The Cinque Terre are five villages on a steep stretch of the Ligurian coast, tied together by a railway, by footpaths and by the sea. This page explains the landscape first, then visits the villages one by one from north to south, and ends with the ways to get around and the tours that cover them.
For centuries the people here carved the slopes into terraces held up by dry stone walls, to grow vines and olives. Most of the terraces date from the 12th century, and they climb from just above the water to more than 400 m (1,312 ft). Until the railway between Genoa and La Spezia arrived in the 1870s, the area was barely reachable except by boat. The coast was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997, together with Portovenere and its three islands, Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto.
The name means five lands, and they are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Monterosso al Mare comes first from the west and looks onto one of the rare beaches on this coast. Vernazza grew up along the Vernazzola stream, sheltered from the waves by a rocky spur.
Corniglia is the odd one out: it sits high on a promontory above the sea rather than on the shore. In Manarola, some houses line a rocky spur that runs down to the water while others follow the Grappa stream. Riomaggiore closes the row at the southern end.
Each way of getting around shows the villages differently: the railway that opened up this coast in the 1870s, the footpaths between them, and the sea, from where the villages show their best side.
From La Spezia, a private guided tour takes care of the logistics, a private full day adds Portovenere, and for cruise passengers a day trip by train from the port keeps to the rail line. A full day with street food and coastal views mixes walking and tasting. By sea, there is a boat trip with swimming stops and hidden coves, a sunset cruise to Portovenere and the islands and a longer boat tour that also reaches Portofino.
Every trip that starts or stops here is also listed on the destination page.
From north to south: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore.
Corniglia, which stands on a high promontory.
Yes: Monterosso looks onto one of the few beaches on this coast.
By sea, almost exclusively; the Genoa to La Spezia line only came in the 1870s.
Since 1997.
