Winter in the Cinque TerreWeather is reliably cold but rarely dips below freezing. December and January are among the rainiest months of the year, ranking only behind October and November.
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September-OctoberThe shoulder season of September to October is the best time to visit Cinque Terre.
Tap water is drinkable in all the Cinque Terre and in La Spezia. Do not use plastic and fill your bottles in safety! We do provide in each Cinque Terre Riviera property a Glass Water bottle to do our small part on the journey to Save our Planet!
In the small harbour of Manarola, you can sunbathe on the rocks, and dive into the sea (or use the small ladder). The water is deep, so for good swimmers only. This is one of my favourite swimming spots in the Cinque Terre, especially late afternoon.
Though it does not happen every year, Liguria and the Cinque Terre, like the rest of Italy, has seen increasingly intense and frequent autumn thunderstorms, with violent wind and heavy rain.
The most beautiful Cinque Terre town from above is Vernazza – projecting to the sea on a rocky cliff, its tightly packed houses and medieval tower look almost surreal when arriving from Corniglia on foot.
Vernazza: Located to the north of the Cinque Terre, Vernazza is probably the most beautiful and picturesque fishing village of Cinque Terre, where its colourful houses hang above the sea level on rugged cliffs. It has a charming natural port and an old castle, built to protect the area from pirates.
Shopping and pricesThe Cinque Terre is not cheap. As everywhere in the world, tourism has raised prices. I often go to the market of La Spezia to shop for food, it's much cheaper than the stores of the villages. In restaurants, you have to expect Western European prices.
Two to three days would allow you to enjoy its beaches and discover the culture via a cooking class. And with four to five days, you could get to know every inch of Cinque Terre on boat trips, hikes of the surrounding mountains, and even make an extra trip to historic Genoa.
Here's the deal: We don't tip in Italy. Wait, I take that back. We tip only if we've had what we consider excellent service. In that case, we round the bill (unlike other areas of the world, it's not based on a percentage).
If you're planning a visit to Italy's Cinque Terre, it's a good idea to pack sensible hiking shoes. Tourists who walk the steep, hilly terrain that connects the five villages are prohibited from wearing flip-flops, sandals and pumps and could potentially face fines of up to €2500 ($2824) if they break the rules.
Corniglia is the only one of the five Cinque Terre towns that isn't a fishing town and you need to walk up around 365 steps to get there. That puts most people off and means that Corniglia is the Cinque Terre town with the fewest tourists.
Cost. Visiting Cinque Terre should be cheaper than the Amalfi Coast. Of course, so much depends on your choices – how you travel around, where and how long you stay, which restaurants you dine at, etc. But in general, the Amalfi Coast is a much more expensive destination than Cinque Terre.
The Cinque Terre is made up of five villages on Italy's Ligurian coast. Not only is the entire region a national park, but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The natural beauty of this rugged coastline is unmatched and draws visitors from all over the world.
The easiest village to reach by car is actually Monterosso, which also has the cheapest parking. Manarola and Riomaggiore do have parking lots above their towns, but you will need to walk from there to the center. Corniglia and Vernazza are more difficult to reach by car, due to narrow roads and limited parking space.
Overtourism is a growing phenomenon that our own research indicates affects almost 100 destinations around the world so far, but there are few places in Europe where the problem is so clearly visible as Cinque Terre, on Italy's resplendent Ligurian coast.