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Where to Stay in The Cinque Terre: Choose the Right Town With Our Guide
Deciding where to stay in the Cinque Terre can be tricky. After looking at the five towns, you’ll no doubt find yourself scratching your head wondering where to stay. In fact, the more you look into each town, the more confused you’ll probably feel. This is because each of the 5 towns are incredibly beautiful and offer numerous exciting things to see and do.
And there’s always the fear of choosing the wrong town and the wrong kind of accommodation. Although all the towns are worth visiting, each town has its own special atmosphere and vibe, so the best place to stay in Cinque Terre differs from person to person.
In this article, I want to guide you to the right town for you, based on what you want to see and do. I’ll also suggest some accommodation options that we can personally recommend after visiting this coastline many times over the years.
Also, if you haven't got your bearings just yet, take a look at our Cinque Terre map for an overview of all the wonderful little towns along the coast.
Wondering where to stay in Cinque Terre? There are many options!Don’t Make The Mistake of Staying in Multiple Towns
If you’ve been wondering about where to stay in the Cinque Terre, you may find yourself thinking that it’s best to divide your stay into a few nights in different villages to get a more authentic experience of each of the towns.
This is something I always advise against doing! I can understand the appeal of staying in multiple towns, but checking in and out of a hotel or apartment every day or two becomes very tiresome, very quickly.
Instead, use our guide to find the best town for you, and at most divide your stay into two towns. If you’re visiting for 5 days or longer, staying in two towns is definitely doable.
And if you’re staying for a week or two, you can even add in a few days or even a week in the Gulf of Poets, just nearby the Cinque Terre, home to a handful of picture-perfect towns.
Don’t Feel Pressured to Only Stay in The Cinque Terre Villages
You’ve probably read that to get the so-called “Cinque Terre experience”, you absolutely must stay in the Cinque Terre villages. This is only partly true and not entirely accurate.
Yes, if you’re visiting the Cinque Terre, you do want to experience what the towns are like after dark instead of rushing off to the town you’re staying in.
But what if I told you there’s a beautiful town only 10 minutes by train from the Cinque Terre, with far less crowds, a beautiful beach, a more laid-back vibe and far lower prices?
And the Cinque Terre Card, which gets you unlimited train trips between the towns, also includes this town in its route network.
The town in question is Levanto, just north of Monterosso, the most northern of the Cinque Terre.
The Villa Valentina was truly exceptional.
We absolutely loved the Villa Valentina in Levanto, a great base to explore the Cinque Terre. It's only ten minutes from Monterosso al Mare on the local train that runs up and down this coast all day, and it's more affordable too.
We stayed in Levanto and cannot recommend it highly enough, especially the guesthouse we stayed at!
Because we were going to be in the area long enough, we combined overnight stays in both Levanto and one of the Cinque Terre towns.
The town boasts a wide, sandy beach ideal for sunbathing and swimming, something you won’t find in any of the Cinque Terre towns except for Monterosso al Mare.
View of Levanto from aboveWe stayed at the Villa Valentina, a wonderful family-run guesthouse. The service here was truly exceptional with a personal feel to everything about the place, from the warm welcome to the freshly prepared breakfast with ingredients coming straight from the vegetable garden.
I can still remember the smell of that frittata first thing in the morning…
I really cannot recommend them enough!
So it turns out staying outside the Cinque Terre is not so bad after all.
Hotels in The Cinque Terre VS Apartments and Guesthouses
You can find a wide range of excellent hotels at various price points across Italy, however, when it comes to hotels in the Cinque Terre, things are a bit different. Because the towns are so small and have limited space for new buildings, there’s not a whole lot of choice when it comes to Cinque Terre hotels.
But that’s not a problem as I recommend most people go with an apartment rental or a small family-run guesthouse for an authentic local experience. There are plenty of Cinque Terre apartments and guesthouses to choose from. I have added a few hotel recommendations though, and in Monterosso al Mare in particular there are a few good options.
Also, if you’re looking for a resort-style vacation, you’re out of luck because there are no real resorts in the area and a Cinque Terre vacation is going to be a lot more active than a typical sip-cocktails-by-the-pool kind of thing.
The Best Town to Stay in The Cinque Terre
As I said, each town has its own appeal and unique set of attractions. Although they are similar in many ways, different towns are better for different travelers. In my list of the best places to stay in the Cinque Terre, I’ve included the pros and cons of basing yourself in each of the five towns. You’ll also see I’ve added a recommendation for the kind of visitor each town is best suited for.
So with that out of the way, let’s get into where to stay in the Cinque Terre:
Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore has some spectacular sunset views which entice many to spend a few nights here. It’s a small town with an even smaller characteristic harbor.
This is often viewed as the best place to stay in Cinque Terre for younger travelers because Riomaggiore has a good selection of bars and restaurants and the town is more lively at night than the other four. So if you’re after some nightlife, gorgeous sunsets and an altogether romantic experience, Riomaggiore is for you. There’s a good range of affordable accommodation options as well, so it definitely won’t be out of reach for most.
And that applies to the dining options as well. Focaccia is a type of pizza bread that comes from the region, is absolutely delicious and costs next to nothing at the many street food stands in town.
There’s no sandy beach but the rocky shoreline near the harbor is as good a place as any to jump off into the refreshing Mediterranean.
Speaking of the harbor, one of the best ways to see the Cinque Terre is by boat and many of the best boat tours happen to leave from Riomaggiore or from Monterosso al Mare.
The two best options are either a sail boat experience or those run by Mario (degiorgimario@alice.it), where you can take a dip in the Mediterranean and follow that up with a wonderful aperitivo out at sea while watching the sun kiss the day goodbye.
Riomaggiore has some spectacular sunset views which entice many to spend a few nights here. It’s a small town with an even smaller characteristic harbor.
This is often viewed as the best place to stay in Cinque Terre for younger travelers because Riomaggiore has a good selection of bars and restaurants and the town is more lively at night than the other four. So if you’re after some nightlife, gorgeous sunsets and an altogether romantic experience, Riomaggiore is for you. There’s a good range of affordable accommodation options as well, so it definitely won’t be out of reach for most.
And that applies to the dining options as well. Focaccia is a type of pizza bread that comes from the region, is absolutely delicious and costs next to nothing at the many street food stands in town.
There’s no sandy beach but the rocky shoreline near the harbor is as good a place as any to jump off into the refreshing Mediterranean.
Speaking of the harbor, one of the best ways to see the Cinque Terre is by boat and many of the best boat tours happen to leave from Riomaggiore or from Monterosso al Mare.
The two best options are either a sail boat experience or those run by Mario (degiorgimario@alice.it), where you can take a dip in the Mediterranean and follow that up with a wonderful aperitivo out at sea while watching the sun kiss the day goodbye.
Where to Stay in Riomaggiore
Manarola
Moving onto Manarola, this is one of the most photogenic of all the Cinque Terre towns. You’ve almost certainly seen the iconic view of Manarola from the coastal path.
Although Manarola is rather small, you’ll still find quite a few good restaurants to choose from and a couple excellent focaccia places. Just don’t expect the nightlife of Riomaggiore.
Manarola is great for sunbathing as well with the famous big rock providing a constant source of entertainment as people queue up to launch themselves into the sea.
There are some really nice guesthouses in Manarola, with many of them offering absolutely exquisite views. Enjoying a sundowner on your own little terrace in paradise is certainly possible in Manarola.
You should pick Manarola if you’re after a romantic escape with a more peaceful atmosphere.
Where to Stay in Manarola
Corniglia
The smallest of the five Cinque Terre villages, Corniglia is easily the most authentic of them all. Because it’s located about 100 meters above sea level and takes about 365 steps to reach, it receives the fewest tourists.
That means it’s a lot quieter and more tranquil than its neighbors. Most people don’t choose to stay overnight in Corniglia so in the mornings and evenings, once the daytrippers have left, the town really comes into its own. The locals are out and about and it no longer feels like a place on the tourist trail.
There’s no beach here either, but there is a tiny harbor where you can take a dip.
Again, like much of the Cinque Terre, Corniglia makes for a great romantic vacation. So if you want to go somewhere that feels off the beaten path, without any of the difficulties usually involved in doing so, Corniglia is the best place to stay in the Cinque Terre.
There aren’t many accommodation options here, but those that are available are excellent and affordable.
Where to Stay in Corniglia
Vernazza
Like Manarola, Vernazza is a really picturesque little village. It’s hard not to fall in love with the view of the stunning bell tower of the Santa Margherita d'Antiochia church overlooking the quaint harbor below.
Vernazza does happen to have a small sandy beach, which you’ll no doubt find very inviting in the summer heat.
This makes Vernazza one of the busiest of the Cinque Terre towns. Couple that with a relatively small selection of hotels and apartment rentals, and staying in Vernazza can be quite pricey.
If you’re on a fairly tight budget I probably wouldn’t stay in Vernazza. If you do want to spend a bit more to stay here, Vernazza does have a lot to offer.
There are some fabulous Cinque Terre hikes that start from here and a range of good restaurants and bars can be found around the seaside piazza.
If you do end up staying here, don’t miss the best view of Vernazza which comes at the small price of a steep, mile-long walk around the back of the village to the Madonna of Reggio Sanctuary.
Vernazza makes for a great all-rounder and is a good choice if you’re on a medium to high budget and don’t mind some crowds.
Where to Stay in Vernazza
Monterosso al Mare
Monterosso al Mare is the largest of the Cinque Terre towns and has a wide selection of accommodation and dining options. There are many good Cinque Terre hotels (which can be pricey) in Monterosso with a few luxury options, one of them being the famous Hotel Porto Roca, an exquisite 4 star hotel clinging to the cliffside with some beautiful panoramic sea views.
The hotel also offers free chairs and parasols at the beach below.
It’s not quite as characteristic or jaw-dropping as the other towns because it's mostly flat and doesn’t rise up a hillside like the other towns do. But this also makes it easier to get around and see the town's attractions, especially if you don’t enjoy a lot of strenuous walking.
Monterosso also has the Cinque Terre’s only proper beach. And the beach is quite long, with sandy areas and plenty of the ubiquitous Italian beach umbrellas.
For beach lovers and families with children, Monterosso is easily the best town to stay in Cinque Terre. If your idea of the perfect Cinque Terre getaway includes exploring the towns in the mornings and spending your afternoons sunbathing on the beach, Monterosso is the best option.
Monterosso al Mare is the largest of the Cinque Terre towns and has a wide selection of accommodation and dining options. There are many good Cinque Terre hotels (which can be pricey) in Monterosso with a few luxury options, one of them being the famous Hotel Porto Roca, an exquisite 4 star hotel clinging to the cliffside with some beautiful panoramic sea views.
The hotel also offers free chairs and parasols at the beach below.
It’s not quite as characteristic or jaw-dropping as the other towns because it's mostly flat and doesn’t rise up a hillside like the other towns do. But this also makes it easier to get around and see the town’s attractions, especially if you don’t enjoy a lot of strenuous walking.
Monterosso also has the Cinque Terre’s only proper beach. And the beach is quite long, with sandy areas and plenty of the ubiquitous Italian beach umbrellas.
For beach lovers and families with children, Monterosso is easily the best town to stay in Cinque Terre. If your idea of the perfect Cinque Terre getaway includes exploring the towns in the mornings and spending your afternoons sunbathing on the beach, Monterosso is the best option.
Where to Stay in Monterosso al Mare
Where to Stay in The Cinque Terre
The best town to stay in the Cinque Terre will differ from person to person and ultimately depends on your budget, travel preferences and the type of trip you want to have.
All of the towns are beautiful and there are excellent accommodation options all along the coast, including in some nearby towns like Levanto and Porto Venere. If you’re not going to be staying for long, don’t make the mistake of booking multiple hotels or apartments in different towns. Rather stick with one town or two if you’re staying for 5 days or longer.
When we last visited we included the Gulf of Poets in our itinerary and decided to stay a bit longer. This was the best decision we could have made. The towns of Lerici, Tellaro and Ameglia are some of Italy’s finest and are largely untouched by mass tourism. The Gulf of Poets serves as the perfect quiet hideaway bliss that’s just what you need after the busyness of the Cinque Terre. So if you’d like to experience this coast to the fullest, I would really encourage you to extend your getaway and make it the trip of a lifetime.
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