Holidays in the Cinque Terre area

You'll be pleased to hear that those classic postcard images of brightly coloured buildings lining mountainous coasts aren't photo-shopped. The Cinque Terre is in fact as stunning as it looks in the pictures. There are endless towns made up of clusters of multi-coloured buildings that stand out beautifully against the bright blue sea. Head to the Golfo dei Poeti in Portovenere, named after significant literary figures such as Lord Byron, who used to visit the area, it's a stunning strip of land which sits between the sea and the mountains.

The Ligurian train network makes exploring this part of Italy a doddle. Most of our hotels are within walking distance of a local station, making it easy for you to hop on a train and explore a different town or village each day. A 19th century railway line cuts through the hillside, linking one Cinque Terre village to another. From Levanto, both the Cinque Terre and it's national park are just a short train journey away (we’re talking mere minutes!), and from Lerici, a 30-minute local bus will get you to the city of La Spezia, where you’ll find lively bars with plentiful plates of focaccia, pesto pasta and seafood.

The seafood on offer in the Cinque Terre area is second to none; you’ll find the juiciest mussels and the fattest anchovies, as well as the typically Ligurian stockfish, traditionally served with chard, onion, garlic and parsley. Liguria’s biggest claim to fame, however, might be pesto Genovese. That’s right- this is the land of pesto. Traditionally, it’s served with trofie- a short, twisted pasta, local to the region- and goes perfectly with a glass of crisp Vermentino wine- our favourite way to enjoy an evening on your summer holiday.

The Cinque Terre area is well know for it's public transport. The trains are particularly handy for getting around. The mountainous roads can be narrow and tricky to navigate in a car, so most people travel by train, foot, bus or ferry.

Train

Liguria has a great train network particularly connecting the Cinque Terre towns themselves. It's easy to hop from town to town using the old train line and it's one of the best ways to get into the Cinque Terre National Park, where you'll find many walking trails.

Buses

There's also a good bus network in the area which is an affordable way of getting around. If you're staying in Lerici for example, it will only take 30 minutes to head to the nearby city of La Spezia. There are lots of opportunities to check out nearby towns and cities using the bus network.

For free use of the buses or selected regional trains in the area, you can buy one of the Cinque Terre Cards. For more information on these, head to the Cards & Passes tab.

Ferry

The ferry network is a picturesque way to travel around the coast. From Portovenere it's easy to get a ferry to the Cinque Terre towns and if you want to go further afield, why not head over to Portofino for the day and get that classic Italian summer holiday experience.