Cinque Terre — Innamo

The photographs do not lie, exactly. They cannot convey the scale, the effort, the steepness of the hillsides or the particular quality of the light in the early morning when the boats go out. Cinque Terre is not a gentle stroll along a pretty coast. It is dramatic, demanding, built into cliffs by people who had no other choice. That is precisely what makes it extraordinary.

When to go

May and early June. Or September, when it exhales.

Late spring is the best of it: the terraced gardens in full colour, the sea a deep clear blue, the paths between the villages open and walkable, the villages themselves not yet overwhelmed. Early June is the sweet spot, just before the summer crowds find their footing.

September is the other good answer: the heat gentles, the summer visitors thin out, and the grape harvest begins on the steep terraced vineyards. This is when the character of each village becomes most legible.

Five Villages

Each one different. Two of them unmissable.

Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore: five villages, strung along eight kilometres of Ligurian coast. Corniglia is the only one not directly on the sea, perched on a high cliff above it. Vernazza and Manarola are, in most people’s experience, the most beautiful: Vernazza for its small harbour and its particular arrangement of colour, Manarola for the view from the headland at dusk.

Monterosso is the largest and most resort-like: a proper beach, more hotels, more restaurants. Riomaggiore is the starting point for most people arriving by train. Each village has its own character, and Nesse will steer you toward the right ones for what you are looking for.

Getting There

Train, boat, and your own two feet.

The train along the Ligurian coast is fast, cheap, and runs through some extraordinary scenery. From La Spezia, it takes minutes to reach each village. The alternative, for the physically willing, is the coastal path: steep, occasionally demanding, and with views that make every effort worthwhile.

In summer, the boats between villages are also worth taking: the view from the sea, looking back at the cliff villages in the afternoon light, is the one the photographs are trying to capture. In calm weather, take the boat at least one way.

Portofino

Twenty minutes by boat, and a different world entirely.

Portofino sits at the tip of its own small peninsula, just a short boat ride along the coast from the Cinque Terre. It is one of the most beautiful harbour villages in the world: a perfect horseshoe of coloured houses, a piazzetta where the terrace tables have the best views in Liguria, and a clarity of light on the water that makes it look slightly unreal. It has always attracted the wealthy and the artistic, and you can see why the moment you arrive.

The village is small enough to walk in twenty minutes, and the point is not sightseeing. It is the act of being there: an aperitivo on the harbour wall as the fishing boats come in, a walk up to the Castello Brown above the village, the swimming off the rocks at Paraggi just before the headland. Nesse will tell you which boat to take and exactly how to spend the time.

Food & Drink

The pesto here is different. Everything else follows from the sea.

Ligurian pesto is made with a local basil grown in the sea air that gives it a particular sweetness not found elsewhere. Trofie al pesto, the local pasta, is the right thing to order. Focaccia from a bakery at eight in the morning. Anchovies, fresh or marinated in lemon and olive oil, from the village bars.

Sciacchetrà, the local dessert wine, is made from dried grapes grown on the terraced hillsides above the sea. It is not easy to find outside Liguria. Worth seeking. Order a small glass with the local pastries and consider yourself in the right place.