Where to Find the Best View of Each Town in Cinque Terre

In a country full of spectacularly picturesque places, Italy’s Cinque Terre still manages to stand out. This seaside string of five little towns is beautiful from top to bottom: rows of pastel homes cling to cliffsides, colorful umbrellas fill beaches, and little boats fill harbors.

Naturally, there’s no shortage of remarkable views of this area. During my trip to Cinque Terre, I made a point of tracking them down and seeking out the best view of each of the five towns.

This is where to find the best views in Cinque Terre.

TIP: This map contains the locations discussed in this blog post. To save it to your own Google Maps account, click the star next to the map’s name. You can then find and use the map from your Google Maps app by going to “Saved,” then “Maps.”

Monterosso al Mare

While some towns in Cinque Terre are best known for the way their pastel-colored buildings spill down cliffsides or sit tucked away in little harbors, Monterosso al Mare is most famous for its beaches. The town stretches out beside the sea, making the most of its available space and filling strips of sand with brightly colored beach chairs.

So what’s the best view of Monterosso? One where you can get a great look at those iconic rows of striped beach umbrellas.

You can find my favorite spot, seen above, from a promontory between the train station and the entrance to the Sentiero Azzurro (a hiking trail that will take you between the Cinque Terre’s villages) — right about here.

If you choose to hike the Sentiero Azzurro (which I recommend!) you’ll get more great views of Monterosso, including some from much higher up (plus, different angles).

the runner-up

The next-best views of Monterosso, in my opinion, are from the beaches themselves and the walkways behind them. Get a good look at those fantastic umbrellas!

Vernazza

The most famous view of Vernazza is one of the most famous views in all of Cinque Terre!

It’s a look at the town from high above. You’ll see a brilliant blue-green cove — often filled with boats and swimmers — beside a charming church tower and in front of the colorful buildings in town. There’s even a tower presiding over it all. Honestly, it’s pretty magical!

You’ll find this view right about here on the Sentiero Azzurro, between Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare.

There are a few similar views, with slightly different angles, to be found between there and Vernazza itself. (And to be honest, the quality of many of these views will depend entirely on how much foliage is or isn’t in the way at the time you’re there — so cross your fingers that it’s been trimmed recently.)

If you’re just seeking out views, I recommend simply starting the Sentiero Azzurro from Vernazza (heading west toward Monterosso), and climbing until you find a view you’re happy with!

the runner-up

My second-favorite views of Vernazza can also be found on the Sentiero Azzurro — but on the other side of town. Take the Sentiero Azzurro toward Corniglia, and as you climb, you’ll have some fantastic views of Vernazza — approximately here — as you start to ascend.

Corniglia

Corniglia is the only town in Cinque Terre that’s perched on a hill — so it’s no surprise that the best view of Corniglia can be found on the Sentiero Azzurro, when you can see how the town sits high above the sea. (Be sure to look for Manarola in the distance, too!)

You’ll find this view from Il Gabbiano, a cafe along the Sentiero Azzurro between Vernazza and Corniglia. With bathrooms, cold drinks, snacks, and great views — all of which are extremely welcome during a sweaty, challenging hike — a stop at Il Gabbiano was one of my very favorite parts of hiking the Sentiero Azzurro. (I adored the frozen lemonade!)

the runner-up

As you get closer to Corniglia on the Sentiero Azzurro, you’ll find more nice views of town — including this one, which is approximately here.

Manarola

No contest for the best view in Manarola: it’s a cliffside viewing area across the harbor from the main part of town. From there, you can get a spectacular look at how the town, with buildings seemingly stacked on top of each other, clings to the rocks above the sea.

By the way, if you ask me, this is the best place to watch the sunset in Cinque Terre! You can watch the buildings of Manarola absolutely glow in the light of the setting sun, or walk to the end of the promontory and watch the sun dive toward the horizon.

the runner-up

To be honest, the best view of Manarola is so definitively the winner that the runner-up is just…right beside it.

It’s the view from Nessun Dorma, an aperitivo bar that’s also located on the side of the promontory. There, you can soak in fantastic views while also enjoying a cocktail and some snacks. Read all about how to get a table at this bar, Nessun Dorma, right here!

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore is gorgeous, with colorful stacks of buildings flanking a narrow harbor in a V shape.

For the best view of Riomaggiore, head up to this viewing area at the farther end of the V. (I recommend getting an ice cream cone on the way up so you can enjoy the view and a sweet treat at the same time!)

There are some rocks out in the harbor with a more straight-on look at town; people love to clamber out there to watch the sun set. If they’re accessible during your visit, be sure to go out there — I suspect that’s an even better view of the town.

Unfortunately, the rocks are often blocked off to visitors for safety reasons (which was the case during my visit). Sorry!

the runner-up

I stayed in Riomaggiore during my visit to Cinque Terre, and lucked out with an Airbnb that surely has one of the best views of town. From its huge (but sparsely appointed) terrace, I had an incredible view up the main street of Riomaggiore. I watched people strolling through town, eating at cafes, hanging laundry to dry, relaxing on other terraces, and rappelling down to wash windows. And I admired the way the pink and yellow and orange and beige buildings, all with their green shutters, crowded into each other to fill the narrow spaces available for the town.

Around me, the mountains presiding over the town. One night, I watched a supermoon rise from behind one of them.

To the south: the sea and the sky. Spectacular, all around.

It wasn’t an incredible Airbnb, aside from the view, and (unsurprisingly) the stairs to get up there were wild, but looking at the views from that terrace was such a pleasure that I would definitely consider staying there again on a future visit to Cinque Terre.

If you’d like to stay at the same Airbnb, check it out here.

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