Is Cinque Terre too touristy?

The resident population of the five towns (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manorola, and Riomaggiore) is just four thousand — but it's estimated that some 2.5 million travelers visit annually. And it's not just foreign tourists who flock here: Italians love the Cinque Terre too.



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Overtourism in a fragile area Fabrizia Pecunia, the mayor of Riomaggiore, came up with the new plan for the 3,215- foot-long path to combat overtourism. Last year, about three million tourists visited Cinque Terre, a fragile national park. In contrast, there are fewer than 4,000 residents left in the area.

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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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Corniglia is the least known and the least visited of the five towns in Cinque Terre. Visitors often skip it, discouraged by the lack of a port and rather difficult accessibility; however, those who do come here usually fall in love with this little village and even declare it their favorite terra of all!

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Visit some of the villages Choose to visit two or three of the villages, for example Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore. You have to skip Corniglia situated on top of a cliff 100 metres above sea level. If you are limited on time, take the train between the villages.

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Skip town at midday. Cruisers and day-trippers start pouring into the Cinque Terre around 10 a.m. and typically head out by 5 p.m. Those midday hours are your time to hit the beach or find a hike away from the main trails.

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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 has a long main season that effectively spans May to October, due to the Liguria region's mild Mediterranean climate. Really the best time to visit Cinque Terre is on the edges of this period, in mid to late April, or mid to late October.

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Overall, it's one of the safer destinations to travel to. Cinque Terre is currently ranked #68 safest place for solo female travellers. Check full ranking.

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And they mean business.

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According to the study, the top five “tourist traps” in the world are the Four Corners Monument in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, the Salem Witch Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the Calico Ghost Town in California, Crazy Horse Memorial in Crazy Horse, South Dakota and the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell ...

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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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How long does it take to get between towns in the Cinque Terre on the train? From La Spezia to Riomaggiore is 10 minutes. And between the actual Cinque Terre towns, it's less than 5 minutes.

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Of course you can find some hotels in the Cinque Terre villages, mainly in Monterosso, but the number of rooms is limited. There is no space for new constructions or big buildings, which is good because the villages have already too many visitors.

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Bring mosquito spray with you! As throughout Italy and in the Mediterranean sea in the Cinque Terre there are many insects: mosquitoes, bees, wasps, sand flies and much more. There are not particular problems if you use mosquito spray before sunset and during the night (and during the day if you are allergic).

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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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Both are wonderful places to stop and spend time and are beautiful. The hiking in Cinque Terre is amazing but it will likely have larger crowds. Lake Como will be probably be more peaceful and relaxing.

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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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