The villages of the Cinque Terre: which one should I choose?

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You’ve booked your flights to Cinque Terre, now what? Next step is deciding which village to stay in Cinque Terre. Let me tell you, it’s a tough decision – each village is as beautiful as the next!

There are five villages in the Cinque Terre region – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Corniglia and finally Monterosso al mare – where we are lucky enough to get married this August. Each village has its pro’s and con’s and in this post I will give a little summary of each so you can make your mind up on which village to stay in Cinque Terre.

Continue reading | everything the guide books won’t tell you about the Cinque Terre

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#1   Monterosso al mare

Monterosso, as you know,  is where our wedding will be. It’s the biggest village in the Cinque Terre and is the only village with a beach. You can rent sunbeds and umbrellas on the beach – there is also a selection of little beach bars. There are two parts to Monterosso – the ‘new town’ which is where the train station and the  beach is and a short walk away is the ‘old town’ which has narrow cobbled streets and lots of cute restaurants and cafes. The larger hotels are in the ‘new town’ while most of the Airbnb’s are in the old town. Monterosso definitely has the most accommodation options, and is in my opinion the most family-friendly village.

Continue reading | our recommendations for the best places to stay on Monterosso

#2   Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore is the most Southern of the villages and will be the first village you come across if you get the train from Pisa. There are two parts to Riomaggiore – the ‘Pier’ area with little restaurants and Cafe’s and some great photo opportunities or the main street which is quite small and cobbled. Riomaggiore has lots of restaurants with outdoor seating. However, it’s the furthest village from Monterosso, about a 15 minute train journey.

#3   Manarola

Manarola, is in my opinion the prettiest of the villages in the Cinque Terre. It’s the one that is photographed the most and is essentially the ‘poster child’ for the Cinque Terre. It also has the best restaurant in the Cinque Terre – Trattoria dal Billy. There aren’t many hotels in Manarola, instead you’ll find lots of Airbnb rentals and private apartments for rent. The bars/ restaurants don’t stay open until very late here – most places are closed by 10pm.  If you’re a couple and are looking for a romantic holiday, then Manarola is the town I’d suggest for you. Manarola is also the best village to watch the sunset from.

#4   Vernazza

Vernazza is perhaps the busiest of all five villages, it has a large pier where lots of boat trips leave from and you can sunbathe along the wall there. It has lots of restaurant options. There are quite a few small hotels in Vernazza, so you do have more choice for accomodation here than Manarola or Riomaggiore.

#5   Corniglia

Corniglia is in my opinion, the most unique of all five villages. It is built on the very top of the hill and so doesn’t have direct water access. It is probably the most authentic town in the Cinque Terre as not so many tourists visit here compared with the other four villages. There is little accommodation options here, with most being studio or one-bedroom apartment rentals. Also, the train to Coriglia leaves you at the bottom of the hill so you can either choose to walk up the hill (approximately 20 minute walk uphill with lots of steps) or get the mini-bus which departs regularly.

So, there you have it – hopefully this piece made your decision on choosing which village to stay in Cinque Terre a little easier.

FYI – we always get the best deals on booking.com but if you want to book with Airbnb you can get €30 off if you sign up using our code. Click here if you want the discount

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