One day in Cinque Terre? Like many of you, I didn’t think covering the Italian Riviera’s most popular spots in less than 24 hours was actually feasible. I kept on wondering if it would be enough, you know, between hiking along the seaside, walking down the alleys of the villages, experiencing the local lifestyle, and of course, my all-time favourite, savouring dishes and devouring gelatos while enjoying mesmerising sunsets, one day seemed to be a bold move.
Indeed, you guessed it right. It was possible and surprisingly, it made its entry at the top of my ‘most enjoyable one-day travels’ list. So without further delay, this is my one-day itinerary to Cinque Terre, or your ticket to taste and enjoy the authentic Ligurian five villages in 24 hours.
Let’s go!
1. START YOUR DAY IN MONTEROSSO AL MARE:
As the only sand beach village and the furthest spot of Cinque Terre, Monterosso Al Mare is definitely your best morning bite of sun. The travel is a 20 mins visual podcast through the realm of Liguria. If you have seen Luca, the Pixar x Disney American animated movie, then you know what to expect (Unfortunately, no sea monsters though).
Because it attracts more tourists, I recommend you to be there early in the morning. You can swim, sunbath, tan, or kayak in Spiagga Fegina, Monterosso public beach. Or if you are inner mermaid is taking a break from the water, the historic center in the old town is a great alternative to plunge yourself into the old fishing village ambiance.
Fun fact, we were late that day. By the time we reached Monterosso it was already time for lunch. We decided to stop by a place called ‘Nuovo Eden Bar & Gelateria’ for a bite, the sea view was superb, and their lemon marinated Anchovies were incredible.
2. HEAD TO VERNAZZA:
The hike from Monterosso Al Mare to Vernazza starts behind the communal building. Similarly to usual trekking paths, arrows will guide you through the narrow paths all the way to your next destination. As we were already passed mid-day, we had to give up the two hours immersion into the vineyards and the hilly landscapes for a 4-minute train trip.
Anyhow, most traveling blogs point how the coastline view is unfortunately lost behind the hillside paths. Apart from some open points along the way, the blue horizon was completely lacking, which kind of made it easier for us to settle the deal.
Practical tip: If you don’t want to miss the picturesque Cinque Terre vibe of Vernazza, you can walk from the village all the way up to the viewpoints from the end of the hiking trail.
Walking in Vernazza was like entering Luca’s ‘Portorosso’; we grabbed a ‘Granita Siciliana’ and wandered up and down between the narrow streets. Reaching the village’s beach is a walk through a narrow long alley absorbed in a lively atmosphere around shops, Gelaterias, and restaurants.
Unexpectedly, people were swimming and sunbathing even though the place was a bit tiny and packed. Towels on call everyone, it’s beach time, again!
3. STRETCH YOUR LEGS, CORNIGLIA IS NEXT:
After the mid-day rush, my inner child fantasies about Disney and the scam of paying 3 euros each for a 50ml water bottle, it was time for the big hike of the day (you can tell how fit I am, calling a 90 mins hike ‘big’).
Let me tell you something, the journey from Vernazza to Corniglia is equally sprinkled with a soft marriage of blue and green. At the very starting point, Vernazza from above, in between the awe-inspiring Ligurian shoreline and at the end, a sublime closure of what is probably the low-pitched corner of Cinque Terre, the overlooking sea village, Corniglia. Get a hand on a Focaccia then head to the Belvedere at the edge of the village. There is only one way, so you cannot really go wrong. Corniglia is the only village unreachable by boat and taking a train is not an option unless you want to climb 384 steps up. It’s actually why this itinerary scores higher than any other alternative, it spares you the repetitious way up and down and saves you energy.
Piece of advice: Always refill your bottle at each stop and you might want to grab some take away food for this section, some breathtaking views are awaiting all the way up.
4.MANAROLA, THE COLORFUL TOWER-HOUSES VILLAGE:
Brace yourself, the postcards, the travel brochures, and most of Cinque Terre posters displayed this particular place. Arriving at the train station, take the tunnel to the center and allow yourself to wander around.
In the last stretch of Via Belvedere, a balcony overlooking the sea towards Riomaggiore gives you the perfect sitting to admire sunset whilst sitting on a bench. Or, if you walk toward the cemetery, up to Punta Bonfiglio, the panoramic viewpoint, you can take photographs of the colorful houses leaning against each other.
In point of fact, it is when walking down Manarola’s promenade that one thinks to himself: ‘Manarola is doubtlessly one of the most beautiful villages in the world.’ We were looking forward to sunset in Riomaggiore, so instead of catching it here, we strolled around and hopped on the train for our last stop of the day.
5. THE GRANDE FINALE, RIOMAGGIORE:
What’s better than finishing the trip with a sunset picnic near the waterfront? Most people prefer stopping by Riomaggiore before Manarola. However, the Vista Panoramica point is south oriented here; a real game-changer with the impressive trompe l’oeil packed houses on the rock.
Before taking a seat near the waterfront get a Pizza or a fish & fries’ cone from one of the local food shops along Via Colombo. Riomaggiore is a former fishing village and the assortments sold are first-rate seafood takeaways.
After a long day walking, enjoy the soft change of the pastel buildings’ colors in the front ground of an iconic sunset painting, get a glimpse of the night view, and take pleasure listening to the susurration of the waves throughout the calmest moment of the day.
Excuse the spoiler, but it is quite hard for me to imagine a more utopian setting to end what I would undeniably describe as the perfect one-day trip throughout Cinque Terre.
SO WHEN ARE YOU VISITING?
READ LATER | EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CINQUE TERRE
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