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Monterrosso al Mare Swimming

Posted by (San Francisco, CA, USA) on

Two questions:

  1. Do you need to book lounge chairs and umbrellas on the pay-beach in advance, and if so can you do it online before you arrive? (I understand the pay-beach is crowded, and I don't want to get there and find out it's already full.)

  2. What is the best option for booking a boat to bring us to more remote, shallow coves for swimming and snorkeling in order to get away from the crowds for an afternoon?

Thanks in advance.

Posted by
16652 posts
  1. No need to book anything. Walk to one of the "bagno" or "lido" and ask for a spot. Unless you are going there in August, they'll have availability.
  2. I've never rented a boat or kayak, but you can probably do so in person. But you can also walk to more secluded spots by walking the path to Vernazza then descending to the water level. It's steep so try not to fall down some cliff. There will be no shallow coves. It's very rocky and cliffy and the water gets deep within a couple of feet from the water edge.
Posted by
70 posts

Thank you for your prompt response. I will be there in the middle of August, which is why I am concerned about getting to the beach and finding nothing available. Since you mentioned August as an exception, is there a way to reserve chairs with umbrellas in advance? Thanks again.

Posted by
16652 posts

Some may have online booking. Others may have only a telephone number and an email address.

I found the establishments below, but I know that in Monterosso there are at least 10 or so just in the Fegina side and maybe another 2 or 3 on the old town side . The first one (Stella Marina) has online booking capabilities. I tested for August 15, which, being a holiday, is probably the busiest day of the year, and they have plenty of spots available. There are also a couple of free beaches (not occupied by establishments) on the Fegina side and one on the old town side, if you don't mind planting your own umbrella in the sand.

Generally Italian families book umbrella spots at some bagni for weeks at the time in August, but I'm not sure if at the Cinque Terre the establishments do so or if Monterosso is a popular place for Italian families that spend weeks in the same spot. Most Italian families avoid the Cinque Terre for that purpose given the crowds nowadays, and therefore most will probably show up for the day if they happen to visit. It's been a couple of decades since I've gone there and rented an umbrella in July (and even longer ago in August, maybe 40 years ago), but I bet if you wing it and show up early enough in the morning you'll find places that are not pre-booked. Nobody goes to the Cinque Terre anymore, it's too crowded (Yogi Berra).

http://www.stellamarinamonterosso.it/
https://www.maravelacinqueterre.com/bagni-alga/
http://bagnifegina.net/

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