Summer Days in Cinque Terre, Italy

Making your way there

Take the metro train into any of the five villages. Intervals between trains can vary so do check their schedule before arriving at the platform. It's a good idea to get the Cinque Terre Card as it covers both train and hiking. There are now train conductors who regularly check tickets onboard the trains.

Note: Start your day early either from the furthest village or the nearest first. Do validate your ticket before boarding, at the green ticket machine.

Cinque Terre Card prices.

Start your day

From Monterroso, you can head straight to the beach.

Other places of interest - Statua del Gigante and Convent of the Capuchin Friars.
Dessert / Snacks - Gelato artigianale Il Golosone (Via Roma 17) and Pasticceria Bar Laura (Via Vittorio Emanuele 59).

Note: The beach with umbrellas is chargeable, for the umbrella, chair and locker facilities they provide you, so head on over towards the second beach where it's free (and even has a shower off area).

Take a mini hike to the next village: Vernazza where you can spend the evening chilling by the beach and exploring the streets.

Hiking from Monterroso to Vernazza

The entrance from Monterroso is just beside the free beach area just continue up the slope of Via Corone street and follow the signs along the way.

Hiking tickets cost €7.50 for one day, so get the Cinque Terre Train Card as there are booths near the start point of the hiking trails.

Note: There are other hiking trails but you'll need to check if it's open for hiking. Also, it's advised to wear proper shoes for the hike as it can get a little rocky at certain areas.

From the hiking trail of Vernazza just follow the street and take this really narrow and dark stairs (that says "to the sea", just before house no. 31) down to where the boat port area is. Getting to the "hidden" beach from there is simple, just walk straight and turn left (where the pink building is, do not go up the stairs) and just follow the street until you see the entrance.

Other places of interest - Doria Castle/Belforte Tower.

Start out in Riomaggiore to head straight to the beach again. It is a 15-minute walk from the train station to the beach but it is worth it. Walk past the ferry ticketing booth and come down the stairs, the beach is near.

Other places of interest - Church of San Giovanni and Castello di Riomaggiore.

Note: The beach starts to get more crowded at around 11 a.m. so get to the beach first if you want to secure a good spot.

Taking a ferry from Riomaggiore to Manarola

The ferry ticket booth from Riomaggiore is just up the steps from where you can take your iconic Cinque Terre shot.

Ferry tickets can be bought at the booth and where you can find the schedule.

Other places of interest - Presepe di Manarola, Manarola Scenic Viewpoint and Cemetery Manarola.

Lunch - Nessun Dorma or Trattoria dal Billy.

Note: The lunch crowd starts forming at 11:30 a.m. for Nessun Dorma and you cannot book your reservation in advance so it's a waiting game. Come early!

In the village of Corniglia, there are some places of interest to check out.

Scalinata Lardarina, Chiesa Di San Pietro and Alberto Gelateria.

If you're on a tight budget, perhaps staying in La Spezia and taking the metro train may be a cheaper and luggage-friendly way to get around.

As for dinner, Pizzeria Ristorante Pulcinella has really good and affordable pizza with great service staff too.