Stay the night in one of the towns.

Cinque Terre is a common day trip for cruise ships or from Florence. It can get crowded, so we spent two nights in Riomaggiore to enjoy the sometime in the morning and evening when it is less crowded. We found an Airbnb that ended up being the favorite of our trip. Riomaggiore is the first of the towns and made an excellent base point to explore the area. But really you will fall in love with whatever town you pick so don’t stress too much about it!

Get a table at Nessun Dorma.

Our Airbnb host recommended this one; we are so glad she did. This Instagram hotspot is famous for its spectacular views and tasty Bruschetta, meat, and cheese platters. Using their app, we could put our name on the list for a table and explore until it was getting close to getting a table.

Take a hike.

Cinque Terre is known for its hiking trails. Make sure and spend at least some of your time exploring the trails. It makes your afternoon gelato treat that much more enjoyable. Hiking between all the towns is now on our bucket list. Because the towns are linked by train, one could easily spend the day hiking and return to your Airbnb when done exploring.

Other Cinque Terre Recommendations:

• Take a boat ride and view the towns from the sea. Looking for more of an adventure? Go Kayaking!
• Take a cooking class. Cinque Terre is known for its Pesto.
• Grab a bottle of Cinque Terre wine and watch the sunset on the rocks of Riomaggiore.
• Eat fresh, locally caught seafood. Tutti Fritti in Riomaggiore was locally owned and had takeaway cones.
• Town hopping. With the Cinque Terre Treno card, you have unlimited train travel. See how many towns you can visit in one day. *We made it to 3.
• Visit one of the many vineyards in Cinque Terre.
• Relax and soak up some sun at one of the many beaches in the area.