With pristine sea, excellent food and mesmerising views at every turn, the five hamlets of Cinque Terre are every man’s dreamy escapade.
The Cinque Terre, literally translating to ‘Five Lands’ in Italian, is a group of five charming hamlets along the Italian Riviera’s coastline. These five quaint villages include Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Manarola, Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza.
Touted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the hamlets of Cinque Terre are widely renowned for their scenic landscapes, vibrant houses, and stunning ports. Each hamlet offers unique opportunities to indulge in several activities and many picturesque attractions to explore. If you want to stimulate your sense of adventure and excitement, follow the guide below to discover each of the five Italian hamlets of Cinque Terre.
At the farthest north lies Monterosso Al Mare—the largest of all the five hamlets. You can take the train, which arrives at the beachside station. While all the hamlets (except Corniglia) straddle on the side of the cliffs by the sea, Monterosso is home to a sandy beach.
Once you arrive at Monterosso, you can rent chairs and beach umbrellas and relax to the soothing sound of the crashing waves. Monterosso has two distinct parts—Centro Storico, a striking old town and Fegina, a modern town. The old and newer parts of Monterosso are divided by a pedestrian tunnel.
This quintessential Italian hamlet has pastel-coloured buildings hanging from the side of the cliffs and at the bottom, it meets the pristine Ligurian Sea. Some of the most spectacular attractions include the vibrant, candy-coloured buildings cascading down the streets—a notable feature of the Cinque Terre. These colourful houses add charm to the village, and some other remarkable attractions include Castello di Riomaggiore, a majestic castle, perched at the top of the cliff, overlooking the hamlet.
Vernazza is touted as the crown jewel of the five Ligurian villages and its local revenue significantly relies upon tourism. In this small fishing village, you can arrive at any destination within a few steps. Vernazza stretches across a small area and is clustered with pastel-hued houses, monuments, and narrow alleys lined with small shops. It is one of the busiest hamlets of all and can be reached via train, hiking trails, or through the sea.
During your stay, you can visit the Doria castle, a 13th-century mediaeval fortress, situated near the small port of Vernazza. The castle features a cylindrical tower that offers a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the town, the sea, and the four other hamlets of the Cinque Terre.
Tiny Corniglia is the only clifftop village in the Ligurian region. From the top, you can view the entire expanse of Cinque Terre. The most convenient way of arriving at Corniglia is by train from Levanto or La Spezia. After reaching the train station, you must take a shuttle connecting to the tiny hilltop village. However, if you are able-bodied and adventurous, you can skip the shuttle and climb 383 steps of a brick switchback pathway to Corniglia—where breathtaking views await.
The agriculturally oriented village is connected to the other four hamlets of Cinque Terre via properly maintained trails. It is also known for its terraced grapevine plantations, straddled along the tranquil hillside. If you follow the hiking trails from Corniglia, it will lead you to Vernazza or Manarola.
Arguably the most scenic village of Cinque Terre, Manarola is home to stacked-up hilltop cottages and the loveliest streets, spiralling down a gorgeous canyon, to the edge of the seawater.
This hillside hamlet has a rugged coast, and you can enjoy the prettiest view of Manarola from a coastal pathway that looks back at the village. Tourists lounge on the rocky lining of the tiny local harbour or plunge into the seawater from the rocks to enjoy a soothing swim.
You can pick any village of Cinque Terre, each one offers a scenic coastline and picturesque, quintessential pastel-hued houses either hanging from the side of the cliffs or perched at the top of a cliff.
