By rail
La Spezia, local trains link the five villages
Europe · Italy
Cinque Terre, Italy
Five coloured villages on the cliffs
Getting there
By air
Pisa (PSA), ~1.5 h by train
Best time to visit
April to June and September to October — hiking weather
Don't miss
Riomaggiore
Manarola
Vernazza
Monterosso
Things to do
Hiking between the villages
Swimming at Monterosso
The local train
Where to eat
What to pack
Hiking shoes, swimwear
A quieter corner
The Sanctuary of Montenero above Riomaggiore
Questions travellers ask
When's the best hiking weather in the Cinque Terre?
April to June and September to October. Bring hiking shoes and swimwear.
How do I get to and around the Cinque Terre?
Fly into Pisa (PSA), about 1.5 hours away by train. From La Spezia, local trains link the five villages, or you can hike between them.
Which villages should I see in the Cinque Terre?
Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso, where you can swim. Above Riomaggiore, look for the Sanctuary of Montenero.
What local food is the Cinque Terre known for?
Try the pesto, focaccia and anchovies.
About Cinque Terre
- Coastal
Where it is
The Cinque Terre, or Five Lands, are five villages on the rugged Riviera coast of Liguria in north-west Italy, in the province of La Spezia: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
History
For centuries the villages lived from fishing and from vines and olives grown on terraces built up the steep slopes, and in the 16th century they strengthened their forts and towers against Turkish raids. The railway to Genoa ended their isolation in the 19th century, and the area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 and a national park in 1999.
People
Villagers speak Italian and Ligurian dialects. Families still tend vines and olives on the terraces, carrying the harvest down steep paths, and local kitchens are known for pesto, focaccia and the anchovies of Monterosso.
Known for
- The Sentiero Azzurro coastal path
- Terraced vineyards and dry-stone walls
- Sciacchetrà sweet wine
- Anchovies of Monterosso
- Pesto and focaccia
Did you know?
Corniglia is the only one of the five villages that does not sit at the water's edge: it stands on a headland high above the sea, with no harbour of its own.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.