I am rethinking our travel plan of Venice, Tuscany, CT, Rome ( 2 week total) and skipping CT, due to so many reports of overcrowding. Even Rick’s March newsletter reiterates this. Are there any towns south of Venice along the Adriatic with a similar experience of the coast-hugging beauty of CT? Then the itinerary would be Venice, Adriatic, Tuscany, Rome.
Has anyone done such a trip or am I too worried about CT being overcrowded.
Planning on late September into early October.
Thanks!
I think you might be too worried. Its not a place you would say for long (maybe 2 nights, 2 days?), and once you are hiking, its not crowded. Yes the towns are crowded, in the middle of the day (not necessarily in the morning or evening), but I still felt enough breathing room. We stayed in Monterosso. Mornings were calm. Also, you can (should) look up when the cruise ships dock. The days without cruise ship people pouring in are noticeably less crowded. You can time you visit around the rise ships :)
It has been a long time since I visited the Cinque Terre, but the photos and reports from recent visitors are concerning. There are some other picturesque towns on the Ligurian Coast. If you pick up a comprehensive guide book to that part of Italy, you should be able to find a few names. Whether any of them have the combination of colorful houses and steep hillsides, I am not sure. Try Googling "beautiful villages Liguria". Camogli might be a possibility.
I don't know whether there's anything Cinque Terre-like on the Adriatic Coast, but there may be.
I wouldn't avoid the Cinque Terre in late September-early October - that's probably the best time to go, when the weather may still be great (two of my three visits to the CT have been at this time of year - can still be quite warm). You will see some tourists no doubt but nothing like the pictures that have been circulating of peak summer crowds. You'll have to avoid the tourist mobs in Venice too. It's just part of visiting popular Italy.
The Adriatic is quite different: flat, sandy beaches, harder to get to hiking, not so rugged or charming, IMO. By late Sept the Adriatic seaside towns are closing for the season, I.e., it is not beach time.
Liguria is unique and far broader than the five towns of the Cinque Terre. As mentioned above, mornings, evenings, and getting out on (some) of the trails will get you away from the crowds.
