Time in Cinque Terre

We have stayed from 3 to 7 nights in the Cinque Terre multiple times and also in Camogli once for 6 nights. We find it desirable to stay longer most places, to take our time and have outings and hikes , but also just wander a village, relax in a piazza, enjoy simply being there. With a base for 5 or 6 nights (giving you 4 or 5 full days) you have time to get to all 5 villages, take a few hikes, ferry over to Porto Venere for a day, maybe even get to Rapallo and ride up to Mont Allegro. There are many day trip possibilities.

And we’ve been to Florence and Tuscany so I really thought about a relaxing few days there. We’ll be there in August. I know it can get hot but we’re right by the water.

We stayed over five days and thoroughly enjoyed our time there, hiking and taking the ferry between the villages to wander at a relaxed pace. It allowed us to experience the region during non-peak hours (early-morning and after 4p), outside of when day trippers can overwhelm the towns. Many posts on these boards suggest you only need '2-3' days, but just depends what you want to get out of a visit there. CT offers wonderful surroundings for slowing down and settling in, if that appeals to you. Otherwise, you can certainly see the highlights (and brace yourself for crowds) if you're looking to fit everything into a short stay.

What time of year were you there.

What time of year were you there

Mid- to late-July

JE,

If you're planning to make several day trips, 5 -6 days is not too much time in the Cinque Terre (IMHO). It's a great place to enjoy a relaxed pace for a few days and practice the fine art of Il dolce far niente. As the others have mentioned, you can explore the five towns at a leisurely pace, take the Ferry to Porto Venere and see the towns from the water, explore Levanto or other nearby towns or perhaps even take a day trip to Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure.

If you're in the mood to hike, at least two segments of the popular Sentiero Azzurro trails should be open. For a more relaxed hike (probably more of a "stroll"), you can walk from Levanto to Bonassola (or vice versa) through the old railway tunnels and then return to your home base town by train. You can also spend some time enjoying the excellent local Pesto in the area where it was invented.

It will be hot and crowded in August, but if you plan for hot weather (some beach time?) and plan to be away from the towns between about 10:00 - 16:00, you should be able to avoid most of the crowds. You can always return to the air conditioned comfort of your hotel for a "siesta" in the hottest part of the afternoon.