to wear lots of sunblock, protect yourself with a hat, good sunglasses and carry a big bottle of water.
Vernazza
After the fun hike, you will reach the most picturesque town of Vernazza. This old town was founded in 1000 AD. Full of pastel shade houses, cute souvenir shops, and lots of small and quaint eatery shops, you are in for a treat after that hike. Just let loose and explore various shops, buy authentic Italian herbs and pasta, and eat pizza, focaccia, and ice creams. Visit the medieval castle Castello Belforte which was built in its time to prevent pirates from entering the town! This town also has a small secluded beach in contrast to the big beach of Monterosso and perfect if you want to avoid the crowd. The 2-hour trek will also build up your appetite, so it’s a good idea to have a nice lunch.
Corniglia
Once rested and well eaten, it’s time to head to the next village. Start the trek to reach Corniglia. It is the only village which is about 100 meters above the sea and cannot be accessed by boat. But the trek to reach there is even more beautiful compared to the trek from Monterosso to Vernazza. If you travel by train, then you need to climb 300 steps to reach the village from the station. If you want to avoid that, you can use the bus shuttle which goes to the city center. This village has a strong agricultural tradition while the other 4 villages have more fishing traditions. The white wines of Corniglia are very popular made up of 3 grape varieties.
By this time, you are surely going to be exhausted. So it is a good idea to book a stay in Corniglia and spend the night there. But in case of accommodation booked in La Spezia, head back to the town by train and get a good night’s sleep.
Good to know
Day 2
Manarola, Riomaggiore
Now that you are well rested and ready for the day, head to Riomaggiore. In Riomaggiore, the main attraction is exploring the coastal area. Also, have a refreshing chilled lemonade made from the famous Italian lemons!
Post exploring Riomaggiore, it’s time to head to the most beautiful village out of all of them which is Manarola. It is 70 meters above sea level and the view in every corner of this village is breathtaking. Manarola has lots of charming restaurants and cafes. The upper part of this village, Chiesa di San Lorenzo has a stunning bell tower. Manarola also has a snorkeling opportunity at Back Manarola Beach. It’s totally worth spending more time in this town by wandering in narrow alleys, indulging in some gelato and delicious past.
Spending the time at Spiaggia Fegina Beach
Now that all 5 villages are covered and you still have half a day, it’s time to head to the Monterosso and spend it at the gorgeous beach Spiaggia Fegina. It is quite crowded, not surprisingly as it is a sandy beach with crystal clear blue waters. You can get an umbrella and 2 chairs for 30 euros and spend the entire time there enjoying the beach and sun. It is going to be an unforgettable experience.
Late in the evening you can catch the train back to Milan and take away lots of memories with you. This was my first trip to Italy and hands down an amazing experience.
I have also made an entire video recording my experience in Cinque Terre! Watch the YouTube video by clicking on the link below and get mesmerized!
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