Hymn From a Village

The Cinque Terre
The Cinque Terre consists of five towns (once small fishing villages) which span the coastline of Northwest Italy perched on the Ligurian Sea. They are famous for a jumble of colourful houses that cling to steep cliffs and terraces and are nestled between lush green mountainous vineyards, through which the villages are connected by a myriad of walking paths. Fishing boats decorate small picture-perfect harbours, and the magnificent views are an insatiable draw for walkers and sightseers. Access to the villages is limited to walking, train or boat which makes visiting a unique, romantic experience. 

From east to west, the towns are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare.

Manarola, Cinque Terre

Th popularity of the hiking trails between the villages means they are regulated and require the purchase of a Cinque Terre Card, of which there are several options available depending on where you wish to trek. 

We caught the train to Monterosso al Mare, the first of the five Cinque Terre villages we would visit. Being a weekend it was very busy but as it's the most developed of the towns there were lots of facilities spread along its long promenade and great beach. Make sure you check out the giant statue of Neptune that clings to the cliffs at the end of one of its sandy beaches. Monterosso is relatively flat so easy to explore, and it was from here we were to pick up our first trail.

Monterosso beach, Cinque Terre

There are some seriously steep steps that take you up from the town to the start of the trail to Vernazza. Most trails have booths that Cinque Terre Cards can be purchased from on the day, but always check ahead to check availability and conditions. Once on the trail you navigate through the wine and olive groves of the Ligurian countryside with the constant of the blue ocean sparkling far below. It was very busy, but we mostly kept moving and everyone was rewarded with stunning views. None were more impressive of when the village at Vernazza crept into view after two hours of walking. It's a pretty special sight from the hillside, a prominent tower overlooks a huddle of coloured houses set around a small harbour. Quintessentially Cinque Terre.

Vernazza, Cinque Terre

Unfortunately, when we descended into the village it was tourist bedlam so this is one that may be best viewed from afar. Thankfully the remaining three villages of the Cinque Terre weren't as crowded. Our next stop was Riomaggiore, which was nice and calm for such an iconic looking village.

Riomaggiore. Cinque Terre

From Riomaggiore you can walk the Via dell'Amore, the Walk of Love, which is a spectacular cliff walk that was only reopened in 2024 after extensive refurbishments. It only takes 20 minutes to walk the promenade cut into the cliff face but is a very impressive feat of engineering.

Via dell'Amore, Cinque Terre

The Walk of Love delivers you in Manarola which has a wonderful train station overlooking the sea.

Manarola, Cinque Terre

We enjoyed Manarola, and in the compact, pretty village there are lots of independent shops to grab a souvenir of your visit to the Cinque Terre.

Manarola, Cinque Terre

From Manarola we jumped on the train to the last of the five villages, Corniglia. From the station we ascended the 365 steps to the village although you can take a shuttle bus. We found Corniglia the least impressive of the five villages although that may have had something to do with the heavy rain that had been threatening all day now coming down in earnest, stopping us seeking out any vantage points.

Corniglia, Cinque Terre

It may have been a damp end to our exploration of the Cinque Terre, but we thoroughly enjoyed our hiking, boat and train journeys in and around the Italian Riviera. We had started in Genoa, then moved onto Rapallo before ending in La Spezia and heading home via Pisa. There was so much to see and do, accompanied by great cuisine that it won't be too long before we return to Liguria.

Manarola, Cinque Terre