Cinque Terre Map and Essential Travel Resources

Essential travel facts, maps, and information for visiting the five villages of the Cinque Terre, Italy

You are Here>Home > Europe Map > Italy Map > Cinque Terre Map

The Cinque Terre is a marvelous tourist destination featuring five seaside villages at the foot of terraced hills that fall steeply toward the sea. It is a wonderful place to enjoy the fabulous vistas by hiking amongst the vineyards and olive groves above the villages.

But this ancient land is groaning under the masses of tourists who come, especially in the summer. You'll want to plan ahead if you want to stay in the Cinque Terre, and treading lightly is highly recommended.

Map of Le Cinque Terre - Liguria - Italy

Map of Le Cinque Terre © 2003 by James Martin, licensed to About

Cinque Terre: The 5 Villages

The five villages that make up the Cinque Terre, from north to south are:

• Monterosso al Mare

• Vernazza

• Corniglia

• Manarola

• Riomaggiore

Levanto is the next town north of the Cinque Terre. Portovenere, to the south, is also a well known Italian tourist resort town.

Cinque Terre: Getting There

Train. The map shows the train line that runs from Genoa through the cinque terre, to Pisa and on to Rome.

The train is the easiest way to get to the Cinque Terre. From Genoa (Genova), take the local train toward La Spezia and get off at your destination, or take the express directly to La Spezia and the local back to your Cinque Terra destination. Genoa is about 130 km to the north. From La Spezia, take the local ("Regionale") train toward Sestre Levante, stopping at your destination. Riomaggiore is the first stop after La Spezia.

Plane. The nearest airports are the "Cristoforo Colombo" international airport in Genoa and the "Galileo Galilei" international airport in Pisa.

Boat. The Consorzio Marittimo Turistico runs summer boats from La Spezia to the Cinque Terre as well as excursions along the coast. See their website for more.

Car. While it is possible to approach Cinque Terre's 5 villages by car, it isn't recommended by travelers who've tried it. As in Venice, there is no use for a car once you're there. There is daily parking in Riomaggiore and Monterosso.

The Cinque Terre Card

Starting in 2001, in order to maintain the tourist and weather ravaged trails and environment around the Cinque Terre, the National Park of the Cinque Terre started to require a ticket in order to walk on the "Via Dell’amore" - the first part of the Cinque Terre trail. The Cinque Terre Card is one way to simplify your travel within the Cinque Terre, offering unlimited travel in second class on the trains between Levanto and La Spezia, access to all the services of the National Park of the Cinque Terre, hiking on the "Via Dell’Amore" and the path for Guardiola tower. You'll get a map of the walking trails with the card, which you can purchase at any rail station in the Cinque Terre. (Note: Changes are in store for the Cinque Terre Card for 2007, and it won't include train travel, I'm told)

Cinque Terre Maps and Resources

Cinque Terre Travel Resource Links - General information on the Cinque Terre, including pictures, hotel and hostel accommodations, and traveler experiences.

Cinque Terre Hiking Map - Get a printable map and information on some of the lesser traveled trails in the Cinque Terre from Wandering Italy.

Cinque Terre: Hiking the Blue Trail - What to Expect - get information and a map on hoofing it between villages, what to expect when you walk the Cinque Terre.

Cinque Terre Climate and Weather - Get historical temperatures and rainfall for the area, plus a detailed current forecast with wind conditions.

Cinque Terre: Attractions Nearby

Portovenere makes an interesting destination. There are hiking trails from here--and boats leave for the Cinque Terre frequently in the summer.

The Gulf of Poets is the gulf around La Spezia. If you're looking to get away from the throngs of tourists clogging the Cinque Terre, this is the place. Gulf of Poets maps and pictures. The link has transportation information as well.

Tuscany's Lunigiana region is just to the east. See our Lunigiana Map and Travel Resources. And, of course, there's Tuscany itself: Tuscany Map and Travel Resources.