After the PACS* with my boyfriend, I got an extra 6 days off from my company, but my boyfriend didn’t, so I decided to go on a solo trip to Cinque Terre.
It was October, and I was thinking, Where can I go next week, close to Luxembourg, where I can enjoy good weather and delicious food?
There were 2 options in my head: Mallorca or Italy.
And the choice was obvious! As a pizza and pasta lover, I decided to have an appetite for life like Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love, and I got plane tickets to Milan! And if you want to follow Julia’s path, I also did 3 weeks later a nice trip to romantic Rome.
I packed my luggage, and a week later I was on the way to my favourite country, Italy!
*PACS—a civil union that is legal in France or Luxembourg
The most adorable place in Italy
I knew for a long time that I always wanted to visit Cinque Terre.
Located on the coast of western Italy, near the cities of Pisa and Florence, the Cinque Terre are a collection of five little fishing towns. Because of their picturesque setting and charming, multi-colored houses perched on cliffs, the villages are well-known among tourists.
Is Cinque Terre safe to go alone?
Yes, I always felt completely secure when traveling alone in Italy, and my favorite part of the country is Cinque Terre.
You can feel comfortable and even make friends with other solo travelers because there are plenty of them. In Cinque Terre, I met a couple of similar-minded female travelers. You definitely are not going to be alone there; the spot is very popular with tourists, and I’ve always felt very safe while going alone to some touristy places.
How touristy is Cinque Terre?
These five little towns get about 2.5 million visitors annually!
Although there are many tourists in the Cinque Terre, it is not as busy as Rome. When I went to Cinque Terre at the beginning of October, I still found some quiet time in the early morning in some hidden places that I am about to show you.
When is the best time to visit Cinque Terre?
Avoid going to Cinque Terre during the summer months, as you won’t find an empty spot for you to enjoy the beauty of this place. There will be so many people that it will be difficult to take a good photo, let alone go for a swim or a hike between the towns.
The sea is extremely warm in October, having warmed up from the summer, and the weather is still high, around 30 degrees, making it the ideal month to visit Cinque Terre. I swam four times during my October trip, twice of which were at sunset.
Another option would be to visit in April or May if you prefer to avoid tourists. On the other hand, the water will not be as warm as it would be in the fall, and after the long hike, swimming there is incredibly refreshing.
How to get to Cinque Terre?
After taking a flight from Luxembourg, I stayed in Milan for three days. Afterwards, I rode the rails directly to my hotel in La Spezia. Not bad considering it took me about three hours. From Milan to Cinque Terre’s neighboring city of La Spezia, the cost of a train ticket was forty euros.
You can also easily get to Cinque Terre from sunny Tuscany or from cities like Pisa or Florence. Verify the airfare to Bergamo, Milan, or even closer destinations like Pisa or Florence.
Where to stay in Cinque Terre?
Going to one of the five villages would have been too expensive for my budget-conscious traveler, so I opted to spend two nights in La Spezia, the city that borders Cinque Terre.
From there, there is a direct train service to all five villages; it takes only 10 minutes and will save you money on accommodation.
I paid only 80 euros for two nights in the hotel Bella Napoli Guesthouse Trattoria Pizzeria. The breakfast was included in the price and served starting at 7 am, which allowed me to take an early train and go explore Cinque Terre before the crowd arrived.
The hotel is located just a 5-minute walk from the main train station. See the view from my hotel room on the left and the hotel’s enormous breakfast on the right in the pictures below.
As my love for Cinque Terre was greater than I had anticipated, I opted to spend an extra night in the region.
For some reason, I felt the need to “Treat Myself” this time, so I reserved a one-night stay in the centre of Corniglia—a village that quickly rose to the position of my second favorite—for 100 euros.
Riomaggiore is my top pick, but I will get to that later on 🙂
2 days in Cinque Terre itinerary
Here is a little guide I made for you through the beautiful 5 Terre, complete with pictures.
2 days, 4 villages, 4 swims. Enjoy!
~day 1: Riomaggiore and Manarola
Riomaggiore
At 9 a.m., I took a train from La Spezia to Riomaggiore. It took me about 10 minutes to get there.
It is the first of five Cinque Terre villages to be reached from La Spezia. Even after seeing the other four locations, this one remains my favorite.
Why?
Perhaps because during the morning hours it was still quite empty, or perhaps because Riomaggiore is simply the most amazing place!
First, I went to the well-known photo location to capture some great shots before the crowds of tourists descended. Wow, what a fantastic spot! Perched on the cliffs, the colorful little houses harmonize with the serene sea like a harmonious melody. It seems surreal.
Swimming in Riomaggiore
Just look at the photos below! An empty spot to swim in Cinque Terre! A paradise 🙂
I saw a small path behind the cliffs. While everyone else went up to the town, I chose to go see what was behind the cliffs. And what I found was a secret place to swim! Amazing place to get away from everyone else and go swimming!
I jumped into the water without giving it much thought. It felt great to be in the water, which was not cold. Excellent location; I suggest it for your first swim in Cinque Terre.
Lunch on the rocks
The best idea is to grab some pizza take away and go eat on the rocks. A great view is guaranteed, and you don’t have to worry about finding a table or being sour-faced by so many people in a crazy-loud restaurant. Eat in nature! It taste better 🙂
The pizza Margharita that I grabbed to go costs me only 8 euros, and I made my way back to the rocks beside the sea to savor this delicious lunch while taking in the breathtaking scenery.
Every restaurant was jam-packed with tourists, so I had to get creative to find a spot that worked for me.
Hike to Manarola
After my tasty lunch, I was ready to visit the second village, which is called Manarola. I could have taken the train, but I opted for the more entertaining and enjoyable alternative. It was my decision to go to Manarola by hiking through the mountains. It was surprisingly safe but challenging, despite what my Italian friend had warned me. Extremely steep, in the 30s or so Celsius. I made it through thanks to my trusty water bottle and comfy shoes 🙂
According to Google Maps, the hike would only take about 36 minutes. Being by myself allowed me to do it at my own pace. Every few minutes I paused to capture the breathtaking scenery, so the 36-minute trek stretched into a two-hour trek.
But that is the beauty of traveling alone: you get to set your own schedule, do as you please, eat when you want, and take breaks whenever you like. No one is urging you to hurry up or waiting for you.
Imagine this: It’s just you, Mother Nature, and a bottle of water.
Manarola
Two hours later, I reached Manarola, the second village. It was not my favorite time of day because the town was full of tourists. I stumbled upon the most jaw-dropping restaurant in Manarola, Nessun Dorma, on Instagram.
Getting a table there is so hard that you have to get on an online list. To join the list, you need to get their app on your phone and use it to sign up. You will not get a table if you do not do it. It was finally my turn at about 4:30 in the afternoon after I had waited for over an hour. There is no way to order just a drink, which is too bad. You will be asked to order food by the staff. To cool down, I got an Aperol Spritz and some tasty bruschetta. I felt like a goddess!
Swimming in Manarola
A lovely Polish couple I met there took some pictures of me. I opted to go for a short swim and watch the sunset after enjoying myself in Nessun Dorma. There, I met a girl from the US who was also traveling by herself. We jumped into the water together and then talked while watching the sun go down.
Following that, I walked around Manarola a bit to get a feel for the place before catching a train back to La Spezia.
~day 2: Corniglia to Vernazza
Corniglia
Corniglia is located in the heart of Cinque Terre National Park, 100 meters above sea level. It is the smallest of the five villages and the hardest to get to.
Like I said before, I spent a third night right in the middle of 5 Terre because I adored it. Corniglia, a small town smack dab in the center of 5 Terre, was number three on my itinerary.
When I boarded the train in the morning from La Spezia, I went past the stations of Riomaggiore and Manarola before arriving at the third station, Corniglia. At the time, I was unaware that this small town was situated on uphill terrain, so I had to take an additional bus to carry my bags to it. Due to the steep terrain and the fact that you will need to climb 382 stairs to reach the village, I would advise against walking there with your luggage.
Below you can see the stairs from the train station to Corniglia. I took them in the afternoon, coming back from Vernazza.
In the second picture above, you can see the city centre of Corniglia. Totally empty at 9:30 am on Friday. I was so lucky to be there so early, so I could enjoy the town in peace.
The peace didn’t last forever, as the next morning on Saturday (around the same time), the place was packed with tourists. I suggest going to Cinque Terre during the week.
Near the city center, my Airbnb landlady showed me a balcony with a breathtaking view of the sea and Manarola in the distance.
Hike to Vernazza
After spending some peaceful time by myself in Corniglia, I set out on my second hike, this time to Vernazza, the fourth village on my list to explore.
The hike was fantastic; it was so easy and mostly flat that I ran for the majority of it.
I would say this morning’s run in the mountains was the most relaxing time I have had in Cinque Terre. Occasionally I would meet a couple of hikers, but otherwise it was completely empty.
The trip in total took me an hour. It will take approximately two hours if you want to go at a leisurely pace. You will be greeted by the breathtaking beauty of Vernazza, as you reach the viewpoint as presented in the photos below.
Vernazza
I walked down to town, got an espresso, and went for a swim. After my morning run, I needed to cool off in the water.
A great point for reaching the water and tanning is a group of large, level rocks that face the town. Swimming was an absolute necessity due to the scorching heat, despite it being the 6th of October!
I did not love the town itself all that much, perhaps because it was so crowded with tourists, like Manarola, So I followed some paths and tried to get lost to find some quiet places away from everyone else. People are magically gathering only in the city center, so if you want to find peace, just head uptown to some side streets.
Lunch in Vernazza
In Corniglia, I met a girl who recommended me a great hidden restaurant called Deck in Vernazza. She said the place is very private, located on a cliff, and has an excellent view.
That place sounded like the ideal lunch spot to me.
The restaurant opens at precisely 15:00. As I was dining alone, the waiter struck up a conversation and offered me a glass of the most delicious white wine from the area. Also, my meal of focaccia was absolutely delicious.
To sum up, I am giving this restaurant a 10/10 score.
Swimming in Corniglia
Following lunch, I took the train back to Corniglia. I chose not to take the bus to the city center, so I climbed the stairs instead (see picture above).
Since the day was winding down, I knew it was time for my sunset swim 🙂
I took a short descent around 6pm and discovered a beautiful spot to swim and watch the sun go down. The water was warm, and I even met a charming German couple who wanted to take my pictures. The day was long, but the pizza at the end of the day made me feel good.
Final thought from my solo trip to Cinque Terre
If you want to go to Italy by yourself but are afraid it will be dangerous or lonely, do not listen to your own thoughts! Listen to me:)
It was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
The Cinque Terre is a fairytale setting. In just two days, I visited four of the five villages, went swimming four times, ate delicious food, and, most importantly, never felt lonely. Everyone here is on vacation, so getting around is a breeze and nothing will spoil your experience. Get your bags and head to Italy! You will meet plenty of people who are just like you—traveling solo. So why wait?
