Hey there,

I really enjoyed my stay in Manorola, it has gorgeous little fish restaurants leading to the water and clifftop houses above cliffs, but then that is describing all the villages of the Cinque Terre. I think if you are going to the cinque terre for a few days and plan on doing the walks between each village then you can pretty much be safe in whatever village you stay in as they are all postcard picture perfect. Manarola has the only hostel in the area, but you can always find cheap houses or pensions.

All are stunning actually. Be sure to walk the entire path between them.

I stayed in the Hostel at Manorola but for some reason we always seemed to end up in Vernazza in the evenings.

I liked all the villages, and as Andrew mentioned the hike between the five is great. I’ve got some great pics from that area, it’s a beautiful place.

Hey Chaseman-
Not sure if you are a Rick Steves fan (Personally I can’t stand him but he has good info) but he really talks up Vernazza. Maybe you could hit Powells and browse his Europe Through the Back Door book. If I remember correctly he has a decent section on Cinque Terre and other areas in Italy. If you are hosteling then EMTraveler’s idea might be good. From experience I know they fill up fast so you HAVE to make reservations. I probably wouldn’t stay in Monterosso because it’s a little bigger and I didn’t find it as charming as the others…but maybe I’m just a sucker for that stuff.

I loved them all !! They all have something special that makes them unique. My favorite walk though was the one between Monterosso and Vernazza. (also the hardest but it’s worth it!)

Can anyone tell me the best way to get there in January and how long it takes to get there from Rome? Is Cinque Terre worth going to in the winter? Can you still hike the trails in the winter? Is it possible to do as a day trip from Rome?? My other plan would be to go south from Rome and try to hit Pompei, Naples and Sorrento. Opinions welcome and needed!!!

The best village? Vernazza!

I discovered for myself that Rick Steves was correct – Vernazza is the place! I also enjoyed Riomaggiore, Manarola, Monterossa and Corniglia, in that order. Don’t overlook Portovenere or Portofino, both wonderful places as well. I regret only having 3 days to explore. It was painful to leave that beautiful place. My boyfriend and I stayed in Monterosso because we were afraid to take a chance on finding/being happy with accomodations in Vernazza. We stayed at a nice place called Punta Mesca – bed and breakfast. It was sufficient for our needs and the people running it were nice.

Where can i find a B&B or something in Vernazza? I am also wondering about the weather in October? Worth it?

I was wondering about the weather/climate in December? Any ideas???

http://homepage.sunr…

Thanks Chase. I have seen that chart before. I guess I’m hoping to hear from some people who have been there in Nov/Dec and hear there opinions and experiences of the area. Thanks though.

I agree with Andrew, although I liked Corniglia the best bc it was the most deserted and hardly anyone ever talks about it!

a bit of an old post but oh well……anyway for those who have hiked all the way between them, about how long of a walk is it?

It’s about 5 hours from Manarola to Monterosso (I took the high trail, not the touristy low trail). Also, it’s about 5 hours from Manarola to Porto Venere (not technically part of Cinque Terre, but basically the same thing). I took boats back to Manarola both times after these hikes, which I highly recommend, because the sun in the evening shines on the villages, which means excellent photography from the water.

Hi,

I’m just curious – how do the boats work? Did you go through a specific "tour boat" company?

Another question – I’m planning on visiting the region of Cinque Terre in May…are there a lot of tourists on the path? (I’m just trying to get an idea of the safety for a female thinking of hiking solo through the towns)

Thanks,
Rach

The most tourists are on the Riomaggire to Manarola section. Its the easiest by far and thats probably why. You’ll see people in other areas though. I think its definitely safe for a woman. Anything can happen anywhere I suppose but IMO it seemed safe. I woke up early and did it and avoided most tourists for the first 2 hours or so. It was beautiful..overlooking the ocean..vineyards on the other side..to approach a new village from above and just look at it nestled there in the hills sea front…what views!

BTW I suggest staying in Vernazza. It was quite enchanting. Lovely town, lagoon, spectacular food, and accomodations. It gave me a happy vibe that the rest of the villages did not.

Rach –

There are boats that go back and forth along the coast from Porto Venere to Monterosso, stopping in Cinque Terre villages along the way. They are not "tour" boats per se, although of course mostly tourists take them. They are transportation modes and there are schedules posted on fliers which you can get at the hostel at Manarola or any tourist office or right at the harbor of any village (except Cornilia, which doesn’t have a harbor). IMO, a great way to get back from the hike to where you started, whether it’s Manarola or Vernazza or any other village.

Safety is not an issue. It won’t even cross your mind once you get to the region. Perfectly fine everywhere you go. I was in CT at the end of April. Trails were not crowded at all at that time of the year.

BTW, I wouldn’t call Manarola – Riomaggiore a hike — it’s basically a leasurely 20 min walk.

Thanks for the info, user_name and alexg456!

We stayed in Riomaggiore at Mar Mar apartment for $70 for me and my husband. It was great we had a little kitchen and 2 great balconies. It was wonderful.

I also enjoyed Vernazza. We went in Ocotber and it was wonderful!!! It was 70 degrees and beautiful.

Planning a trip to cinque terre too, and my friend and i wanted to stay in an apartment. We searched the net and found the Acquamarina apartments available, has anyone heard of those? They are in Monterosso. Other apartments require check-in before 5pm, but we’re expecting to arrive later, so this is what we chose.

Any replies will be much appreciated.