This region is the birthplace of pesto. Basil, which loves the temperate Ligurian climate, is ground with cheese (half parmigiano cow cheese and half pecorino sheep cheese), garlic, olive oil, and pine nuts, and then poured over pasta.
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Manarola is one of the most famous villages of the scenic Cinque Terre coastline. The village has a small harbor with a boat ramp, picturesque multicoloured houses facing the sea and a tiny piazza with seafood restaurants.
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).
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.
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.
But the Via dell'Amore has been closed since September 24, 2012—initially after a landslide, which was then compounded by wave damage in 2018. The full trail should reopen in July 2024. An initial stretch of it, starting from Riomaggiore, reopened on July 1 for a three-month preview.
If you forget sunscreen etc there are shops in each village, but because it's a touristy area they do charge a premium. And if you're stuck English is widely spoken around the Cinque Terre.
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.
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.
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. Good to know: It is possible to visit both destinations on a lower budget as well.
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.
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.