My Ranking of the Cinque Terre Towns

Up until far too recently, I thought Cinque Terre referred to only one town. But, Cinque Terre literally translates to “five lands” from Italian and actually is made up of five separate towns dotting the Italian Riviera on Italy’s northwestern coast. The photos do really represent the pastels of the buildings, bright turquoise of the water and rowboats piled on pebbly beaches. It’s straight out of a movie. I actually recommend watching the adorable Disney movie “Luca” because it is based on these towns and really brings the colors and culture alive.

I was able to visit all five towns in one day in a day trip from Genoa, where we were staying, with my roommate Eryn. Unfortunately, I saw two in the dark, and was not quite able to revel in their beauty as much as I could have in the daytime. I blame the Italian train system for that. But that’s a story for another time.

We were slowly keeping a ranking in our heads after each town and came to the same ranking conclusion at the end. My ranking could very well change if I visit the towns again, maybe in a different season or if I can start with the ones I saw at night. It should also be noted I went in the off-season in March and only stayed in each town for 35-50 minutes so we could make it back to Genoa by nightfall. But for now, this is my official list, from least favorite to favorite.

5. Manarola

The second to last town I unfortunately saw at night, Manarola was definitely bustling with lots of lively restaurants and shops. In my opinion, Manarola, Riomaggiore and Monterosso were the most touristy of the towns. I noticed that Manarola, unlike some of the other towns, did not have a small pebbly beach area in its crescent harbor. Instead, there was a small boat launch and a few rocky formations that elevated the center. But I think compared to towns that did have small beaches, I much preferred having those.

I also noticed that the town was more spread out than the other towns. It wound around and went further into the mountains, which required more walking than I wanted to do after a long day. I am normally not always fazed by inclines, but I think at this point I just decided to venture further and save my breath. But despite some of these characteristics, it’s still as picturesque as ever.

4. Riomaggiore

Dubbed the most romantic town, Riomaggiore was the final town we saw before hopping on a train back to Genoa. So it was at night, and sadly the bright light of the lampposts didn’t exactly illuminate the village and all its beauty. Some places are beautiful at night, better even. But not the Cinque Terre towns. At least, in my humble opinion.

I did notice that Riomaggiore was also busy, perhaps the busiest I had seen. Every charming restaurant was filled to the brim it seemed and this was in March. I can only imagine what it’s like during summer. Similar to Manarola, the town didn’t have a quaint pebbly beach, but the boat launch and I guess swimming area (again, no one in their right mind was swimming in March) was far less elevated than that of Manarola. There was even a small rocky area that emerges from a tunnel and leads right to the water.

I think at this point just being tired from the long day, I was also put off by the winding inclined streets that snaked further up. Maybe in daylight and earlier in the day I would be happy to explore more of the town and brave the steep hills. But at this hour, I was less than enthused to do so. So for this reason, among others, I rank it at four.

3. Corniglia

The smallest of the towns, Corniglia requires walking up 383 steps and a dose of determination. It is not for the tired or non-walkers. But at the top, you find stunning cliffside views tucked amongst narrow streets lined with small restaurants and the smell of pasta and pesto wafting out. It already felt quieter and more local than the other towns. Not that they are missing locals, but there were far fewer tourists here.

If you aren’t short on time like we were and want to be spared the hike up, you can actually skip the steps and wait at the train station for a shuttle bus to take you up to the town (this would’ve been nice to know then). Once you reach it, it’s relatively flat to explore, which I really appreciated. You can also follow signs to the beach (they will say “al mare”) and walk down steps to the rocky beach.

2. Vernazza

The second town we visited, Vernazza was a charming town with a V-shaped harbor and a stunning oceanside church that we wandered into with awe. It is definitely more at an incline than Monterosso, but still overall walkable without gasping for breath. I marveled at the waves crashing a mere 10 feet away from me in the main harbor area, with the pastel village behind me.

If you’re willing to work for it, there is a nice viewpoint from the Gianni Franzi Deck, a cliffside restaurant that is somewhat hidden because it requires climbing up many steps and twisting, tight turns. We stumbled upon it purely by accident, in trying to explore. But there are videos of how to get there (since I simply can’t recall) and I’m sure Google Maps, or even better, asking a local, would be helpful as well.

1. Monterosso

Maybe because it was flat and very walkable, maybe because it was our first town and we saw the weather clear up and sun shine down for the first time in 48 hours, or maybe it was because we ate delicious paninis and got aperol spritz’s to-go (leaning towards the third option), but the town of Monterosso comes in at number one for me. This is the largest town of all five and the only one with a sizable stretch of sandy beach right in front of it. Apparently, the town also has multiple beaches, public and private, to offer.

I think I just found Monterosso the easiest to take in and enjoy, and that is due to a lot of factors, like the ones listed above. On the main beach, you can also marvel at the dominating statue of the Giant, II Gigante, which represents Neptune. The town is also split into two parts, both of which are easily accessible by walking. I spent the most time in Monterosso, browsing the local shops and admiring coastal Italian themed house decor. We also completed a mini-hike to see a viewpoint of the ocean and one section of the town, which took our breath away (literally and figuratively). The Statua di San Francesco d’Assisi stands in the center of the circular viewpoint.

I would go back to any of the Cinque Terre towns, but I think Monterosso really just stole my heart.

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