Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre are five impossibly picturesque fishing villages strung along a rugged stretch of the Ligurian coast, their tall, brightly painted houses clinging to the cliffs above tiny harbours, backed by ancient terraced vineyards. A UNESCO landscape linked by a coastal railway and famous walking trails, they are one of the most beloved corners of the Italian Riviera.

Background

The name means 'Five Lands'. The area occupies the western part of La Spezia Province, and its coast, villages and hillsides all belong to the Cinque Terre National Park. Documents mention it from the 11th century. After hard economic times between the 17th and 19th centuries, a railway link to Genoa helped it recover, and tourism grew from the 1970s onward. The brightly painted fishermen's cottages were devised as a tourist attraction in the late 1970s. The World Heritage listing of 1997 covers 4,511.54 hectares. The most popular path, the Sentiero Azzurro or Blue Trail, had its Via dell'Amore stretch from Riomaggiore to Manarola closed from late 2019 until February 2025.

Source: Wikipedia, "Cinque Terre"

The landscape

• The five villages - Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
• The coastal trails - the walking paths linking the villages along the cliffs.
• The terraced vineyards - the ancient dry-stone terraces above the sea.
• Manarola and Vernazza - the most photographed of the colourful villages.

When to go

Late spring and early autumn for the trails and swimming without the peak crush; July and August are very busy. The train links the villages in minutes when the trails are closed.

Things to know

It is extremely popular, so the tiny villages and trails are crowded in season, and some trails close after landslides, so check. The famous cliff path can require a paid trail card. It is best over a night or two, out of peak summer.

Nearby

Portovenere and the Gulf of Poets are nearby; Genoa and the Riviera spread along the coast.

Key facts