Ultimate Guide to Cinque Terre: What to Do and See in Cinque Terre

Some time ago, I had a dream: for some strange reason, I had been thrown into the world of cartoons. It didn’t take long to realize that the scenes I was part of were from the Disney movie Luca. I suppose the movie marathon the night before had something to do with it.

The next day, when I arrived at the office, inspiration struck: visit the places that inspired the setting of the movie, the famous Cinque Terre. It wasn’t hard to convince my travel companion, Sofia, whom you may already know from the article on Sardinia. It was enough to (metaphorically) tackle her during our coffee break and tell her my plan. If you’re curious to know how it all turned out—and you should be!—you just have to keep reading. Let’s go!

On this journey, you will have the opportunity to be inspired about:

  • Monterosso al Mare
  • Vernazza
  • Corniglia
  • Manarola
  • Via dell’Amore
  • Porto Venere

DAY 1 – La Spezia & Porto Venere

I have to admit, our trip doesn’t start off in the best way. Ryanair announces a 4-hour delay due to a technical issue with the plane, so we find ourselves departing at 11:00 instead of 07:15. Well

Once we’ve set foot on Italian soil, we have another couple of hours by train from Bologna to La Spezia, where we’ll be staying for the next few days. By the way, if you’re considering spending a few days in the Cinque Terre, maybe to visit them at a slower pace, I highly suggest finding a room in this city, preferably near the port. The accommodation prices in the Terre are quite high, and from La Spezia’s port, you can easily access most of the boat tours that take you to visit them.

My condition at the seventh hour of the journey (and still 3 hours to go)

Anyway, when we finally arrive at the port in the evening, we meet the first partner of our adventure: Maragià Pescaturismo. Daniela, the owner, welcomes us aboard her boat and makes us feel right at home. We take part in one of the tours they offer, which follows the coast towards Porto Venere and includes a much-needed stop for a swim. Needed not so much for the temperature—it’s September, and it’s around 24°C—but for the clarity of the water.

One of the delicious delicacies offered on board by Maragià Pescaturismo

The whole experience is accompanied by music onboard and some truly excellent food. Dinner consists of typical Ligurian dishes and seafood. Between a slice of pesto focaccia and a plate of squid spaghetti, we spend carefree and joyful hours. The backdrop of Porto Venere, illuminated only by the lights of the houses and the last rays of the sun, makes everything even more magical.

Look how cute Porto Venere is in the eveniiing <3

DAY 2 – Riomaggiore, Monterosso and Vernazza

I think we’re still feeling the effects of yesterday’s ‘turbulent’ trip. We’re pretty tired. Tired, but super motivated! Today’s plan includes exploring three of the Terre: Riomaggiore, Monterosso, and Vernazza.

To do so, we’ve chosen to rely on another of our local partners: Cinque Terre Ferries. The reason is simple: to show you as much of the towns as possible in our video, which you’ll find at the end of the article, the long stops on land offered by the boat tour are ideal.

The boat used by Cinque Terre Ferries for the tours

Once back at La Spezia’s port, where the tour begins, check-in takes just a few minutes, and we’re onboard. The weather isn’t great. A few dark clouds on the horizon suggest rain, but we’re not too worried. We’re good people, and we’re sure karma will reward us with a shining sun… or at least, we hope so.

The boat sets off along what is one of the most stunning coastlines in Liguria. In no time, we pass Porto Venere, the Doria Castle, and admire more historical monuments and breathtaking vineyard terraces that plunge into the sea. For those not too familiar with the area, like we weren’t, the onboard audio guide in Italian, English, German, and French is really helpful, offering valuable information about the sights.

Our first stop is Riomaggiore. To give you an idea, this is the Terra you’ll see in all the thousands of pictures when you search “Cinque Terre” on Google. The slightly gloomy and grayish weather doesn’t quite do justice to this town’s views, but the colorful houses that make up this postcard-like village don’t seem to care, and they still stand out brightly, catching the eyes of tourists.

The glimpse of Riomaggiore

After trying 5 or 6 different types of focaccia, visiting the most iconic monuments, and checking out the town’s beach, we’re back on the ferry.

Our next destination is Monterosso, which stands out from the other Terre because it has the largest beach of them all: Fegina. Here, we also take the opportunity to try some local food at a restaurant, and I must say, we’re not disappointed. I order the pesto linguine, while Sofia goes all in with some tempting spaghetti with Monterosso anchovies and cherry tomatoes. I wouldn’t be surprised if I liked her dish better, and the number of forkfuls she begrudgingly lets me have is proof enough.

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The spaghetti Sofia ordered… Good good

After a few more video clips and an ice cream, we board again for our last stop: Vernazza. Among the three Terre we’ve visited, it’s probably the one that excites us the least. Except for its port, which is the very view that’s most faithfully reproduced in the movie Luca, and which is worth a couple of pictures, maybe even a selfie. Venturing deeper into the town, however, feels like walking through any mountain village. The identity of this Terra seems to be confined and framed only in the first few meters from the sea. A pity.

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The port of Vernazza

DAY 3 Manarola, Corniglia & Via dell’Amore

Our day starts much like yesterday: shower, croissant, and preparing microphones and stabilizers for filming. This time, though, we’re less tired. Thankfully.

Today’s plan is clear: no scheduled meetings with partners, giving us the chance to explore all of the Terre on our own. This time, we’ll include Manarola and Corniglia, which we missed yesterday due to time constraints. And, we’ve got a little surprise for you at the end of the day. Hehe.

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While I have a croissant, Sofia tries cooking eggs in the microwave… Matter of taste, I guess

We quickly retrace the winding streets of Monterosso and Vernazza, and head toward Corniglia. How? By train. Yes, dear readers. If you were thinking of reaching and visiting the Cinque Terre by car, sorry to disappoint you: driving in the area is not allowed. These are the rules of the National Park that protects the picturesque villages and their surroundings, I imagine. To comply, the most logical option is to take the rather expensive little train that runs back and forth between the Terre.

We opt for a package that includes unlimited train rides within the Park for a day, and access to a special service, which I’ll tell you about shortly 🙂

The first new Terra on our itinerary is Corniglia, the only one of the five without direct access to the sea. What it does have, and which drives Sofia wild with excitement, is a breathtaking panoramic view of the Ligurian coast. What drives me wild, in a different way, is the 401-step staircase (more/less) that looms imposingly in front of us, from Corniglia’s train station to its center. For the less fit, or those who prefer comfort, don’t worry; there’s also a bus service that shuttles passengers from the station to the town, and it’s included in the day pass I mentioned earlier.

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Sofia telling anecdotes with a decent background, in Corniglia

The beauty of traveling is that you never know what to expect, and fate can turn your experience into something unforgettable, for better or worse. Our trip is no exception because, while I’m busy literally getting lost in Corniglia’s streets, Sofia meets what seems to be the love of her life: the famous basil and lemon gelato from Alberto’s gelateria. I try it too, and I understand why. Highly recommended if you pass by!

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A specimen of happy Sofia with her ice cream-boyfriend in Corniglia

For us, it’s time to visit the last Terra, but not before a slight detour in our itinerary. To reach Manarola, we head back to Riomaggiore. “Wait, what?” I can already imagine your confusion. The reason we’re here is the way we’ve chosen to reach Manarola—via the super-famous Via dell’Amore. For those who don’t know it, it’s officially a hiking trail, but it’s really just a simple walk, suspended over the sea, that connects Riomaggiore to our destination. It reopened this summer after a landslide blocked it off about ten years ago. Knowing what views awaited us, we added the ticket for this walk to our day train pass.


Spoiler alert: no, it probably wasn’t worth it. Especially considering that you can’t purchase a ticket for the Via alone, but must combine it with either a train pass or a hiking pass, which costs about €37. On top of that, you add the €10 ticket for the Via, and it’s €47 for a walk that lasts only a few minutes. The view is indeed nice, and we think it would be even more stunning at sunset, but any Terra at sunset has nothing to envy from this trail.

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Me making Dora the Explorer envious in Via dell’Amore

Still feeling a bit perplexed, we arrive in Manarola.

Maybe it’s the fatigue, maybe it’s the hunger, but we only give ourselves half an hour to explore Manarola before rushing off to find a restaurant. The seafood salad and pasta were good, and the Terra was charming, with fairly exclusive bars and a characteristic beach by the port. A fitting conclusion to a rather hectic day.

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Manarola 🙂

DAY 4 (& 5) – Monterosso

The fourth and second-to-last day will be dedicated to another activity you can enjoy in the Terre region, more specifically in Monterosso: kayaking. The idea of seeing the little houses and coastline from the sea really appeals to us, and to do that we trust one of our local partners, Carnassa Kayak Tour.

Leading the tours with customers every day, multiple times a day, is Chiara, who immediately comes across as a warm, unstoppable force of nature. We’re captivated by her love for the area and hang on to every anecdote and bit of trivia she shares with the group about what we’re seeing.

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Chiara and I chatting a bit

After a few paddles, and I assure you, Sofia may be a great travel and video companion, but not exactly the best pick for kayaking, the group stops for a dip (or two) in the water. We ‘park’ our kayaks by a waterfall that plunges into a natural pool, a more-than-worthy spot for our break. We scan the underwater scenery with the masks Chiara kindly lent us.

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The next Olympic kayaking champions

Refreshed from our rejuvenating dip, we head back to the Monterosso harbor, say goodbye to Chiara, and it’s time for a great lunch before we make our way back to La Spezia.


We start packing our bags for the next day’s flight and go our separate ways for a couple of hours. While Sofia gives the center of La Spezia a chance with a mini exploration tour, I explore its police station. Yep, I lost my ID.

That, I’d say, is the only real downside to our Cinque Terre experience. Oh no, future Matteo here—also, our return flight was delayed by 3 hours due to bad weather in Bologna.

Anyway, as I was saying, these small hiccups are the only blemishes on our time in Liguria. We head back to Vienna with the realization that the world is beautiful because it’s diverse, and it’s not so terrible to visit a place and leave feeling a bit underwhelmed. Overall, we really enjoyed the colors and flavors we found and were amazed by how harmoniously nature and human-made structures have blended over the years. The respect for the Park’s territory is real, and you can feel it in the words of those who live and work there.

On the other hand, I know that was just a dream and that I wasn’t actually in the world of the movie Luca. But I also know that this trip has added a new chapter to my life and my world, the real one—and I’m glad it was written in Cinque Terre.

See you in the next chapter!

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