Cinque Terre: everything that you need to know

Cinque Terre: everything you need to know

Hello again! Previously, we spoke for the first time about Cinque Terre: a natural park in La Spezia. If you haven't read this post, you can do that now by clicking here. I know that telling you everything that I have in my head in just one entry could be too much, so here is the second part which includes my advice, opinions, feelings and some other things to keep in mind. Everything that I'm telling you is my own opinion. As you know, there are infinite ways to travel, and this is my preferred way. Let's go!

Transport and accommodation

Angel and I took a really cheap flight from Vienna to Pisa. We reserved in two months in advance because living where we live, it is a crime not to make the most of these offers, as well as our strategic position in central Europe. When you finally step onto Italian ground, you have to take a train from Pisa airport from La Spezia, which takes roughly an hour, and from there, another one to the town that you want to visit. There are 5 towns. In order: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. Normally, the majority of tourists decide to sleep in La Spezia and then in the morning, they go by train through the 5 towns. We didn't do that: we slept directly in one of the Cinque Terre towns, in Riomaggiore. This can have both pros and cons. In our case, sleeping in Riomaggiore was a good idea because, on the first day, we got there at 4 pm, and so that we could make the most of our time, we went straight to the water. In addition, sleeping in one of those little houses which are stacked one on top of another is always more exciting, as you can understand how the locals live there. Staying in an apartment in one of the "five lands" makes you adapt to the place. However, if you are going to do a longer trip, sleeping in La Spezia can also be good since the accommodation is a bit cheaper and in brief, all the towns are extremely close-by.

To get around Cinque Terre, to this day there is only one option, and that is the train. Years ago, you could walk along the Via dell’ Amore or down other trails which connect the 5 towns. Apart from the fact that it must be exhausting as these areas are very steep, I would have preferred to do it like that. I would have loved to avoid the train and the masses of people at peak hours, but it wasn't possible. Currently, the section that could be done by foot is closed because there is a danger that there could be some kind of landslide (the entire coast is full of cliffs which seem like they are going to fall down). So, you have to buy a train ticket. The usual thing is to visit each one of the 5 villages, so my recommendation is that you buy the day ticket which costs 16 euros. You have unlimited trips, Wi-Fi in all 5 stations and free access to the toilet (it might seem silly but in the end, you will be grateful for it). If you are having a longer trip, on a more relaxed itinerary and you are going to spend whole days in one or two towns, you can buy individual tickets. Each one costs 4 euros, so that is what you would pay for each journey.

My advice

1. The majority of tourists only spend one day visiting these five villages. They do an express tour around each of the villages and then end their experience there. This is what is usually done because it is true that this area has really interesting cities to see, such as Pisa or Florence, so most visitors decide to look at Cinque Terre really quickly. My advice is that you spend at least two days in Cinque Terre, not only visiting the villages but also enjoying the sea and the best places. If you spend at least one night there, the next day you can get up early, enjoy the beach without people there, and get to see these villages in their best light. The best times are always at the beginning and end of the day, when the tourists still haven't arrived or have already gone back to La Spezia.

2. If you read other blogs, like I did before visiting, a lot of people recommend to not visit Corniglia. This is absurd because, although it is the most simple and least eye-catching village, it doesn't mean that it doesn't have charm. In fact, we visited it first thing in the morning. We did it like this because as we were told it was the least impressive village, we wanted to go from worst to best. The truth is that it really surprised us, in a good way. Invest a little bit of your time touring this town with its little colourful houses, restaurants and coffee shops. In addition, there is an incredible panoramic view from which you can see the sea and the horizon. Make a decision for yourselves.

3. If you want to visit the beach, the only one I saw that was sandy was in Monterosso. Well, in Vernazza there is one as well, but it is very small. If you are a fan of sandy beaches and not stony ones, I would recommend that you go there first thing in the morning. From 11 am or even before, it completely starts to fill up with tourists and there is barely any space to put down your towel. In addition, the majority of the beach areas are private, they all have sunbeds and single colour parasols. It's true that there are public areas, but they are very small and aren't worthwhile visiting. We went around the whole beach area and the truth is that it didn't appeal to us at all to settle ourselves down in such a mess. It was completely full of people, it was suffocatingly hot, and honestly Cinque Terre does not stand out for its incredible beaches. If what you want is to go for a swim, towns like Manarola or Riomaggiore have rocky areas where you can put down your towel, chilled, and have a dip; which is a lot more gratifying than doing it on any beach in Monterosso. Honestly, I read so many good reviews about this village that I thought that it would be better. I got there and it was the opposite, quite a disappointment. I guess that I went at peak time, the worst time of day to go, and for this reason, I think that I should give it another chance. If I go back there one day, I will go really early in the morning.

4. Like all places which have a beach, if you go in low season it will be a lot better, although the water will also be a bit colder. I am used to the Atlantic, so I didn't think it was a problem. I visited it in July, and it was only overcrowded at certain times, like what I just told you about Monterosso, but I am sure that if you visit Cinque Terre in October or May, it will be a lot better (and also a lot cheaper).

5. Plan well the order that you want to visit the villages in. I am not a fan of planning everything when I travel, but it is true that a bit of order and planning in advance never hurts. Research before you go, look at photos to see which town you like best and which one you'd like to enjoy without tourists there, which is the best to eat out in, to swim at, etc. Even so, you have to be open to changes that can occur. Sometimes trains are delayed, late, cancelled and suddenly you find yourself with a dead hour without knowing what to do, almost lost, and you have to change your plans. That's when you have to know the area that you are in well and to move around according to what is best for you. And remember that you can also visit Cinque Terre via the sea. You can buy a boat ticket which takes a sea route through all the villages. It is another different way to see them.

6. If you eat a restaurant, as well as trying Italian food, which is to die for, I think that you should try seafood and fish as Cinque Terre, being next to the sea, offers these foods at a really high quality. We had a seafood risotto in Monterosso, which was incredible. They make it for two people, I assume because of the kind of pot that they cook it in, so know you know that you need someone to go with you. If you want more traditional foods like pizza and pasta, well, obviously they have that. Nobody is going to go hungry.

7. Following on from the food, in the majority of the Cinque Terre restaurants, there is the option of eating pizza. In this area, there are some special pizzas which are named after the different towns: Manarola Pizza, Vernazza Pizza, etc. As they are different from any other pizza that you can try in Italy, I think that it is worth sinking your teeth into one.

8. If you are adventurous or you enjoy rock-climbing, being on the cliffs and throwing yourself into the sea constantly, I recommend that you buy some special shoes or you will end up with shredded feet. Failing that, flip flops can be really useful if you are not going to be hiking. With sports shoes and socks, feet end up a bit burnt.

9. Bring sun cream. When we went, the sun was shining own hard, and despite various parts of the day being cloudy (it even rained and stormed) the sun still shone through and we had to be careful. We bought sun cream at the airport and it cost us 20 euros. We had to buy it in a 100ml bottle because otherwise, we couldn't take it back with us because we only travel with hand luggage. Once you've got back from your trip, Aloe Vera is very welcome.

10. Don't rush. As I told you, there is plenty of time to see the 5 towns, even in a day. They are very small and you can go around them in a minimal amount of time. There are trains from very early in the morning till very late in the evening, and even though the times fluctuate a lot, there will always be one to take you back.

11. Eat dinner early. We ate at 8 pm and this is the best time to. Later on, all the restaurants start to fill up a lot and there might not be a table left in the one that appeals to you. In addition, this gives you extra time because after eating (if you don't feel like a bloated ball) you can carry on with your route. Take your last walk, have your final dip, or watch the sunset. There were lots of people who ordered a takeaway pizza, went to the Riomaggiore rocks and enjoyed the good temperature, the town and the scenery. This is also a good plan.

12. Stay until the sunset. It is true that the best version of Cinque Terre is during the day, but in the evening, the little houses are lit up with dimly coloured lights and honestly, it leaves an incredible postcard-esque view. It is another version of these five Italian villages.

13. Early morning. This is my final piece of advice. I have already mentioned it before, but it really is the best way to enjoy this place. It isn't the same having towns like Manarola or Riomaggiore for yourself, rather than seeing them full of tourists. You will reach the end of the day knackered, feeling almost hungover, wanting to eat dinner at 8 pm and then just wanting to go to bed, but I think there is no better feeling than this one when travelling. You get into bed after a long day, sleep like a baby, and then in the morning, you wake up early hungry for your breakfast and ready to seize the day.

And that is the post for today! I hope that this advice have helped you and will serve you well for the future. I really enjoyed this area of Italy, but I would have liked someone to have made me aware about certain things, so I thought it would be really useful to make this post. Of course, each way of travelling is a very personal thing, and maybe you won't agree with all of this. You can tell me what you think in the comments, goodbye, and I'll see you soon! Thank you for reading.

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