If you’re like me, you have had the villages of Cinque Terre, Italy on your bucket list for a while now. I remember seeing photos of the colorful cliffside villages on every travel site you can imagine and one day hoped of making the trek to see them myself. It really wasn’t until the Summer of 2021 that I was finally able to make that a reality. A week’s long stay in Italy started in Florence, and ended back in Florence with a 5 day stay in Vernazza.
The 5 villages of Cinque Terre are (from South to North): Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare.
Cinque Terre, A Brief History
The origins of Cinque Terre date back to the 11th century as Monterosso and Vernazza the first villages to be settled in the then Republic of Genoa. Fortification of the towns commenced to protect against invasions and attack from the Turks starting in the 16th century. The economic decline of the region started thereafter until transportation links La Spezia and Genoa were established. Now, the area has prospered in the face of increasing tourism. Since 1999, the Cinque Terre National Parkwas created to maintain and preserve the nature and historical entities that make up these villages.
Cinque Terre Photos
How to get to Cinque Terre
Getting to these villages is rather simple. First, the closest airport to Cinque Terre that you should fly into is in Florence, specifically the Florence Peretola Airport (Airport Code: FLR).
From the airport, you then take the T2 tram to the Firenze Santa Maria Train station, located in the city center. The travel time for this tram is about 20-30 minutes and a ticket costs around 1.70 Euro. The tram runs every 5-10 minutes between the hours of 5am to 2am the next day.
From the Firenze Santa Maria Train, you then must take a train to La Spezia, the city that sits just South of Cinque Terre (usually requires a connection in Pisa). There areapproximately 33 trains per day running between Firenze Santa Maria Novella and La Spezia Centrale, which usually takes between 2-3 hours.
Then you can simply take the Cinque Terre Express trains from La Spezia to any village of your choosing. You can purchase a multi-day ticket for the Cinque Terre Express for a discounted price which I would recommend if you are staying for at least 3 days (the Cinque Terre MS Card). You can find more information here about this particular ticket.
When to see Cinque Terre
Given just how popular this part of Italy is, it is hard to figure out the right time to visit where you won’t encounter so many crowds. With that being said, try to target the shoulder seasons, meaning around late March to early May and September to mid-October. Plus this way, you get to avoid the main tourist season that usually comes with uncomfortable hot weather. Furthermore, try to target visiting during weekdays.
I would also recommend taking earlier morning Cinque Terre express trains to explore whatever village you would like. The villages are much less active in the mornings compared to mid-day and evening and this way you can take photos more easily without so many spectators around.
Photographing Cinque Terre
You don’t need such a special or expensive kit to take some amazing photos of Cinque Terre. All you need to have with you is some standard lenses and comfortable clothes and shoes since you will probably be doing a lot of walking at many different elevations to reach very reliable vantage points.
Take with you your camera body (obviously) along with a standard lens (24-70 mm focal length) as well as a wide angle (10 mm focal length) and a 50 mm prime lens if you have one. These three will give you such a wide berth in regards to what you want to get out of your photos.
As far as some of the best places to take your photos at in each village, here are my favorites below:
Riomaggiore
Via Pecunia walkway near the San Giovanni Battista church has a platform with great views of the colorful buildings of Riomaggiore (44.100385, 9.739428).
Along Via Colombo down towards the water.
Walk down Via San Giacomo to the left of the small ‘beach’ at water level until you reach the portion of the walkway that turns left. Then look behind you to get a great shot the colorful buildings near the water (44.098141, 9.737558).
Once at the harbor, you can actually walk along the rock wall that protects the small beach of Riomaggiore. We wound up taking photos here and also swimming and enjoying the sun from here without any of the crowds (44.097999, 9.736815).
Manarola
Nessun Dorma - this is a place you HAVE to eat at as it offers such amazing food and the best views of Manarola. Go directly there after you get off the train and get a number, sometimes the wait time is 1-2 hours. Once you get your table there, you can grab great photos of the entire village.
Along the rocks at water level. Be careful when walking on these boulders but the photos you will get from here will be worth it. Set up shop here and enjoy a picnic, swimming, and sunbathing (44.106425, 9.725987).
All along Via Renato Birolli including the adjacent alleyways and side streets.
On the way towards Corniglia, when taking Trail 6p, you will get to a point where you can see Manarola from above (44.107963, 9.727935).
Corniglia
Marina di Corniglia for some great shots from the water (44.119942, 9.704912).
All along Via Solferino including the adjacent alleyways and side streets.
Vernazza
Along Via Visconti down to the beach and the rocks. Again, be careful while walking along the boulders but this area will give you such great pics from the water line (44.135651, 9.681320).
Castello Doria sits high above Vernazza so naturally will give you great aerial photos of the village.
Along the trail towards Monterosso al Mare. THIS is the iconic Vernazza photo that everyone seems to have. Along the trail to your left, you will see the trail bend to the right. There is a small cliff that you can jump down to from the trail to get your shot (44.136568, 9.681420). Access to this trail is controlled and requires a payment at the hut at the start of this hike.
Monterosso al Mare
The Statua di San Francesco d'Assisi sits high above the village, which is great for taking photos from.
All along Via Roma including the adjacent alleyways and side streets.
As an owner of a drone, I find it extremely tempting to fly my drone in Cinque Terre since to me, it is just the destination to capture in the air. Unfortunately, all the villages reside in the Cinque Terre National Park, which FORBIDS drone flights for all operators not flying for scientific purposes. I even tried to apply for approval with the national park service only to be turned down (politely I may add). You can see the actual letter they sent back to me saying this.
Nonetheless, you will always see someone there sadly flying their drone, thinking that because it weighs less than 250 grams, that they don’t have to follow the rules. I usually don’t engage these people and have solace in the fact that Italian police have become much more aware of illegal drone flights so sooner or later, people will be caught.
Purchasing Photos
Conclusion and Further Resources
Cinque Terre is by far one of the most amazing set of villages in the world. These five villages will only become more popular as the years go on so book your ticket there sooner rather than later. Every alleyway and corner of all the villages provide countless photographic opportunities. You can also hike from village to village, offering sweeping and unique views of the entire coastline.
If you want to read more about other destinations in Italy, check out my blog posts below:
The town of Manarola will be your favorite in all of Cinque Terre I promise you. This cliffside town has amazing coastal views which is best seen from the restaurant Nessun Dorma. Though I normally take most of my photos with a drone, this village had an incredible viewpoint, easily accessible on foot. I decided to wait for Golden Hour before snapping this slow exposure pic of the entirety of Manarola.
The Southernmost town of Cinque Terre is Riomaggiore, nestled on the Italian coast. Journey here during the summer time and eat all the gelato and espresso you desire while taking in great panamoric views and exploring landmarks like the Church of San Giovanni Battista of Riomaggiore, Castelo di Riomaggiore, and Riomaggiore Beach. I came here three summers ago and was just blown away by how charming it was. I found this perfect cliffside viewpoint where I could see the entire main road that permeated through the village. This is one of my favorite views of Cinque Terre.
We stayed in the village of Vernazza when we traveled to Cinque Terre in Italy. It was such a good decision since it is in close proximity to the other villages and is pretty quiet overall. It has its own small beach and harbor area that we relaxed at during our chill days.
Italy is located in Southern/Western Europe, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and sharing borders with France, Switzerland, Slovenia, and Austria. A country with such a rich history is surely to be at the top of most peoples' travel lists. This is a guide to my trips in Italy that have taken me to Venice, Rome, Florence, Trieste, Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast, and even to Vatican City.
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The island of Capri is located just off the Amalfi Coast on the Sorrentine Peninsula in Southern Italy. It is a part of the Naples municipality and has been known to be a resort town since its founding. Popular spots include the town of Anacapri, the Blue Grotto, the Belvedere of Tragara, and the Marina Piccola.
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The Amalfi Coast is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula in Southern Italy. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is known for its gorgeous vistas and natural landscapes. Some of the notable towns on the Amalfi coast include Positano, Sorrento, Ravello, Minori, Maiori, Atrani, Praiano, Furore, Capri, as well as the town of Amalfi itself.
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The town of Atrani is located on the Amalfi Coast on the Sorrentine Peninsula in Southern Italy. It is the smallest municipality in Italy, located just East of Amalfi. It bears the designation of 'I Borghi più belli d'Italia', given to beautiful towns in Italy. Its traditional characteristics are well preserved and its most notable attraction is the Collegiate Church of St Mary Magdalena.
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The town of Manarola will be your favorite in all of Cinque Terre I promise you. This cliffside town has amazing coastal views which is best seen from the restaurant Nessun Dorma. Though I normally take most of my photos with a drone, this village had an incredible viewpoint, easily accessible on foot. I decided to wait for Golden Hour before snapping this slow exposure pic of the entirety of Manarola.