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Five tiny coastal villages on the eastern ligurian riviera, between La Spezia and Genoa, are named Cinque Terre, which means "five lands". Hard to get to, due to its particular geographical position, the five villages have for a long time been left isolated from the world, uncontaminated in their wild nature.
If you are planning a trip to Italy, and you like the sea, the sun and the silence of a world outside time, you'll find an holiday in the Cinque Terre as an unforgettable experience.

How to reach the Cinque Terre

The five villages are about ten kilometers from La Spezia. The town of La Spezia is about halfway between Genoa and Pisa, along the railway line Genoa - Pisa - Rome. Traveling by car, take the A12 Genova - Livorno motorway. The nearest airports (only for national flights) are Genoa and Pisa.

General remarks about lodging, eating and having a good time at the Cinque Terre

There's no problem finding accommodation; it's possible to choose from a wide range of solutions. Many people have rooms (in italian named "affittacamere") or little apartments to let. There are also some family business hotels (in italian "pensioni"), as well as luxurious hotels, like the Hotel Porto Roca at Monterosso. A very cheap lodging is the hostel of Manarola: it's clean and in a good location (please, see Accommodation).
Overlooking the sea are many restaurants serving the best Italian seafood specialities. Due to the basil, that grows here wild as well as cultivated, a local speciality is "pesto": it originates from this region. Never will you find such a taste elsewhere.
The best way to enjoy the Cinque Terre is to hike the footpaths that connect the villages and provide overpowering coastline views. You can spent all your vacation not only hiking from one village to another, but also snorkeling or diving into the crystal-clear Mediterranean water. If you don't feel like walking the whole way from Riomaggiore (the first land of the Cinque Terre) to Monterosso (the northernmost) you can go to the railway station and take the local train. Each of the five villages has its own station and there are runs about every hour (please, see the Train timetable).

Train timetable

It's also worth a journey through the sanctuaries on the hills; you can visit centuries-old churches and at the same time enjoy spectacular views.

NOTICE The Cinque Terre are a special world that is endangered by its particular nature. Winter stormy rainfalls caused heavy damage and many footpaths were swept away owing to landslides. In order to raise the funds needed to repair the damages and to assure the conservation of such a unique landscape, the "Body of the Cinque Terre Park" asks you to pay for a ticket to run the foot-paths. The town authorities rely on your understanding and thank you sincerely. If you prefer, you can buy the Cinque Terre Card, that, during its period of validity, allows you: - to use local trains without limitations - to run the footpaths and equipped areas - to use inland transport services (little buses)

If you would like to extend your stay in Cinque Terre, but want something else to do, the following suggestion are offered:

Planning visits to Portovenere and Lerici

Portovenere is a famous tourist resort, about twelve kilometres from La Spezia. Thanks to its particular position, Portovenere is very alluring, and really worth viisiting. Leaving from La Spezia, you take the bus that stops in Viale Garibaldi (see the map).
As an alternative, there is a boat service that links the Cinque Terre with Portovenere and the islands of La Spezia's gulf (Palmaria and Tino islands).
Lerici is a pretty resort too, that is located on the opposite side of the La Spezia's gulf. It's easy to get to (only eleven kilometres from La Spezia); the bus stop is right in front of the railway station.
Bus tickets are on sale at the railway-station tobacconist's or at the newspaper-kiosks in the town.

Planning visits to Pisa and Florence

You can plan a daily trip to art towns like Pisa or Florence. You can reach Pisa by about an hour's train ride, but to continue to Florence you need to change trains at Viareggio or Pisa and take the connecting train. So start your tour early on the morning! If you have a car, take the A12 Genova-Livorno at La Spezia, then leave it at Viareggio and take the A11 Firenze-mare.