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What is the flattest village in Cinque Terre?

Monterosso al Mare It's the only flat village and offers two beautiful beaches – a sandy beach and a pebble beach.



Monterosso al Mare is the flattest of the five villages in Cinque Terre, making it the most accessible option for those with mobility concerns or families with strollers. Unlike its steeper neighbors like Riomaggiore or Vernazza, which are built into narrow, vertical ravines, Monterosso is spread across a relatively level coastal plain. It is the only village in the region with a large, traditional sandy beach and a wide promenade that connects its "Old Town" and "New Town" (Fegina). In 2026, it remains the primary choice for travelers who want to experience the Ligurian coast without navigating hundreds of stone steps. While the other villages are famous for their dramatic cliffside vistas, Monterosso offers a more "resort-like" feel with easy walking paths and the most extensive selection of hotels and restaurants, all located on mostly flat terrain.

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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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Corniglia is the smallest and quietest of the Cinque Terre villages. It is located 100 meters above sea level, on top of a small promontory. Houses are a bit different here, smaller and wider, similar to the houses of the villages inland.

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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.

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7 Best Views in Cinque Terre
  • Riomaggiore harbour view. Classic Cinque Terre postcard view. ...
  • Manarola harbour view. ...
  • Sea view from Corniglia. ...
  • Vernazza view, 1 - from the direction of Monterosso. ...
  • Vernazza view, 2 - from the direction of Corniglia. ...
  • Fegina Beach View from San Cristoforo Hill.


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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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Filming Location Matching Cinque Terre, La Spezia, Liguria, Italy (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)
  • Come September (1961) ...
  • 500! ( ...
  • Carmela (1942) ...
  • Land of Sciacchetra' - Passion, Culture, Legacy & Life (2013) ...
  • Vendemmia (2012) ...
  • Living in a postcard (2021) ...
  • Sun Stop! ( ...
  • Dans la peau d'Italo Calvino (2012)


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Trains are the easiest way to get to and around Cinque Terre. Trenitalia has direct connections to La Spezia from Rome, Florence, and Pisa (the closest airport). Once in Cinque Terre, the Cinque Terre Express train runs between La Spezia and Levanto in Sestri Levante, stopping at each village.

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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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Manarola. The next town on from Riomaggiore is Manarola, thought to be the oldest of the Cinque Terre towns.

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