Visited Cinque Terre in 2006... Is it ruined for me now??

Is there somewhere comparable that you could fit into your itinerary? I visited in 2010 and have never returned, but it sent me toward so many amazing places instead. If you will hike the uppermost trails, it is probably fine. I just feel like anyone who has the wherewithal to consider alternatives probably should (and will be rewarded).

The scenery and charm will probably never change. The crowds can be a bit of an issue but ignoring them is quite easy. I was there two years ago and it was just as nice as four years hence. Don't let the naysayers ruin things for you.

Don't expect smaller crowds in the spring or fall, as shoulder seasons don't really exist anymore in such popular areas. As long as you have realistic expectations, enjoy!

Just go beyond the 5 towns that make up the Cinque Terre to escape the hordes. LERICI is south of the CT and LEVANTO, Bonassola and Camogli are north.

I've only been once, and it was in September a couple of years ago.

Honestly, although the scenery was magnificent, I felt like we were walking around Epcot - as far as I could tell there were no locals mingling out in the streets or on the train because everyone was speaking English and a smattering of other languages besides Italian. The only people I noticed speaking English with Italian accents were working in the shops and restaurants.

Basically, although it was very pretty, it had a Disney-esque kind of feeling to it, as though it was all contrived to appeal to visitors but wasn't a place where people really lived and worked in anything but the tourist trade.

I didn't do the hikes between the towns, so can't speak to that. I got on a stuffy crowded train with 500 other tourists to go from town to town.

Again, it had spectacular views, and we spent a pleasant couple of days there, but it was a one-off for me, I'm not even tempted to go back. (PS...I kind of felt this same way about Capri!)

Hi Haley,

We just wrapped up the Best of Italy tour May. One of our top destinations to see was Cinque Terre. Our group stayed in Monterosso which was a pleasant surprise compared to visiting Vernazza which was packed with tourist. What we did do was to rent a private boat (4 hours) and enjoy the towns by water. That was a treat. We booked through Sea Breeze and they were wonderful. Others on our tour hiked and it sounded miserable due to so many people. They came back tired and we were refreshed. There are quiet places that you can get away from the crowds. You just have to look for them. Example being the cute church on top the hill in Monterosso. No one was there and the little cemetery was a special experience for us. I’d say with your past experience, just expect it to be far different and now discovered. Enjoy the time. The people were kind, patient and lovely. Prego~

I first went in 1998 and was blown away.

The second time, in 2012, it was much different. The crowds were overwhelming and, by September, the locals were worn out from a year of trying to rebuild their communities from devastating flooding. The local people were still wonderful despite the hardship. However, the vast number people on the hiking trails that were either out of their league physically or unprepared with proper gear was frustrating beyond belief. Imagine waiting 10 minutes to climb a set of stairs as 30 people stream down.

I will go again but wait until October and then visit more of the surrounding towns.

We stayed in Levanto during our RS Village Italy tour this spring. We had been to Monterosso several years ago when it was “manageable”. This time, Monterosso was a zoo but it was a holiday weekend - I couldn’t wait to leave.

At first I was disappointed we weren’t staying in Monterosso, then appreciated Levanto for its lower key aspects. We walked to Bonassola through the tunnels, watched the divers going after octopus. Levanto was a charming community. We had a lovely long lunch with another couple, watched a local commune parade through the town with drums and costumes and found a little wine shop with a young man who spoke almost perfect English…. that’s another story.

I woke up at dawn and hiked from Riomaggiore to Corniglia with the
trail practically to myself.

Haley, back in 2006 you probably hiked the "Blue" (Sentiero Azzurro: requires a pass) route between those two villages. The section between Corniglia and Manarola has been closed to landslide for many years now - they're working on it but no firm date for reopening - so you'd need to use the workaround from Corniglia> Volastra> Manarola. I've not sone it myself but is reported to be a nice hike.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/what-are-the-least-crowded-hikes-in-cinque-terre

The recently reopened Via dell'Amore section between Manarola and Riomaggiore now requires timed-entry reservations, is a one-way route, and has a fee.

The hike from Levanto to Monterosso is supposed to be very nice too; I've seen that one recommended in some past threads. But in short? I think the key is to avoid the Sentiero Azzurro altogether if you want to lose the crowds, although it's possible that it would be OK very early in the morning. That one has become a conga line of both conditioned hikers and others who have no business being there. It's gotten so bad that the park is now issuing fines to hikers without appropriate sturdy, closed-toe footwear with a grip to try and discourage the completely clueless about what's involved and reduce injuries. Anyway, you'll find some of the alternate suggestions on this site, and fellow hikers here can offer some up.

https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-hiking-trails#monterosso-vernazza

Good luck with that decision, haley. I was in the Cinque Terre in 1997, and have decided not to return. I was one of 6-7 tourists staying in the town of Vernazza back then, and it was one of the most peaceful places I had been to. I got my room by walking around the town, asking "un camera?" until a little old lady grabbed my arm and took me up to her and her husband's apartment where they rented me a tower room with a view overlooking the sea for an incredibly low price. They spoke no English and I had no Italian, but the husband and I both knew a little French, so we managed with that and some sign language. :-)

My visit was wonderful and I just don't think it would compare now. I hate crowds anyway, and don't want to mar the memory of that perfect stay. :-)

I agree with Mardee. We were there in 2011, just weeks before the big flood. It was so magical. As much as we loved it, and would love to go back, we know it would not be the same. So we are happy to keep the wonderful memories of how it used to be.

We were there in 2010 and already the Sentiero Azzuro was a conga line in October. We’ve returned several times to hike the higher trails but the crowds in the villages during the day are wearying. Just try to get off the platform in Vernazza!

Staying in Camogli for a week was refreshing (October 2018) with a chance to visit other towns long the Italian Riviera but we will not be going back to the five towns.

Just to pile in we visited CT in either 95 or 96 - before the ferry and the cards and the tickets and had the experience people are looking for now and can't find. Heck, we showed up in Monterosso in June without reservations. I try not to discourage people from going but try to temper expectations. My coworker really wanted to go and did everything "wrong" - visited as part of cruise excursion and loved it. If I had told her not to go based on my history she wouldn't have gotten that experience. Honestly speaking I would tell people not to go, but who am I to dictate what people want to see.

A few years ago I spent 3 days in Porto Venere and chose to leave that memory where it was and not visit again. But from that experience I would advise people who are looking for a new adventure to explore the southern side of La Spezia bay instead. Tellaro is a tiny CT like town all on it's own and there is sleepier San Terenzo and resorty Lerici connected by the walkable strand. And there is also Sarzana just over the hill connected by bus like Tellaro. All Italian beach towns are touristed in summer but the southern side of La Spezia harbor is Italians in for the summer not day trippers from cruise ships.

My next Ligurian adventure is hopefully going to be staking out the coast between Rapallo and Levanto and investigating Chiavari, Sestri Levante, etc. for at least a week and hopefully a couple of weeks.

I have had the debate with people if we are ruining places by recommending them and turning tourists onto them so that they "become touristy" and we risk losing the places we fell in love with. After I got back from my first, life-altering, trip to Italy I read a bunch of books with people's experiences in Italy and in one a woman returned to find her Italian family and stay with them. At one point an uncle goes on and on about how wonderful Rome used to be before they ruined it and she suggested maybe she shouldn't go to Rome. Paraphrasing:
"You have to go see Rome it's the most amazing place on earth!"
- "But you just said it had been ruined..."
"Oh it's been ruined so many times before it doesn't matter."

Is CT ruined? Yes, but it was ruined by pirates, and war and poverty and now tourism and probably by something else down the road. You can only visit places as they exist now and take them on those terms or choose someplace else.

Everyone have great trips,
=Tod

"Oh it's been ruined so many times before it doesn't matter."

Best laugh I've had all week...but good point!

I can understand your question. However, things change. Nothing stays the same. You can feel bad about the changes or you go with them, adapt to them, and continue to enjoy. Those of us of "a certain age" have seen the world change dramatically during our lifetimes. The trick is to just keep moving forward. If one place no longer holds the same appeal, then move on.

CT is good, but not in my opinion a top rated place to visit in Italy. The Amalfi Coast is better.
Also, Tuscany has so many great places to spend time. Siena, San Gimignano, Cortona, and Lucca are wonderful place to visit.

We were in CT a few weeks ago and we stayed in Manarola. We had a fabulous time! Yes it is crowded during the day with day trippers but once they leave, starting between 5 and 6, CT is wonderful! So quiet and peaceful and the sunsets are gorgeous.

We enjoyed taking the train and it was easy to get seats. We took the ferry so we could see the villages from the water.

Check the cruise schedules to La Spezia and plan your visit around days when no cruises are in port or only one ship is in port.

Don’t let the naysayers convince you not to go. Otherwise you might always wonder if you should have gone. If you avoid popular and crowded destinations, you will miss some beautiful places.

FWIW, we thought Florence was more crowded and uncomfortable all day and all night. That’s not to say we didn’t enjoy the art in Florence, but we found Florence to be more crowded and hectic than the CT.

And Vernazza is the most crowded because it’s Rick’s favorite village.

I want to clarify. I am not suggesting you don’t visit Cinque Terre because it is more busy now. It is busy for a reason because so many people, us included, love it. I think everyone should visit as many places as they are able to. Crowds have never deterred us from visiting a place. In fact, sometimes the crowds can add to the excitement (such as Munich’s Oktoberfest). We have returned to some places we have visited, but have decided there is so much more of this beautiful world we want to see, so we try to always pick some where new. If you want to go to Cinque Terre, go and come back and tell us how wonderful your trip was.

I spent almost a month in Riomaggiore in my 20’s - this was mid 90s. Then went several times in early 2000s. Like many post-ers, my memories are mostly of a peaceful place. I’m not interested to go back based on what I read and my increasing distaste for crowds but my daughter is going for the first time and I would never discourage her. She won’t have the comparison I have - and she can then decide from her experience if she wants to return! And as another post mentioned places always change and we have to accept it even though it can be disappointing.
Going off season is also a great idea or visiting some of the equally or more beautiful towns to the north as well!

If you want to go, go.

It is not what it used to be, but what can we do? We can’t have the world all to ourselves, we have to share it. Villages will likely be crowded nowadays (especially Vernazza), but if you avoid weekends (and cruise ship days) and hit the trails during the day, the early mornings or evenings (when day trippers and cruiseders are gone), will be fine. Just stay the minimum number of nights necessary. The Cinque Terre are not worth a long stay anymore.

Don't let the naysayers ruin things for you.
Don’t let the naysayers convince you not to go.

I'm not trying to convince anyone not to go (I love it when people travel!), but just giving my opinion, which is what haley requested. For me, it's always about the crowds. I hate crowds, and that's one of the biggest reasons why I was not that enamored of Prague when I went there in 2010, and why I favored the Isle of Mull over Skye in 2023.

Because I have such wonderful memories of my 1997 trip to the Cinque Terre, I really do not want to spoil those memories by visiting there again and battling hordes of people (day-trippers or not). But everyone is different, and we all have our own styles of travel, likes and dislikes. :-)

Don’t let the naysayers convince you not to go.

If someone asked for our opinions, based on our experience visiting this place, then we are expected to give our honest impressions. The OP is free to take what we have shared, and then make their own decision. No one is trying to convince the OP not to go, only reporting how the experience has been for us in recent visits so they can take that into consideration.

If you avoid popular and crowded destinations, you will miss some
beautiful places.

Everyone doesn't have the same tolerance for crowds and touristy attractions. While you may enjoy being one of thousands of tourists in a popular destination spot (and if you do, then that's fine for you) some of us tend to avoid them. If the OP is one of those people, they might want an honest assessment of how "touristy" the CT has become since their last visit. Valid question and valid replies.

Hi Haley,
There was once a time when every poster on every travel forum viewed the CT as a must-see. Since then, most of us have branched out during Italian travels to visit lesser-known locations. Italy has an endless supply of those that serve the traveler well. We have not met a single person who regretted that approach.

Rick readily admits to some regret at having been responsible for promoting the CT unto its current state. Apparently, the staffers whom he recently sent on research scouting visits to update guidebook listings were so besieged by aggressive (and not-necessarily friendly) local business owners seeking a guidebook mention, that those staffers gave up and left the area!

Btw, my wife and I saw Rick's live presentation in Santa Barbara this past February. A month prior, I came this close to contacting his office requesting a brief private interview with him before his show, with a mind towards posting it on both the Fodors forum plus the newly-resurrected Lonely Planet 'Thorn Tree' on Reddit (Hi Kathy). But eventually, I chose not to pursue that.

Tante belle cose.
I am done. the end

...plus the newly-resurrected Lonely Planet 'Thorn Tree' on Reddit (Hi
Kathy).

Hiya Gregg/Zebec! Not a member of Reddit but I'll for sure look in on that forum!
Still miss our old TT stomping ground.

haley,

Only you know your personality and your tolerance for crowds and a vastly different experience.

We went in October of 2023 and it was crowded, so I don't think September is off season any more. We went with realistic expectations and we were very happy we went. We got up early every morning and enjoyed the serenity. We stayed in Manarola which we loved and would catch the train and visit other towns early. We would then have a leisurely lunch and head back to the room for some relaxation and to enjoy our views. We would head out when the crowds were gone and enjoyed the gorgeous sunsets and a wonderful dinner.

We only got to 3 of the towns because we were only there 2 nights,and that was fine, especially because when heading back to our hotel, the trains were packed, and we had to wait for the next one. When we went to Vernazza, the hot body to body crowds were rough. I loved experiencing CT, but wouldn't go back again.

I think you have to check the Cruises in Port Schedule to avoid having some days with almost 10,000 cruisers descend. And I think your experience as an adult would be very different. If you are so inclined, a glass of wine on a balcony watching the sunset is heavenly! Happy planning!

In my opinion, yes, it would be "ruined for you" now. We first visited Cinque Terre in 2000 and were captivated. We spent plenty of time hiking, visiting beaches, and relaxing. We revisited about seven years ago and just didn't enjoy it as nearly much. Too crowded, too touristed, and yes, I know we were tourists too. So go if you really want to return, but you might like finding someplace new to you that offers some of what you enjoyed about Cinque Terre almost 20 years ago.

I hiked the CT trail nearly 40 years ago on my husband's and my first trip to Europe together. No one had heard of it; Rick Steves had not popularized it and turned it into Disneyland. There were no souvenir stands. We walked the first leg with an academic couple we met on the train -- they were walking fast and we wanted to spend the whole day visiting the villages and so we parted after Manarola. The only other people we saw on the trail were a group of Italian 14 year olds and their teacher. As we had coffee in Monterosso on the beachside, we saw a group of German hikers arrive at the station.

It was so lovely -- just a beautiful untouched wonder. The next time we visited was about 25 years ago and it was much less unspoiled but still pleasant.

Having seen the pictures since -- we are preserving our memories and looking for new places to explore.

Kathy, who are all these narcissists above? Talking about themselves--when they should be talking about me!
I am done. the end

...the newly-resurrected Lonely Planet 'Thorn Tree' on Reddit...

WHAT?!

Pardon me while I clean the gelato off my screen.

Um, can you please explain?

Dave, a few years ago some former high-profile members of Lonely Planet's old Thorn Tree forum decided to resurrect it anew as a sub-Reddit. Those folks were Lucapal (Palermo), Nutrax (Cali), Giora (Japan) and Friendly Check-in Girl (Chermoony), all four serving as mods. Although the forum is now much smaller than before, it nonetheless has been reborn with effect. Others who have re-joined include Ian from Melbun, Dave from Sydney, Landes from SW France (she had a different handle before), Bonjour from I think Paris, Plantimoni from n/a, Kazi from Essex, and myself as 'travelerzebec' are a few more of the members.

One of the current posts is going through countries by alphabet and asking for folks experiences there. Another addresses the TOP TWENTY-type lists that have become so vogue in the travelsphere, debating their worth and like that. Moderator Lucapal tolerates exactly zero trolls or personal attacks, so the tone is much more pleasant than the old days.

I am done. the end
BACK TO THE CT

The CT is a heavily touristed place that lacks the infrastructure to deal with the quantity of tourists who visit. The result is an admittedly pretty area that is, in my opinion, a massive PITA to visit. We honestly much preferred La Spezia, which has been depreciated by many posters here as sn "uninteresting industrial town." That's quite at odds with our experience.

In a month in Italy last summer, we had the best food in La Spezia. Its old town and marina are both fantastic.