Top Tips for a Visit to Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre 

The five villages of Cinque Terre are stunning, they're truly a little piece of heaven. Beautiful, quaint and dating back to the medieval ages these perfect coastal fishing villages are the ideal spot for a bit of much needed TLC. Although they are now a hugely popular tourist spot with approximately 2.5 million visitors a year, this doesn't take away from they're tranquil atmosphere and authentic charm. Here are my top tips to help you plan your getaway to some of Italy's most serene coastal fishing villages. 

1. Stay outside Cinque Terre 

Seafood Platter at Ristorante Clipper
in Deiva Marina. 

Although the villages themselves are stunning, there are a lot more affordable and equally beautiful places to stay in the nearby area. With the high footfall of tourists now visiting the five villages, especially throughout the summer months, we opted to stay outside the five villages  to save on accommodation. We stayed in Deiva Marina, another coastal village about 20 minutes north of Cinque Terre on the train. It was much quieter than the villages yet equally beautiful, with a stunning beach and ample restaurants and bars. We enjoyed the atmosphere so much here that we opted to spend one of our days relaxing on the beach instead of facing the bustling crowds in Cinque Terre. 

We also ate in a beautiful seafood restaurant on the promenade called "Ristorante Clipper" which I would highly recommend. 

At a beachside bar in Deiva Marina

Other than Deiva Marina there are plenty more options of where to stay outside the villages themselves. Try La Spezia if you prefer a busier and livelier atmosphere. As the second largest populated city in the region, it has plenty to offer in terms of nightlife, shopping and things to do and it is only a short train ride to the five villages. 

Portofino is another option, a bit further out than Deiva Marina and a lot smaller than La Spezia, it hosts a beautiful harbour and plenty of accommodation options. 

However, although we opted to save a bit cash by staying outside the villages, there are plenty of places to rest your head should you choose to stay in Cinque Terre itself, just be prepared to pay a bit more, especially if you go in high season. 

2. Check the trails in advance

Due to the floods in 2011 some of the hiking trails between the five villages ended up in poor condition and therefore, when we visited some of them were still closed for construction and repairs. As the hinking trails are one of the biggest reasons for visitng the area, I would advise you to check this website for updates on the conditions and status of the trails before you book to avoid dissapointment;  https://www.incinqueterre.com/en/trails-advice. 

3. Dau Cila 

Seabass at Dau Cila in Riomaggiore

During our visit we stopped for spot of lunch in Riomaggiore. Although a bit on the pricey side we opted for Dau Cila due to it's proximity to the water and it's beautiful views of the colourful houses and harbour. The restaurant was really busy so to avoid dissapointment check here to make an advanced booking; http://www.ristorantedaucila.com/en/. I would especially recommend the seabass here, it was delicious. If you want to eat somewhere with a view, you really won't get better than Dau Cila but you do pay for the view. It is in the Michelin Guide too! 

4. Slurp Gelato 

There are numerous opportunities to grab a gelato in all five of the villages which is essential in the summer sun, however we really enjoyed the gelato in Slurp. You'll find Slurp in the village of Monterosso. It is on the main street which runs along the promenade and beach which provides a great setting for a mid walk gelato! 

5. The Beaches 

A view of one of the beautiful beaches.

As already mentioned we spent a day at the beach in Deiva Marina which was lush. It was a lot quieter than the beaches in the villages and we didn't have to pay so much for a spot. However, you cannot visit Cinque Terre and not spend at least an hour at one of the beaches. Monterosso and Corniglia host the best beach spots, however, there is also the option to swim and jump in the ocean at the harbour area in Vernazza which provides a nice alternative to your traditional beach set-up. You don't need long at each beach so you can easily fit all of them into your day if you want to experience the different places. That's the option we took and we thoroughly enjoyed the different settings. If you prefer to stay in one place though Monterroso is probably, in my opinion, the most comfortable. 

Make sure you have at least a few days in Cinque Terre. Although it is possible to see it in one day, you can't really appreciate the diversity of the villages if you don't have a good amount of time in each one. I would recommend at least 3 days in order to properly get a feel for this stunning and unique place.