Cinque Terre, a String of Jewels on Italy's Ligurian Coast

The villages of Cinque Terre are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterrosso al Mare. Cinque Terre is easily accessible by train on the Genoa-La Spezia line. There are frequent trains running between the five villages. You can get a ticket that allows you to ride back and forth in either direction for a specified period of time. There is also ferry service between all of the towns except Corniglia. Driving to Cinque Terre is strongly discouraged, as parking is extremely limited.

See Wikitravel Cinque Terre Travel Guide to learn more.

Riomaggiore is the first village if you are coming from La Spezia. The National Park office is located here, and you can get maps and tickets for the hiking trails.

One of the most popular activities at Cinque Terre is hiking. There is an easy, flat paved trail known as Via dell'Amore (Lover's Lane) that connects Riomaggiore and Manarola. From there, you can hike the coastal trail between the towns leading all the way to Monterrosso. After Manarola the trail becomes narrow and hugs the cliffs, and the going can be quite challenging, so make sure you wear sturdy hiking shoes and carry plenty of water. Sections of the trail are sometimes closed due to bad weather conditions. There are also many miles of trails in the hills above the villages. Since it is a National Park, there is a charge of a few euro to use the hiking trails. Tickets are available for single or multiple days.

For more information about hiking in Cinque Terre, please visit Cinque Terre Footpaths and Walking Cinque Terre

The name of the ancient village of Manarola is derived from Manium arula, Latin for Roman household gods known as Mani. This quiet town with its pastel houses clinging to the hillside is known for its specialty wines and fishing.

The third the five towns, Corniglia is perched atop a high promontory. There is a 377-step brick staircase, the Lardarina, that leads from the train station up to the town. Corniglia was founded during early Roman times, and the name is derived from the Roman family name Gens Cornelia. The town is surrounded on three sides by terraced gardens and vineyards, and on the fourth side a rocky cliff drops sharply to the sea.

Vernazza was founded around the year 1000. Its name is derived from the Italian word verna, which means native. It is a fishing village, and is the only one of the five towns with a protected harbor. In the 1400s, the village was plagued by raiding pirates, so a defensive wall was constructed. The Doria Castle with its lookout tower was also built at this time.

The Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia dates back to 1318, and was built on an 11th century foundation. Renovations and additions, including the octagonal bell tower, were added in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Vernazza has long been known for its wine and olive oil production, and vineyards and olive groves grow on the terraced hillsides.

Cinque Terre's westernmost town is Monterrosso al Mare. It is the only one of the five towns that has a large beach, which is extremely popular in the summer months. Monterrosso is separated into two parts by a hill, the Colle San Cristoforo. and connected by an old railway tunnel. The new town is on the beach side, while the old, historic part of town is on the opposite side.

A remarkable sight on the beach is the Monterrosso Giant. This enormous statue representing Neptune, god of the sea, was created in 1910 by the sculptor Arrigo Minerbi and architect Francesco Levacher. It is made of reinforced concrete and is 40 feet tall. The giant was damaged by bombing during WWII, but is still a very impressive sight.