Cinque Terre Vacation Guide

Tips and Advice for a Cinque Terre Vacation

This rugged and beautiful area of the Italian Riviera is made up of five, unique, traffic-free villages....fantastic for a vacation getaway!

Each village....Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Moterosso....has its own distinct character and appeal. There are many unique B&B and hotel Cinque Terre options.

The towns are connected only by train, boat and hiking path. If you have a car there are remote parking lots with shuttle buses to the villages.

On a Cinque Terre holiday you will find peace and quiet, an intimate glimpse into village life and spectacular scenery.

If you are looking for cheap weekend breaks, consider Cinque Terre. Italy is less expensive than the rest of Europe and if peak season (Easter and July through August) is avoided, accommodation Cinque Terre is quite reasonable.

Here is the information you need for a Cinque Terre vacation....including Cinque Terre hotels and restaurants....for the five villages, with seperate pages on Riomaggiore and Vernaza:

Riomaggiore

This link will fill you in on details for this southern most village for a Cinque Terre vacation.

Manarola

This village is set in a ravine with a tiny, picturesque harbor. There is no sand beach but Manarola Cinque Terre has the best deep water swimming.

Things to do: Piazza Capellini has a mosaic showing the varieties of local fish. The Sciaccetra Museum includes an exhibit on the local wine industry. The Church of St. Lawrence, built in 1338, has 2 paintings by a local artist. The Manarola Vineyard Walk takes you past lemon groves, dry stone walls, and wooden religious scenes crafted by a local artist. The nearby cemetery (with the best views in town) is interesting with its marble memorial relics and photos.

Manarola Cinque Terre Hotel and Rooms

• Hotel Marina Piccola - tel. 0187 - 920103, has "3 star" rooms with beautiful views right on the water, great restaurant
• La Torretta - tel. 0187-920-327, 13 rooms, upscale with all the amenities.
• Albergo ca'D'Andrean - family run hotel Manarola, 10 good sized rooms, garden with lemon trees
• Hostel Ostello - tel. 0187-920-218, simple clean rooms for cheap weekend break, only hostel in Cinque Terre
• Manarola Rooms for rent: Arpaiu - rooms and apartments, unbelievable views, decks directly over the water

Manarola Restaurant - Check out the restaurant at the Hotel Marina Piccola with delicious local cuisine and a great setting.

Corniglia

Set high above the sea on a hilltop, Corniglia Cinque Terre is often overlooked. It's sleepy charm, relaxed atmosphere and smaller number of tourists make this a winner for some travelers.

Corniglia is a quiet village with a town square, shops and a few restaurants. It's vineyards produce well-known wine.

Corniglia Rooms

• Casa Vacanze il Gatto - quiet, comfortable apartment with nice views
• La Torre - 4 rooms, terrace, near village
• Cristianna Ricci - tel. 0187-812-541, 4 rooms (2 with kitchen)

Restaurants - For a lovely, romantic restaurant, check out Osteria Mananan. On the main square, check out La Lantera.

Vernazza

Check out this link for tips and advice on this favorite village for a Cinque Terre vacation.

Monterosso

If you are looking for a beach resort with night life on your Cinque Terre vacation, Monterosso al Mare should be your choice. Also, younger travelers might want to choose this town.

Monterosso has an old and new town connected by a pedestrian tunnel. Travelers can drive their car directly into town, just 30 minutes off of the freeway.

Old town has charming, windy streets, a square and small shops. The train station and main parking lot are in new town.

Activites and Things to see: Piazza Garibaldi - statue of revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi and City Hall; Church of St. John the Baptist - 1307 Romanesque church; Switchbacks of the Monks - lane leading to convent church, cemetery in a ruined casle; beaches - main beach is in front of the train station; kayaks - paddle to Vernazza; hike - take bus to high country hikes; boat rides to other Cinque Terre towns.

Monterosso Hotels

• Albergo Pasquale - Tel. 0187-817-550, Comfortable rooms, great view, friendly, breakfast included
• Hotel la Colonnina - Tel. 0187-817-439, Modern hotel in the old town, friendly, good breakfast, some rooms with terraces
• Manuel's Guesthouse - Simple, no frills guesthouse high on a hill overlooking town, reasonable prices

Monterosso Restaurants - Try Miky, a classy restaurant, great food and value or Al Carugio with fresh, well-prepared food and an appealing menu.

Hiking Cinque Terre

Hiking between the five cities is a great experience on a Cinque Terre vacation. The trail gets steeper, rockier and more difficult as you move north so it is best to start at Riomaggiore.

Hike early in the day because it is cooler and the light is better. Our family hiked the easy first stretch from Riomaggiore to Manarola mid-afternoon in the heat of July....it was quite uncomfortable.

There is a fee for using the trail which is run by the Cinque Terre National Marine Park.

The approximate hiking times are: Riomaggiore to Manarola - 20 minutes, Manarola to Corniglia - 45 minutes, Corniglia to Vernazza - 90 minutes (some say this is the most beautiful hike, but more difficult), Vernazza to Monterosso - 90 minutes.

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