Cinque Terre 3-day itinerary

Take the first train from La Spezia to Vernazza and walk the harbour before the tour groups arrive. The pastel-coloured houses stacked above the tiny natural port are Cinque Terre at its most photogenic. Climb up to Doria Castle (€1.50) for a sweeping view of the harbour and coastline, then wind through the steep caruggi alleyways lined with lemon trees and fishing nets.

Walk the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail, Path 2) from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare — a 3.8km stretch with dramatic cliff-edge views that takes about 90 minutes. The trail passes vineyards clinging to near-vertical terraces and opens to broad sea panoramas. Reward yourself in Monterosso with trofie al pesto — the local Ligurian pasta with fresh basil pesto — at a harbour trattoria for around €12–14.

Catch the train south to Manarola for the most iconic sunset in Cinque Terre. Position yourself at the rocky viewpoint above the village — known locally as the "Nessun Dorma" terrace — for a glass of local Sciacchetrà wine (around €5) as the sun drops behind the Ligurian hills and lights the sea orange. The coloured houses glowing at dusk make for the defining photograph of the trip.

Corniglia is the only Cinque Terre village with no direct sea access, perched 100m above the water on a rocky promontory. Climb the 382-step Lardarina staircase from the train station (or take the shuttle bus for €2.50) and explore the quiet medieval lanes, the Gothic church of San Pietro, and the belvedere terrace overlooking all five villages. It sees far fewer visitors than Vernazza or Monterosso — a genuine contrast.

Take a Golfo dei Poeti ferry between the villages (Navigazione Golfo dei Poeti, from around €20 return) for a completely different perspective — the only way to see the full scale of the cliff faces and sea caves. Ferries run from Monterosso and stop at Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Many boats stop briefly at the tiny swimming inlet of Guvano beach, accessible only by sea.

The southernmost village of Riomaggiore is the most lived-in of the five — genuine Ligurian trattorias here serve the locals as much as tourists. Head to Via Colombo for focaccia filled with stracchino cheese (around €3) as a starter, then find a table at a restaurant along the main street for grilled branzino with local white wine from the Cinque Terre DOC appellation. A full meal with wine costs around €25–35.

For a quieter and wilder Cinque Terre experience, take Path 1 — the Alta Via — which runs above the villages through chestnut forests and abandoned terraces. The section from Manarola to Corniglia via Volastra takes around 2.5 hours and rewards with panoramic ridge views stretching to Corsica on clear days. This trail is free (no Cinque Terre Card needed) and sees a fraction of the Blue Trail crowds.

Take the ferry or bus south from La Spezia to Portovenere, a medieval walled town at the tip of the peninsula that most day-trippers never reach. The 12th-century Church of San Pietro sits dramatically on a sea-lashed rocky point, and the multicoloured houses of the harbour are every bit as beautiful as Cinque Terre without the crowds. The island of Palmaria (reachable by ferry for €5) has sea caves and swimming spots.

Return to your base village for a relaxed final dinner — Cinque Terre is pesto country, so order the trofie al pesto one last time and pair it with a glass of Pigato, the crisp local white. Pick up vacuum-packed fresh pesto from the local grocery (around €3–5) as a far better souvenir than the tourist-shop versions. La Spezia Centrale is the main departure hub — 10 minutes by train from any of the five villages.