How to spend a day in Cinque Terre? — The paradise by the Mediterranean Sea

Cinque Terre (Five Lands) is the five fishing villages lying by the coast of Mediterranean Sea in Italy with a rugged cliff and pebbly beach and the beautiful, colorful houses. This is a place to get away from all the touristy cliche places like Rome or Florence, to feel something simple and peaceful. Let’s discover the five fishing villages through our blog: How to spend a day in Cinque Terre — The paradise by the Mediterranean Sea.

Villages in Cinque Terre

Riomaggiore

This is the first among the five the train takes you to from La Spezia. This village has two areas to visit, the cliff to contemplate the sea or the old town with full of food. Riomaggiore is the unspoken capital of Cinque Terre.

Manarola

The second village is humble but the scenery is overwhelming, with colorful houses being put over the tingling cliff. When I got here, it was stormy but the view is no less breathtaking.

Corniglia

This is the only village in Cinque Terre that doesn’t share the Mediterannean Sea, when the train stops at Corniglia Station, you have to climb at least 500 steps. This is a place suitable for trekking people and prefer an overview of Cinque Terre from above.

Vernazza

In 2011, a flood had the whole old fishing village tumbling back into the sea, but the people who love Vernazza and Cinque Terre had raised a fund to rebuild the village in 6 months. The restaurants on the cliff is remarkable to dine if you want to watch Vernazza from up high.

Monterosso al Mare

This is the biggest village in Cinque Terre including two areas, the modern and the old. The modern is where the train stops, the old town is where all the restaurants are and you can go further to the cliff to have a wonderful view of the Mediterranean Sea.

Cinque Terre travel guide

How to get Cinque Terre

You don’t even need to book your train ticket in advance, from Florence, you can go to central station to buy Trenitalia to La Spezia, then from La Spezia Station continue towards Cinque Terre. The train covers all 5 villages with 7 minutes to the nearest Riomaggiore or 20 minutes to Monterosso al Mare, the furthest.

What to eat in Cinque Terre

Seafood Salad a must try when you’re here, to taste the Mediterranean seafood that is simply cooked but tasty.

Pesto Pasta almost a must when you’re here because in Cinque Terre people use seafood to cook with too.

Friggitoria a rare street food that is served in cone, with seafood options from shrimp to calamari, eat with fries and slice of fresh lemon. Remember to squeeze the lemon to eat with.

Sciacchetrà White Wine is the specialty wine in Cinque Terre, made from the vineyards and a mandatory to taste every food here.

Where to stay in Cinque Terre

Rooms in Cinque Terre are rather pricey, the best option is to stay in nearby city like La Spezia. Or if you don’t want to stay the night, Florence is a more vibrant city from which you can travel to Cinque Terre and back within a day.

You can find, check rates, availability & booking for Cinque Terre hotels on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Are you looking for more Cinque Terre travel guide and top things to do in Cinque Terre: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Cinque Terre travel blog — The fullest Cinque Terre travel guide for a great trip on a budget for the first-timers.