Cinque Terre | Greatest Tourist Spot in Italy

Evening at Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre means five lands in Italian and Cinque Terre consists of five villages : Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. This five villages are cling to the Ligurian cliffs along Italy’s western coast.  The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Manarola village of Cinque Terre

Vernazza village of Cinque Terre

The villages of Cinque Terre are usually thought of and visited collectively, mostly because they’re so close to one another that one can walk from the first to the fifth in a matter of hours, but there are five different towns and each does have its own personality.

Corniglia village of Cinque Terre

Riomaggiore village of Cinque Terre

Over the centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside.

Monterosso al Mare village of Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre area is a very popular tourist destination. Cinque Terre relies almost entirely on tourism. The tiny towns are incredibly popular with American backpackers/budget travelers and German holiday makers, and are getting increasingly popular with people outside those groups as well and the primary attraction of the area is the hike along the cliffs from village to village.

Cinque Terre