Cinque Terre

We enjoyed staying in Monterosso. It is one of the larger Cinque Terre towns and has lovely views of the sea. Early mornings and evenings are wonderful. Three days may be enough to cover the Cinque Terre villages.

If money is not an object, stay in one of the five villages. If you can't find good lodging you like in one of the five, consider Levanto - one town north of Monterosso (next stop off the train), more of a "conventional beach town" than the other five but still a nice town. I've stayed there three times. Last time (in May) I hiked from Levanto back to Monterosso - a nice, uncrowded hike. You'll get a better value in Levanto for a nicer place, most likely.

Portovenere is really nice, but there is no train station there.

Hello
A few years ago my wife & I stayed at Aria di Mare in Manarola. It’s a RS recommended rental and our experience was excellent. The summer rates are about $100/night and you can request a terrace patio. I think all rooms come with ocean view, and their website has photos.
In fact, we loved it so much that we will return this upcoming summer with our teenage daughters.
As you’ll probably read anywhere, CT can get very busy and it’s true. Although in my experience during the summer months, the crowds thin out quite a bit on the trails during the day. Also seems that there are more folks seeking a quick look, so the beach and swimming holes aren’t too bad either.
Since there aren’t very many places to stay, the villages have an intimate and peaceful feel in the morning and evenings, which to me is the magic that makes CT attractive.
Good luck and hope you have a great trip!

cynthia,

My suggestion would be to stay in one of the five towns. I really enjoy the ambiance and scenery of the towns in the evenings especially. Early April may not be too crowded although that will depend to some extent on the cruise ship schedules. The water in that area may be a bit "cool" for swimming.

I've never stayed in Lerici but would not suggest Porto Venere as it's not the most convenient location for getting to so it would be a hassle for day trips. As someone mentioned earlier, there's no rail access so that means a bus trip to La Spezia before you can access rail. While the boats do go to Porto Venere, they don't run in inclement weather and the schedules aren't as frequent.

Everyone here has a preference for towns, and I always prefer to stay in Monterosso. It's the largest of the five towns and therefore has the greatest number of lodgings, restaurants and other tourist amenities. The town has two parts, a "new town" and an "old town" so seems to absorb crowds better.

I'm usually travelling solo so don't use Air BnB. I have a favourite hotel in Monterosso and can't imagine staying anywhere else.

I will reinforce my friend Ken’s opinion and suggest you stay in one of the villages. Lerici is lovely, but accessible only by bus. Nice bay to walk around and a castle, but not the charm of the 5 towns. PortoVenere is lovely but again, difficult to come-and-go from due to no trains. If you have a day to spare, I do recommend visiting as the views on the boat trip are excellent and it is a very nice town to walk around.

We stayed in Monterosso last month and loved it. We did two hikes and got to explore 4 of the 5 villages and I would stay at any of them, they are all delightful. We purchased a hiking pass that included unlimited trains and that was very helpful - just hopped on a train to get to a trail head or go adventuring. And will add, our hikes in Cinque Terre were a highlight of our two week and multi-city trip.

Thanks for your replies! I really appreciate your taking time to answer my question about staying in CT towns v. nearby places. In fact, I’ve already corresponded with a person in Manarola and will also look into Monterosso. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and advice!
Cynthia

We stayed in the furthest south town for a week - Riomaggore. We loved it. It was an Air B&B with a great terrace and a sea view.

JJ, would you mind sharing the Airbnb in Riomaggiore? Thx, cynthia

cynthia,

A few more thoughts......

If you have a Library or larger bookstores nearby, you might have a look at the Rick Steves Italy guidebook, as there are listings for good and reliable accommodations in all of the five towns.

If hiking is one of the main activities planned for that area, it's worthwhile to note that Monterosso is at one end of the Sentiero Azzurro trails, so that makes it easy to start the hike from there. Note that there's a steep climb at the Monterosso end, but once you're past that it's relatively easy (albeit with some narrow sections). Riomaggiore is at the other end of the S.A. trails however there is currently NO access due to the fact that the Via dell' Amore has been closed since September 2012 after a huge rock slide. Unless you're willing to use one of the other trails that runs higher in the hills (and is a more robust hike), you'll have to use the trains to get to Corniglia to begin the hike. Of course, this all assumes that the status of the trails next year is the same as it was this year.

Note that a Park Pass is necessary to hike the S.A. trails. These are easily obtainable once you arrive in the Cinque Terre.

Thanks for those tips! Yes, of course I have and use RS guide books (e.g., Cinque Terre) but mistakenly didn’t bring it with me this week while visiting my daughter. Forum is helpful!

We stayed in the Atlantic Apartment at Alla Marina in Riomaggiore which had a small balcony overlooking the waterfront. The views were breathtaking and the evenings (after the hordes of tourist were gone) were magical. Thinking that with five days you could split your stay in two different towns?

Cynthia, it was listed as "Bright Light" in Air B&B Riomaggiore. I had sent a PM but I'm not sure if you got it. Have fun!!

Thanks again for recommendations for places to stay within the five villages! You all are so helpful.

Cynthia,

Not sure if you are still looking but here is where we stayed in Riomaggiore in June:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4906848?source_impression_id=p3_1571851372_16gfcMwx46gp0QAc

It was wonderful! We loved the atmosphere in Riomaggiore more than any of the other 4 villages. Absolutely breathtaking, with lemons, basil, and rosemary growing everywhere and a small town feel even during the day.

I will say that the initial walk with luggage up to the apartment was a workout, but once we were there, it wasn't an issue going down to the water or back up to the apartment.

Can't say enough about Locanda IL Maestrale in Monterosso. In old town. Giovanni and Stefania are the best.

https://locandamaestrale.net/?lang=en