The Five Cinque Terre Villages Are Beautiful
If you’ve been inspired to visit this region by a photo on social media, then we’ll put good money on the fact that it involves a tight cluster of rainbow houses tumbling down a cliffside toward the sea?
Thought so.
The romantic draw of such a beautiful scene is clear, particularly if you’ve craving an idyllic Italian summer experience, but each of these medieval villages also represents the interaction of man and the landscape to co-exist and shape eachother’s destinies. When you get past the colourful aesthetics, the Cinque Terre’s villages are quite unfathomable, bold settlements by the sea, built in defiance yet in harmony with the obstacles presented by nature. For centuries, they were only accessible by trail or boat.
Without the colour, they would still be captivating; with it, they are astounding.
There are several stories surrounding why the palette of the Cinque Terre villages is so colourful and, similar to the island of Burano, they largely revolve around fishermen painting to make them easier to spot from the sea (although others say that it was tarted up in the 70s for tourism).
When planning, the five may seem relatively indistinguishable given that they’re all so small (each populated by less than a couple of thousand or so permanent residents), have a similar layout of steep, narrow alleyways by the sea, and all are beautiful – the reality is that there are a few notable differences to be aware of in advance which will shape your experience. We have created specific guides to each Cinque Terre village, which give you more of an idea on the charms, personality, and amenities of each alongside tips for enjoying them, our personal favourites, and the best accommodation options, but what you need to know in a nutshell is:
Monterosso al Mare | The largest and northernmost of the five, split across an older and a newer section separated by a tunnel. It’s home to several popular lidos, the beaches, a relatively large slection of restaurants and has the most holiday resort set-up (albeit on a very small scale).
Vernazza | It suffered the most damage from the devastating floods of October 2011, but the reconstruction has been graceful and not harmed its traditional aesthetic. A pretty and popular base town with a bustling port area to eat, drink, socialise, and sunbathe.
Corniglia | The 300 or so steps which climb from the train station to this clifftop village, the smallest of the five, is…
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