explore it yourself:
The journey and accommodations:
We arrived by train from Venice on the afternoon of July 26th and stayed until the morning of July 30th. We arrived into and departed from La Spezia Centrale Station.
My parents and siblings joined us for this leg of our trip so to accommodate the size of our group short term rentals were the most affordable option. We ended up selecting Mira-Mare Residences located in La Spezia atop a hill overlooking the harbor. Note that research indicated that the afternoons were busy and hot so we opted for staying at our hotel and hanging out at the pool at this time.
- Although the residence itself was beautiful and has an unbelievable view, given its position situated atop a large hill, walking up here with our luggage simply wasn’t an option.
- After further research we found the Line 28 bus which went from the central train station to the stop right at our door atop the hill but this bus only runs 4 times per day. Even after researching the schedule, we found that the bus still didn’t seem to run every day and one driver even told us he wouldn’t drive all the way up the hill so the service of that bus line can be spotty, beware!
- Given our arrival via train didn’t align with a bus departure time, we opted to take a taxi up to the top of the hill which came to 17 EUR. You can expect the cost of each trip to be around 15-20 euros from the city back to the Mira Mare area.
- After further research we found the Line 28 bus which went from the central train station to the stop right at our door atop the hill but this bus only runs 4 times per day. Even after researching the schedule, we found that the bus still didn’t seem to run every day and one driver even told us he wouldn’t drive all the way up the hill so the service of that bus line can be spotty, beware!
- The city of La Spezia is hilly and can make walking hard. If you would like to avoid steep hill walking back to accommodations staying in the seaport/bay area would be less taxing, but you may have to sacrifice some spectacular views of the city and coast.
Optional:
- Ferry to Riomaggiore (closest to La Spezia is $22/person one way or consider hop on/hop off unlimited to all villages for $42/person (might be a good option to go back to things we missed and see the villages from the water)
Note: * our additions to ai itinerary and exclusions are crossed out, also see our summary at the bottom.
Day 1: Riomaggiore & Manarola
Riomaggiore
C’est Bonfor a quick cappuccino and focaccia before catching train- Buy 2 day Cinque Terre Treno Card ($51 per person in peak season)
- You can either purchase them at the station or online beforehand, we purchased at the station and they provided some added information about getting around.
- Note: If you have already purchased a Eurail pass then you already have unlimited access to the regional trains between the 5 villages. If you plan on hiking between villages however, you have to purchase the trekking card which was 10 EUR per person for 1 day or 17 EUR for 2 days.
- You can either purchase them at the station or online beforehand, we purchased at the station and they provided some added information about getting around.
- Take the early train from La Spezia (~8 mins) to Riomaggiore
- Stop for a quick coffee at Il Maggiore and pastry across the street at Panificio Rosi
- We highly recommend the Cannoli’s!
- Walk down to the iconic stone harbor to see the towering, brightly colored houses
Tutti Frittifor a cone of fresh fried seafood- We were there too early to get this so we got a seafood cone in Manarola
- Walk up Via Colombo for photos
- This was a semi steep uphill climb so be prepared for a bit of work
- Walk along the famous Via dell’Amore (Lover’s Lane) path that is flat/paved and connects to Manarola
- Note: To walk this path, you must either purchase the Trekking card, as mentioned above, or the Cinque Terre card which comes with train ride access as well. In addition, you need to book a reservation time to walk this path, you can either do this online while you purchase your card, or like us, choose to book it at the train station near the beginning of the walk.
- Note: There wasn’t anyone swimming in this village, it was pretty wavy so not sure if it was because of that or if it was too early in the day. Manarola, Monterosso al Mare, and Vernazza seemed to be more suitable for swimming.
Manarola
- Take postcard photos from Punta Bonfiglio
- Pictures really don’t do this a justice so be sure to take some time to really sit and enjoy the view!
- Light lunch overlooking the sea (seafood focaccia or pesto trofie)
- La Scogliera* serves some very tasty seafood cones! We tried the Calamari and French Fries which was delicious and reasonably priced!
- Explore the beautiful marina and vineyard-draped hillsides
- We spent a majority of our time down near the marina enjoying the view of crystal blue water glistening as it crashed against the rocks.
- Download the First-Come app ahead of time to secure a spot for an sunset aperitivo at
Nessun Dormawhich overlooks the most famous postcard view in Cinque Terre - Return to La Spezia
- We adjusted our schedule to ensure we were back in La Spezia to catch the Line 28 bus up to Lizza which only runs a few times per day
Day 2: Monterosso, vernazza & Corniglia
morning in monterosso al mare & vernazza
- Take train from La Spezia to Monterosso, the largest and flattest village
- This way, we started our day at the furthest city and worked our way back towards La Spezia
- Grab a seaside expresso and breakfast
- We grabbed take-out coffee, fruit, and pastries from Focacceria Antonio* and found a bench overlooking the beach where we sat and ate
- This is the only town with a proper, expansive sandy beach. Fegina Beach, swim in the turquoise water, and stroll along the modern seaside promenade.
- The beach was absolutely packed by 10am when we visited, if you are looking to find a place to lay out for a while you may want to consider getting here early!
- Train to Vernazza
- Descend into Vernazza, widely considered the most beautiful village
- The main street is lined with endless shops and restaurants. We walked through at about 11am and the it was extremely crowded already but the views of the water are unbelievable!
- Relax in the lively piazza surrounding the natural fishing harbor (swim if desired)
- Instead of swimming, we found a shaded spot overlooking the water and people-watched for a while, it was very relaxing and pretty to look back into the city
- Take a walk into the Church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia*
- Built in the 13th century, the church sits right along the water and provided a very serene getaway from the bustling city outside
- Explore the narrow lanes behind the main square
- Climb up to the
Doria Castleruins for a 360-degree view- Considering we were planning on hiking the blue trail, we opted to skip the extra steps climbing here, but we could see the exterior from our hike.
- Train to Corniglia or embark on the open section of the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail) from Vernazza to Corniglia. This moderate 2.2 mile trail takes about 1.5 to 2 hours and snakes through olive groves and terraced vineyards, providing incredible sweeping coastal views.
- Don’t underestimate the difficulty of this walk! We embarked at noon which was not the smartest as this was the hottest point of the day. The entire first half of the trail consists of steep steps winding through the cliffside and gets to be exhausting very quickly.
- The views looking back into Vernazza are some of the most amazing we have ever seen so its definitely worth the climb!
- Don’t underestimate the difficulty of this walk! We embarked at noon which was not the smartest as this was the hottest point of the day. The entire first half of the trail consists of steep steps winding through the cliffside and gets to be exhausting very quickly.
afternoon in corniglia
- Corniglia, the only village perched on a cliff without direct sea access
- To reach the town from train station, either climb Lardarina staircase (382 steps) or catch the small green ecological shuttle bus included with your card
- Note: the line for the bus up to town after disembarking from the train gets very long and the buses are small so you may have to wait for several buses, however, they come every few minutes. This also applies to the bus stop in town the heads back down to the train station so beware!
- We arrived directly into town where the hike from Vernazza naturally ends in Corniglia
- Note: the line for the bus up to town after disembarking from the train gets very long and the buses are small so you may have to wait for several buses, however, they come every few minutes. This also applies to the bus stop in town the heads back down to the train station so beware!
- Light snack or granita in the main square
- We stopped into a tiny market and grabbed some waters and fruits to enjoy, the peaches were fantastic!
- Wander the narrow alleys and enjoy panoramic vineyard views with a glass of local white wine
- The main winding alleyway is narrow and lined with tons of shops and restaurants. Take your time sight-seeing as you stroll through the pretty neighborhood!
Day 3: la spezia
morning & afternoon
- Order a classic espresso or cappuccino at the bar alongside a freshly baked, buttery croissant or focaccia at Corso Cavour
- While searching for this, we realized it is a street not a restaurant so we ended up grabbing a coffee and brunch at Ciao Baby!*
- Note: Ciao Baby! was a California-themed brunch spot so it was one of our very few American-style meals we have had in all of Europe. The iced latte’s were great and we really enjoyed the breakfast sandwich and yogurt bowls!
- Also, the restaurant is situated just steps from the central train station and you can bring all of your bags with you and stay until your train!
- Note: Ciao Baby! was a California-themed brunch spot so it was one of our very few American-style meals we have had in all of Europe. The iced latte’s were great and we really enjoyed the breakfast sandwich and yogurt bowls!
- While searching for this, we realized it is a street not a restaurant so we ended up grabbing a coffee and brunch at Ciao Baby!*
- Walk along Passeggiata Morin, enjoy sea views and palm trees
- The way the palm trees were so perfectly lined up was extremely satisfying and makes for a good photo op!
- Stroll through Viale Garibaldi and Piazza Garibaldi
- The rushing fountain in the center of the square was nice to sit around by and pass some time.
- We stopped for a spritz at Bar Remo* and sat inside to get out of the sun and heat for a short time.
- The rushing fountain in the center of the square was nice to sit around by and pass some time.
- Walk into the historic Old Town and visit the
Buranco Vineyardsnestled in a quiet valley. Sip local white DOC wines and sample regional olive oil directly inside an aromatic lemon grove. Pasticceria Silvana, historic local staple on Corso Cavour known for fresh pastries especially their cannoli filled to order
evening in la spezia
- After several days of exploring in the brutal heat, we headed back up to our hotel for one last evening of relaxing by the pool.
- At the end of the evening, we visited Al Settimo Cielo* directly next door to our accommodations.
- The Spaghetti with Mussels and the Quattro Formaggio pizza were our favorites but everything we tried was so delicious!
- The views from the terrace on this restaurant are absolutely stunning, we visited on an evening with a full moon and the reflection of the moon on the harbor was beautiful.
- The Spaghetti with Mussels and the Quattro Formaggio pizza were our favorites but everything we tried was so delicious!
final thoughts:
Overall Rating: 100/10
Would we go again? Yes absolutely! We would definitely stay in La Spezia again as this was the cheapest option and then getting to the other 5 villages was relatively easy. If we were to return, we would most likely stay somewhere more centrally located in town as the trek up the hill to our hotel was a bit tough at times. Overall, we absolutely loved our time in this area and certainly hope to return in the future.
Favorite moment:
Bailey’s favorite: Walking through the villages! I think Manarola was my favorite, there was a path that looped around that offered an incredible view of the village. It was breathtaking.
Parker’s favorite: Hiking from Vernazza to Corniglia! Although it was difficult at times and extremely hot, the views along the hike will be engrained in my memory forever.
Favorite meal:
Bailey’s favorite: Ciao Baby! was so good we went twice. The greek yogurt and fresh fruit was one of the best I have ever had and the latte was just like the ones in the US.
Parker’s favorite: The Breakfast Sandwich and Latte from Ciao Baby! This was our first taste of home in almost 2 months and it was delicious.
Any surprises? The ease of getting between the 5 villages from La Spezia was a nice surprise. Given we already have the 3-month Eurail pass, we were able to board any and all regional trains heading in the direction of the 5 villages towards Levanto, and hop off wherever we pleased. The ride from La Spezia Centrale to the closest village, Riomaggiore, was just 7 minutes, with the furthest village being only 20 minutes away. This made it very easy to hop between the villages early in the morning and then head back to our base in La Spezia to get out of the heat in the early afternoons.
Anything we missed? Nothing in particular. It may have been cool to see the villages in the evening, but with the heat and our base being in La Spezia that would have been difficult.
Food spots AI recommended, but we didn’t have a chance to go: Nessun Dorma, C’est Bon, Tutti Fritti, and Pasticceria Silvana.
Average step count per day: 14,520 steps
How did ai do?
Nailed it: We really enjoyed the order of cities that AI recommended to visit. Seeing 2 on the first day that were fairly similar was nice, and then followed by starting on the furthest of the villages on the next day and working backwards was really efficient. Also, the suggestion of purchasing the 2 day Cinque Terre pass was perfect and that also allowed us to walk between several of the villages which was another recommendation we really enjoyed.
Needs work: AI did a nice job in Cinque Terre although there were just a few hiccups. For starters, AI recommended a street name instead of a specific restaurant on that street to grab coffees at. Granted, it was a long street so we were eventually able to find a spot for coffee but AI made it seem as though there were a specific place called Corso Cavour. Also, after arriving in Corniglia after our hike, it would have been nice to have a suggestion for a specific restaurant to sit and grab a bite at. AI suggested a light snack in the main square which was fine, but we were hungry at that time and could have used some options on where to go.