Click pencil to edit this page
Cinque Terre, Italy
Getting in and out
Trains run up and down the coast here between all 5 towns. Trains available from Florence to La Spezia and then change for Cinqueterre. Ride is about 1.5 hours. Trains run until about 9 o'clock if I remember correctly.
Getting Around
Trains run between all 5 towns constantly. Also two different hiking trails. Hiking from Riomaggiore to Monterosso al Mare takes about 5 hours I think. 10-12km total.
Things to do
Admire nature, go swimming, lay out on a rock supermodel style, hike, cliff diving (Note about the cliff diving: I heard about it, but I couldn't find it. I have definitely seen pictures of people doing it so it exists. I think it's near either the 2nd or 3rd town if coming from Riomaggiore, but not sure. Ask around.)
Places to Stay
Places to eat
Several restaurants in each of the 5 towns, but they're all very touristy so don't expect to find super cheap meals. I ate a restaurant in the third town which sits directly facing the harbor/beach. Don't remember the name, but their stuffed mussels are excellent. A picnic lunch would not go amiss on the mountainside overlooking the coastline either, but don't expect to find benches or tables anywhere.
Nightlife
shopping
General Advice/Warnings
If you plan on hiking between the 5 towns, bring lots of water, especially for hot days. The start of the lower, easier trail is basically flat from Riomaggiore until the third town. From #3 until Monterosso al Mare has a lot of elevation change and is the "hard" part of the trail. There are a few beaches along the trail which you can visit, and the locals may charge you to go there as well, but I can't tell you any more than that. If you start at Riomaggiore, go swimming early down by the rocks to help cool yourself off. Monterosso al Mare has a nice beach at the end you can cool off at.
There is also a hard trail which follows the ridge line above the villages. If you do this, be aware that you have to hike back down the mountain in order to reach any of the 5 villages.
