How to avoid the Cinque Terre crowds? This is one of the most common questions we get asked. And if you haven’t been to Cinque Terre yet, then you may not even realize that this is an issue. But trust me. It is!
This article is for visitors who want to sidestep the hoards and who want to experience a more authentic side of the 5 towns.
Is Cinque Terre Always Busy?
When we came here for our honeymoon in early June 2019, we were blessed with vibrant but not overcrowded villages. We made a late accommodation booking and the hiking trails were clear of foot traffic.
We didn’t realize this at the time, but we were extraordinarily fortunate to see this magical place before the explosion in tourism.
Fast forward a few years, now we live here, and the change is dramatic and sometimes shocking. The crowds on the trains can be suffocating and out on the streets, you get swept along in a sea of people.
How to visit Cinque Terre and avoid the crowds
Given that most of the visitors to Cinque Terre only see 3% of the total national park, you can see that there is still an opportunity to escape the mass tourists.
So, here are my top tips for avoiding the crowds and experiencing a more authentic Cinque Terre.
1. Visit in shoulder season
The busiest times are between June and early September. During the very hot months of July and August, there can be a slight reprieve in the volume of tourists, but it’s unpredictable.
The best time to visit Cinque Terre is the shoulder season, which is May to early June and September to early October.
The weather is perfect for sightseeing (less rain and warm temperatures) and there are fewer people. Accommodation, activities, and transport are also cheaper at this time of the year.
The low season in Cinque Terre is late Autumn to early Spring. It’s still okay to visit at this time, but the villages are very quiet, and many restaurants and activities are closed. Some hiking trails are also restricted due to wet weather conditions and maintenance of the paths and stone walls.
2. Choose your day
If you’re here during high season, then at least try and avoid public holidays and weekends!
3. Avoid the cruise ship tourists
There are cruise ships docking at various places around Liguria and Tuscany. The dock at La Spezia is the closest to Cinque Terre and some of the ships are enormous with 6000+ passengers!
If you’re coming in high season, then try to avoid the cruise ship tourists. Not surprisingly the volume of tourists in Cinque Terre is less on the days when no cruise ships are docked at La Spezia.
You can check the docking schedule with the port authority. For example, there are 12 days in July with no cruise ships at La Spezia port, and on these days, there are much fewer day trippers in Cinque Terre!
4. Set out early
The pull of Cinque Terre reaches far and wide, with many visitors coming from Florence, Milan, Parma, and Genoa. These cities are 2-3 hours away and within reach for eager day trippers.
But with most of these tour groups starting out around 7am, they don’t reach Cinque Terre until around 10am. If you’re staying in Cinque Terre or La Spezia, then you’ve made the right decision, and you can set out early and beat the day-tripper crowds.
The day trippers usually leave in the afternoon, so from 4pm, you can also enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere.
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5. Book an activity
Many people visiting Cinque Terre do a whistle stop tour to see the colorful houses and to take iconic photos. But there’s so much more to this UNESCO area.
The best activities are those that create a connection with the land and sea, to help visitors appreciate the unique landscape, history, and culture.
Must-do activities include boat tours, kayaking adventures, cooking classes, and winery tours.
6. Do an excursion
The Cinque Terre Express train and ferry service makes travel to other towns very easy.
If you have a few days in the area, then taking an excursion to one of the other nearby towns is a great way to uncover other Ligurian towns with an interesting history, architecture, and other things to do.
For example, at Levanto, there is an open sandy beach and a bike path that stretches for miles along the coast. And at Porto Venere, there are swimming spots with aquamarine water, a medieval old town, and a bustling port with impressive seafood restaurants.
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7. Avoid the main streets
Tour groups (and a lot of the tourists) tend to stick to the main streets and thoroughfares.
It’s easy to avoid the crowds by exploring the alleyways and the nooks and crannies of the old towns. The towns are all small, and it’s hard to get lost, even without a map!
If you’re doing a self-guided excursion to Cinque Terre, you may find a premade Cinque Terre itinerary a perfect solution for an easy day out. Our downloadable guides include cultural and historical sightseeing highlights, recommendations for places to eat, unique things to do, transport guidance, and an interactive map.
Visit Cinque Terre with local insights.
We include a visit to 3 towns, suggestions for lunch, aperitivo & dinner. Also includes wine and cultural tour options, self-guided sightseeing routes, cultural and historic notes, and where to take iconic photos.
8. Hit the beach
During the busy part of the day, you can enjoy a swim at Fegina Beach or a long, lazy lunch at a beachside restaurant in Monterosso.
Day trippers don’t have the time to do these things and are usually bustling around the towns.
9. Hike between the towns
The ancient hiking trails can be challenging, but the coastal views are beautiful and offer unique panoramas of the towns and surrounding terraced farms.
Most people coming to Cinque Terre loiter around the towns and don’t do the hikes. If you are fit enough, then this is a great way to avoid some of the crowds and explore the wider UNESCO area. This is especially true if you’re in Cinque Terre for 2 days or more.
Many of the trails intersect with the ancient, terraced vineyards where you can enjoy wine tastings and learn about this cultural tradition.
10. Enjoy the views
There are also usually fewer tourists the further away you get from the harbors because the tourists on the ferries and boat tours don’t have the time to venture farther afield.
Within a short distance of the towns, you can be in the hills looking down on the towns. From these vantage points, you can soak up the views and take time to reflect on the outstanding beauty of the area.
Our premade Cinque Terre itineraries include easy self-guided walks around the villages and in the nearby hills. An interactive map is included as well as sightseeing highlights and places to eat.
Wrap Up
Cinque Terre has become world-famous and that means that the five towns can be overrun with tourists during high season.
But you don’t have to get caught in the traffic. With a little thought and planning, you can avoid the mass tourists and experience the true charm and culture of this beautiful UNESCO site.
In this post, I’ve shared 10 great ways to enjoy Cinque Terre and avoid the crowds.
FAQ
What is the quietest town in Cinque Terre?
The town that has the fewest tourists is Corniglia. This is partly because Corniglia is set atop a hill, up a lengthy staircase from the train station. Corniglia also doesn’t have a suitable dock for the ferries shuttling hundreds of tourists between the villages.
Corniglia ticks at a slow pace and invites visitors to enjoy views, local foods and historical architecture.
How many tourists visit Cinque Terre?
A record 4 million tourists came to Cinque Terre in 2023. But unfortunately, most tourists only congregate in the towns. They never experience the true beauty of the national park and never understand the depth of culture and history that made this a UNESCO area.
Is Cinque Terre too touristy?
The volume of tourists does make this a touristy destination. But visitors who choose to absorb the culture and history by venturing away from the 5 towns will find a different side to Cinque Terre.
The UNESCO Park is a web of hiking trails and there are dozens of small farms, agriturismi, and wineries where you can experience a slower pace of tourism.
How many people live in Cinque Terre?
The number of permanent residents living Cinque Terre is shrinking while tourist numbers are increasing! There are around 3,500 residents in Cinque Terre living in the following areas:
Riomaggiore: 1070
Manarola: 350
Corniglia: 200
Vernazza: 560
Monterosso al Mare: 1320
Surrounding hills and towns: 450
