swimming in Cinq Terre end of May??

Melanie, it's difficult to predict what the weather is going to be like in the Cinque Terre at the end of May, but it will probably be reasonably warm (as will Rome).

For swimming I suspect the shallow water on the beach at Monterosso al Mare will be a bit more "hospitable" than the other villages (although Vernazza has somewhat of an "enclosed harbour"). Which of the five villages will you be staying in?

Hope this helps. Happy travels!

Warning I have never actually been to Cinque Terre but I lived in Antibes(France) and travelled/frenquently on boats up and down the Italian Coast, pretty close to shore.

In May the water will still be very brisk. (Down to Sardinia)I used to swim in it but for fitness purposes, but it was cold. The water doesn't properly warm up to splashing temerature until about late June.

Some other things to consider:
1. Some swimming beaches aren't set up for swimming until the summer starts(usually June). This means that the beach could be covered with weeds and trash and sea debris. (In the summer the beaches get combed each day)
2. The med and especially the gulf of Genoa isn't the cleanest of seas. It has very high boat trafic and at times the water can be very polluted, and filled with debris. If you swim look out for the direction of wind and current.

...continued.

1. In late spring if there is a sudden wave of warmth there can be little Medusas(jellyfish). They are easily pushed away but can sting if encountered.

I know this sounds like a lot of negative answers, but I did swim up and down the italian coast for a few years,so it's not that bad.

Rome: I've been to Rome twice in May(mid). Both times I needed a sweater or ligth jacket in the evening, but was find during the day in short sleeves and linen pants (I don't wear shorts).

Keep in mind the dress requirements if you plan on visiting religious sites in Italy. But also don't forget to take an extra sweater, because even if Rome is hot, the crypts and churches can be quite cool.

Have Fun!

We were in the CT at the end of May this past year. It was quite warm and there were people sunbathing on the beach at Monterosso. However, it was not crowded. Not many people were in the water. Also, Monterosso is the only one of the 5 towns with a large beach. The other 4 towns have some sandy area to launch and retrieve their fishing boats but they can hardly be considered "beaches" in my opinion.

As for "warm enough to swim", it's your choice. Some people's "warm" is other people's "cold". I'll let others comment on how warm or cold the water might be as I don't know.

Kent is correct about the rough water. Except for part of one day while we were there, the ferries were shut down because of rough seas.

We did some sea-bathing while in Sorrento in June...the water was absolutely frigid!!! It was as cold as a mountain stream.

Vernazza has a little area for swimming. My kids were going in off the ladder at the end of the stone pier. The water was too cold for me but they were happy. Monterosso has the best beach in the area. You can wade in and decide how far you want to go.

I would expect nice weather, probably pleasantly cool to pleasantly warm in Cinque Terre with a chance of rain. In Rome more like pleasantly warm to too warm (though probably not really hot) with a chance of rain.

We were there from May 9 thru the 11th and there were a few people swimming but most were laying on the beach. I guess it is a matter of personal tolerance. The weather was warm but I imagine the water was a little chilly. Did not try it myself.
Here is a link to some of the photos we took there and a couple at the Monterosso beach which shows the few who went in the water.
http://picasaweb.google.com/laneandsandy/CinqueTerre

We were in CT in mid May a few years ago and tried the water on a beach (pebbles, not sand) below Vernazza. The weather was perfect for hiking but the Ligurian Sea was very cold. I waded out knee deep but that was all. The water was beautifully clear and pristine but the pebbles are tough to walk on. The next day we went to Monterossa where there is a beach(of a sort) and there were swimmers as well as sunbathers but the water was still quite cold IMO. Many of those enjoying the cold water were Scandinavians.

Melanie, I've been going to the Cinque Terre in May for about 7 years now. I ALWAYS swim. Its fantastic. The water is beautiful. Almost all the villages have a place to swim except Corniglia. I always stay in Levanto, great beach there. But...I'm from Boston so to me the water is PERFECT...
Every once in a while they have a cool spell changing from early spring to "real" spring so I have been there once when it was quite cold, but only once in 7 years. Otherwise swimming is great. Joyce