Cinque Terre in One Day

My Game Plan:

I chose to use a company called Smart Trips for my day in Cinque Terre. Smart Trips is a travel company geared toward college students studying abroad in Florence and Rome. They offer tours/trips guided by other college students/young adults. It offers a safe way for students to travel “alone”.

What to Wear:

I wore a flowy dress with my bathing suit underneath. This was just the easiest thing for me since it helped to avoid changes during the day. Especially if you are going during the heat of the summer you are going to want loose clothing. I think any sort of loose pants/skirt would 100% work as well.

What I Did:

We met up at the Piazzale Montelungo (a lovely 32-minute walk from my apartment) at 7:00 AM. From there we took the bus to La Spezia train station. We explored 3 of the towns of Cinque Terre, Manorala, Riomaggiore, and Monterosso.

Riomaggiore:

Our first stop was Riomaggiore. We were here with two main goals in mind, see the beautiful lookout spot, and get some iconic pesto pizza. The lookout point is located up on the rocks by the harbor. After conducting a full-blown photoshoot, we headed over to “MiVa” to get a slice of pesto pizza. After a quick bite and a good photoshoot, we were ready for our next stop, Manarola.

Manarola:

At our second spot, we had similar goals to our first, see the beautiful lookout spot, and grab a crepe/gelato. Our second lookout spot of the day was located up the narrow fenced stone walkway. After conducting ANOTHER full-blown photoshoot here, we decided to get some more food! (Side Note: this lookout spot is known as a beautiful spot to watch the sunset, so if you are in the area at sunset you know where to be, just follow the crowds). We headed back down the walkway and stopped in “Gelateria 5 Terre”. I decided to stick with a simple small cup of strawberry gelato, but others decided to go with a crepe and a scoop of gelato and I’ve heard that was delicious!

We did some shopping for the rest of our time in this town, and I got some postcards to add to my ongoing collection. One shop at the top of the steps is called “Solo Arte Creazioni D’Autore“, they had beautiful hand-painted postcards and other stationary items. I loved it in there! Then we hopped back on the train to our last stop of the day Monterosso.

Monterosso:

Upon arrival we all made our way to “Colpi di Timone” to get some buckets… personally, mine was a strawberry daiquiri bucket. Then we headed to the free bathrooms at the end of the beach strip (all the way to the right) to get changed for the beach. Then the most daunting part of the day, trying to find a place to sit on the most crowded beach EVER. Now I would’ve liked to rent some beach chairs however those were all taken by the time we got there. We ended up getting ONE towel down (for six of us), put our bags on it, and jumped straight into the Mediterranean… a magical experience to say the least.

Then we spent the rest of our day relaxing on the beach. When it was time to dry off I headed to “Beach Bar Stella Marina” for a personal margherita pizza, which was delicious. This was honestly one of my favorite parts of the day I sat outside at the beach with yummy pizza and a good book. I also got to try my friend’s fried calamari from “Tutti Fritti”, which was also delicious.

What I Would Do Differently:

If I wasn’t so limited on time (only having five weekends to travel freely). I would stay one night in Cinque Terre. On the first day, I would visit Vernazza, Manarola, Riomaggiiore, and Corniglia. I would end my first day in Monterosso and stay there for the night.

With the nature of my study abroad experience and my personal schedule, I could only make time for one day. However, I could stay in Cinque Terre forever. There are endless things to do, and if possible I would definitely suggest more than a day trip for your visit.

Where to Stay:

Personally, I would stay overnight in Monterosso, for two reasons. The first is that I love the beach and just sitting there to relax, so I would like more time there. The second reason is that by the time I got to Monterosso, there was no room. There were no chairs left to rent, and no room to put a towel down. I think it would be nice to wake up and grab some chairs to rent and have a spot for the whole day. I also think it would be nice to catch the sunset off the beach.

If you’re looking to stay in a different town, here are some recommendations…

Riomaggiore is known to have a good nightlife, it is young and busy. There are also some more budget-friendly options there.

Manarola is good for those looking for a quiet evening. It is a good spot for couples and photographers.

Staying in Corniglia is good for those who prioritize hiking. There are also some more budget-friendly options there.

Last but not least, Vernazza is another good location for couples or photographers, but it is more crowded.

Where to Eat:

For lunch/dinner with a view in Manarola, grab a bite at “Trattoria Dal Billy“. It can be a bit hard to find, but if you go up the hill towards the church, take the stairs to a back alley. You will find some signs to follow. It is near some housing areas and can be hard to find.

For a super cute atmosphere grab a bite at “La Regina di Manarola” for lunch/dinner. I would recommend booking a table in advance on their website if you know when you will be in the area and when you would like to go.

Visit “La Cantina Di Miky” for lunch/dinner with outdoor seating for a view of Monterosso!

If you get the chance, try some local wine such as “Cinque Terre DOC” or Sciacchetra around any of the five towns!

What to Do:

Another big part of Cinque Terre that I didn’t get around to is the hiking! I wasn’t too interested in hiking, especially given my time limit, but it is definitely something to inquire about.

Take a boat tour at sunset! Some recommendations are the two-hour tour with pesto tasting and focaccia and the three-hour sunset boat tour experience.

Take a pesto class at Nessun Dorma!

However, if you don’t have time to spend two or more days in Cinque Terre, I definitely feel content with what I saw and what I did.

Safe Travels! <3

-xoxo, jenny <3