Alot of people are ecstatic when they realise that Cinque Terre is not a single destination but 5 whole towns! The name Cinque Terre literally translates as The Five Lands. In these Five Lands or villages, there are no cars, only ferries, only hiking paths and a narrow railway track connecting the villages.

The five lands have been a UNESCO national park for only 20 years. Not long considering how beautiful and unique they are! As the aesthetic of the villages is so important for tourism, it is illegal to renovate or paint your house without official approval and guidance! Apparently, the houses were originally painted in a way that the fishermen out in the bay could easily spot their house and keep an eye on their wives!

There are two types of trails in Cinque Terre (you can combine the two). The blue trails take you directly between the villages (total of 11km), and the red trails, known as ‘The High Path’ which go the long way round (40km). Taking the red trail south will lead you to Porto Venere (hint for later)! Although I strongly recommend hiking between each village, there is a train connection between each town which you can use cheaply with the Cinque Terre Park Pass.

1 | Monterosso Al Mare

The one for the resort town beach lovers

I completely understand the need to visit all of the Cinque Terre villages, but being honest, Monterosso Al Mare is actually skippable! Unlike its sister villages, Monterosso isn’t wedged into a mountain crevasse and is comparatively flat! Although it is the only town with a swimming beach, the beach is so overdeveloped and camouflaged in parasols that it ruins the experience for me.

Despite that, there is one peculiar gem to be found on Monterosso’s furthest beach. Built at the turn of the last century, a statue of the God Neptune was built to hold back the power of the waves. Unfortunately, the waves weren’t the only threat. Allied bombing struck and rendered Neptune armless and has destroyed his trident. The giant Neptune can still be found holding up what seems to be a weed-covered bridge. But don’t worry, at the end of this post I will introduce you to Monterosso’s replacement!

Monterosso to Vernazza hike: 3km/2 hours

2 | Vernazza

The best of every world

OK! Now we’re getting to the good ones! Vernazza signifies the start of the Cinque Terre for me! A lot of you may recognise this town immediately if I posted a photo of the other side of the bay, but I personally love this view from up on the cliffs above the sheltered beach! This happens to be the location of Ristorante Bar La Torre, whose outdoor dining balcony sits in a kind of metal cage perched above the beach! If you linger, up on the mountain path you will see the hut where all the hikers of the Cinque Terre have carved their names.

Looking for dinner in town? Choose from a cafe in the rocks at Belforte or up on the cliff at Ristorante La Torre (view below).

Vernazza to Corniglia hike: 4km/1 hour 45 mins

3 | Corniglia

The one for the hikers

Corniglia is the only Cinque Terre town not to be located directly on the water. Whilst the Medieval maze of Corniglia makes up for the almost inaccessible beach, Corniglia can be more impressive from afar, at least from a photographer’s point of view. I would recommend incorporating a walk through Corniglia’s labyrinth of winding staircases into your hike but possibly not making it a lengthy stop on your coastal tour.

About 20 minutes before you arrive in Corniglia is a cliff top family run restaurant on the path called Ittiturismo Corniglia SP4488. If you’re staying the night in town come back up here for sunset and you won’t be disappointed.

Corniglia to Manarola hike: 2km/1 hour 15 mins

4 | Manarola

The one for the wine sipping cliff jumpers

The trail taking you down into Manarola is certainly impressive, the colourful houses are woven into the green luscious terraces of the cliffs before guiding you down the main street to the harbour. Though Manarola has lost some of its charms since the streets were pedestrianised with tarmac, the craggy beach and coves have retained their wild nature and are fantastic for exploring! The best viewpoint to admire your fourth town on the Cinque Terre itinerary is from the shady gardens of Punta Bonfiglio just below the popular balcony restaurant of Nessun Dorma (let nobody sleep).

Manarola to Riomaggiore hike: 2km/40 mins

5 | Riomaggiore

The one for the budget day-trippers

The last of the official Cinque Terre towns and the largest is beautiful Riomaggiore. Many say this is the best of the five towns, but I’ll leave that up to you guys. Just like in all the other towns, stroll through the Medieval alleyways and lounge on the harbour wall with the waves at your feet. The Cinque Terre are perfect for reminding you why you love to travel, there are no major attractions in each, instead, you go for the experience of being in each location. So let go and enjoy!

Tip: Just a 13 minute drive up into the cliffs above Riomaggiore is the beautiful hill town of Biassa.

6 | Secret Town of Porto Venere

The one for the wild & romantic adventurers

Now, for the unofficial sixth town, which definitely deserves the name of Sei Terre. However, this town is often overlooked simply because it is not included, but this has saved it from the hoards that descend upon the other five villages every summer! Despite not being officially included, Porto Venere was made a UNESCO world heritage site at the same time as the other five towns.

I don’t say it lightly when I say Porto Venere’s streets may be prettier than all of those in the official Cinque Terre towns! The ancient streets of this Medieval town have more life in them, probably because there are more residents here than tourists. It also helps that the towering pastel harbour front houses have 8 storeys! Even better, Porto Venere has a lot more secrets than most towns, from the secret grotto of Lord Byron to the ruins of San Pietro church, whose archways still offer the most beautiful frame to the striking coastline of the Bay of Poets! That’s not to mention the abandoned Scola Tower that rises out of the sea, just off of Porto Venere’s coast, or best of all, the Madonna Bianca Festival in August when thousands of Roman candles light up the town and the rocks of San Pietro!

Tip: For an amazing view of the peninsula climb up the cliff to Muzzerone Refugio and stay for lunch in their garden, home to a family of wild piglets.