Is Cinque Terre better than Portofino?

Set on a bay, its waters are calm and pretty. Visit Portofino for beaches perfect for swimming, and hotels with smart looking swimming pools. The Cinque Terre on the other hand is, well, more homely. The waiter in your restaurant is likely to be related to the owner.



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Frankly, the Cinque Terre is a visual place and a sensual place. It's best to see it with your own eyes but if that luxury escapes you at the moment just check out these pictures taken by one of my guests. I've also published a perfect itinerary for a four-day stay in the Cinque Terre.

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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.

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Shopping and prices The 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.

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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.

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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.

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The five towns are what some would call a tourist trap, and for good reason. It's beautiful, everyone wants to visit, and the locals figured it out. The area thrives when it's warmest, with tourist season peaking July through early September.

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September-October The shoulder season of September to October is the best time to visit Cinque Terre.

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You can walk the entire route in about six hours, if you take short breaks—although many hikers prefer to spread the route out over a few days at a strolling pace, stopping to enjoy the towns along the way. You can start from either direction (Monterosso, heading south, or Riomaggiore, heading north).

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Cinque Terre is a collection of five seaside villages on a 2-mile (3 km) stretch of Italy's northwest coast. Known as the Italian Riviera due to its dramatic setting, it takes a mere day to visit each of these gems. Two to three days would allow you to enjoy its beaches and discover the culture via a cooking class.

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If you do decide to day-trip, the big but easygoing town of La Spezia is far closer than Genoa or Pisa, with just a seven-minute commute to the closest Cinque Terre village, Riomaggiore, and around 15 to 25 minutes to the farthest village, Monterosso.

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When to visit Portofino? From late March to the end of October is the best period to visit Portofino. Usually, shops and restaurants close in winter and reopen for the Easter holidays. July and August may be hot but Portofino and its surroundings always offer the possibility to swim and enjoy a beautiful sea.

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