Help me understand Cinque Terre

La Spezia is a relatively big city and is not Cinque Terra. If you want a little bit more excitement stay in Monterosso. Rick Steves and me (perhaps some others) like Vernazza the most. But other villages are suitable for your purpose, too. There is a trail to Riomaggiore, too.

What do you like about Vernazza?

I like them all but Vernazza seems to be most picturesque (at least in mine and R.S. HO). It has one long street which ends at the little square at the harbor. There is something like castle tower above the harbor. Vernazza has little side alleys with a lot of steps there. And it was my first village in C.T. and I got used to it.

edith,

Everyone here has their own favourite of the five Cinque Terre towns, so you'll get a variety of answers. My preference is Monterosso, as it's the largest of the five towns and therefore has the best choice of accommodations, most restaurants and other amenities and the best beaches. Riomaggiore, Manarola and Vernazza are all favourites in varying degrees and Corniglia is probably the least favourite given it's location high on a rock bluff (access to the station isn't as easy).

La Spezia is not "officially" part of the Cinque Terre, although it is the administrative centre for that area. It's a large city and doesn't have the same quaint character of the five towns. I've never stayed there but I really doubt if it's "more touristy".

In addition to the local trains, it's also possible to get between the villages by boat but those are weather-dependent so don't run all the time. The boats stop at all the towns except Corniglia, and they also go to other places such as Porto Venere.

The trails that most people like to hike are the Sentiero Azzurro trails that run along the ocean. There are four sections and different sections are at times closed due to storm damage which is a yearly occurrence. At the present time, only the trail from Monterosso to Vernazza is open, and that's the most challenging one as it has quite a climb at each end. I'm not sure which of the trails will be open in May this year, but you can check the official park website prior to your visit. A Park Pass is required to hike those particular trails and those can be easily obtained either at local stations or at small wooden booths at each trail. There is also an extensive network of other trails that extend further up into the hills, and those don't require a Pass to hike.

I've never seen or heard of anyone scuba diving there, but I suppose that's possible.

Thanks for the help. Next question - do we take the train to a trailhead, hike the trail, and hop on the train to come back?

You can return by boat or walk or train.

I've never seen scuba there, but some boys jump from the rocks, some people sim from the one real beach. I have never noticed snorkeling either, but I suppose there is no reason that couldn't happen, but the water will be pretty cold in May.

Have you arranged with a local scuba shop? Will you be carrying your own wetsuits and gear? I've never seen a dive shop there.

Maybe La Spezia might have a dive shop? It is the home of the Italian Navy and their subs so I would have thought at least professional divers would need somewhere to charge their tanks if nothing else...

We stayed in Riomaggiore which I liked very much. As to a favorite I would say a toss up between there and Vernazza. As mentioned, Corniglia is probably the least accessible of them all but would still be do able but in any case the train ride between them all is very short. There is a dive shop, or was in 2010, in Riomaggiore near the bay. I only noticed cause it's right on the main path going down there. The other towns I never noticed. We were there around the same time of year you're planning and a lot of the trails were closed due to rain.

I'll throw my vote in with Ken for Monterosso for the variety of accommodations and restaurants. He's also spot on about the trails: much of the #2 Sentiero Azzurro is closed right now, and even if parts re-open by May, they can abruptly close again after a heavy rain or a rockslide event. But as you'll see from the link to the park he provided, there's more than one way to skin the cat: there are numerous other trails, and choosing other routes depends on the amount of time/effort you want to expend. T

Yes, taking the train between villages is quick and easy. Trailheads are accessed from the villages, and there are no pickup points in between so you'll need to return to a village to get back on a train. There is some bus service between villages in the larger CT region (includes villages located above the CT 5) but again, you'd need to pick those up in town.

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/spostarsi-nel-parco_2.asp?id_lingue=2

Whatever you choose for location, I would make reservations quickly as the best of the more affordable accommodations may very well be booked by now.

edith,

"do we take the train to a trailhead, hike the trail, and hop on the train to come back?"

If you're staying in one of the towns at either end of the trails (ie: Monterosso or Riomaggiore), most people just start at the trailhead there and continue to the opposite end (provided all the trails are open). If you're staying in one of the "centre" towns such as Vernazza or Manarola, you can either take a train to the "end" towns and start your hike, or just start on the trail from that town. If one or more sections of the Sentiero Azzurro trails are closed, hike the ones that are open and take the local trains or boats (weather permitting) around the closed sections. Have a look at the map either in the guidebook of one the park website to get an idea of the layout of the towns.

I normally suggest starting at the Monterosso end, as that's the most challenging section and best to do when well rested. There's quite a climb at the beginning, but once you're up to the trail level it's a relatively easy walk (albeit some very narrow parts). The scenery is beautiful and the hike is well worth the effort (IMO).