For most first-time visitors, stay in Monterosso or Vernazza. Monterosso has the beach, the most rooms and the easiest trains. Vernazza has the harbour you came for, but far fewer beds. Manarola and Riomaggiore suit couples who accept hills and steps, Corniglia suits people who want quiet and do not mind about 380 steps, and Levanto or La Spezia are the smart bases when the villages are full or too dear. This page is updated November 2026 and covers the towns and hotels; for the wider trip see our Cinque Terre travel guide.
Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Hotel scores below were read on Booking.com on 1 November 2026 and will move.
Quick picks
Best base for first-timers: Locanda Il Maestrale in Monterosso (9.5 from 384 reviews). Check prices for Locanda Il Maestrale. Best for couples: Hotel Marina Piccola in Manarola (9.6 from 470 reviews). Check prices for Hotel Marina Piccola. Best value base: Hotel Nazionale in Levanto (9.3 from 591 reviews). Check prices for Hotel Nazionale.
| Town | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Monterosso | First-timers, families, beach | Busiest in summer |
| Vernazza | Atmosphere, walkers | Few rooms, sells out |
| Manarola | Couples, sunsets | Hills and steps |
| Riomaggiore | Evenings, nearest to La Spezia | Steep streets |
| Corniglia | Quiet | About 380 steps from the station |
| Levanto | Value, cars, long stays | Not in the villages |
| La Spezia | Late arrivals, links | A city, not a village |
How to choose a Cinque Terre town
The five villages are a few minutes apart by train, so the choice matters less than it feels. Trains run roughly every 30 minutes out of season and several times an hour in season, and La Spezia is only about 10 minutes from the first village. What changes is what you walk home to: stairs, a beach, a harbour at night. Decide on three things. First, luggage: if you carry big bags, avoid Corniglia and the upper lanes of Manarola and Riomaggiore. Second, nights: the villages are lively by day and quiet after the day-trippers leave, so Monterosso and Riomaggiore have the most evening life. Third, budget: Levanto and La Spezia cost less and add the train as a daily step. Read our Cinque Terre train and card guide before you decide how much you will ride.
Monterosso al Mare: best for first-timers and beach days
Best for: first visits, families and anyone who wants a beach. Skip it if: you want the picture-postcard cliffside look, which is more Manarola. Monterosso is split into an old town and the newer Fegina strip along the seafront where the station is, so you can book either end. It has the most hotels of any village, which keeps it easier to book last-minute than Vernazza. It is also the start of most walks (see things to do in Cinque Terre). The cost is crowds in high season.
Best hotels in Monterosso
Locanda Il Maestrale (Via Roma) scores 9.5 from 384 reviews. Hotel Marina (Via Buranco) scores 9.1 from 1,531. Hotel Villa Adriana scores 9.0 from 1,151. Hotel Baia on Lungomare Fegina scores 8.6 from 1,507 and is the seafront pick near the station. Hotel Porto Roca scores 9.0 but from only 83 reviews, so read recent ones.
Vernazza: best for atmosphere
Best for: travellers who care more about the setting than the facilities. Skip it if: you book late or travel in summer, because rooms are scarce here. The harbour square is the heart of the village and most places are a few minutes on foot from the station, so luggage is manageable. Expect noise from the square on warm evenings.
Best hotels in Vernazza
Elisabetta (Via Carattino) scores 9.3 from 423 reviews. Albergo Barbara on Piazza Marconi scores 9.1 from 702. Gianni Franzi scores 8.5 from 1,532, the lowest on our list but the biggest review base in the village.
Manarola: best for couples and sunsets
Best for: couples and photographers. Skip it if: you have heavy bags or a mobility limit, since the village climbs steeply from the station. Rooms are mostly small hotels and rooms to let rather than big properties, so book early.
Best hotels in Manarola
Hotel Marina Piccola (Via Renato Birolli) scores 9.6 from 470 reviews. Il Bordone (rooms to let, Via Ettore Cozzani) scores 9.6 from 190. Ca' d'Andrean (Via Discovolo) scores 9.2 from 488.
Riomaggiore: best for evenings and the shortest train from La Spezia
Best for: short stays and travellers arriving from La Spezia. Skip it if: you dislike hills; the streets are narrow and steep. It is the first village on the line from La Spezia, which makes it a convenient first or last night.
Best hotels in Riomaggiore
The Sunset Line (Via Tracastello) scores 9.8 from 349 reviews, the highest on our list. Crêuza de Mä (Via San Giacomo) also scores 9.8 but from 147. Affittacamere Le Giare (Via di Loca) scores 9.3 from 411.
Corniglia: best for quiet, with a catch
Best for: calm evenings once the day-trippers leave. Skip it if: you carry luggage. It is the only village not on the water: from the station it is about 380 steps up, or a shuttle bus. It has no beach and no ferry stop.
Best hotels in Corniglia
Affittacamere Arbasia Dé Mä (Via Fieschi) scores 9.2 from 453 reviews. Affittacamere Le Terrazze (Via Fieschi) scores 9.0 from 379.
Levanto: best value base outside the villages
Best for: longer stays, car owners and anyone priced out of the villages. Skip it if: you want to step out onto a harbour at night. Levanto is a real town just beyond the park; it is a short train ride to Monterosso. The villages are largely closed to visitors' cars, so parking in Levanto or La Spezia and taking the train is the usual approach (see driving in Italy).
Best hotels in Levanto
Aria Design B&B scores 9.5 from 351 reviews. Hotel Nazionale (Via Jacopo da Levanto) scores 9.3 from 591. Park Hotel Argento scores 9.0 from 702.
Also consider: La Spezia
La Spezia is a working port city, not a village, and that is the point: it has the most hotels, the widest choice of trains and is about 10 minutes from the first Cinque Terre village. It suits late arrivals and early departures, including trips from Florence or Rome (see Florence to Cinque Terre and Rome to Cinque Terre). Options: Hotel Firenze e Continentale (Via Paleocapa, 8.6 from 2,167 reviews) and The Poet Hotel (Via Roma, 8.6 from 1,696).
Where not to stay
Do not book Corniglia if you travel with large suitcases or arrive late at night. Do not book the upper lanes of Manarola or Riomaggiore for a short stay with heavy bags. Do not book a village for one night just to be near the sights: the trains make the villages one trip, so a single night in a bigger base costs less and loses little. And do not rely on a car: the villages are largely closed to visitor cars, so a hotel without parking in a village is only a good deal if you arrive by train.
Levanto or La Spezia: which base is smarter?
Choose Levanto if you want a calmer town with a beach and are happy with a short hop to Monterosso. Choose La Spezia if you arrive by a fast train, want the most hotels, or want to be near Riomaggiore. Both let you use the Cinque Terre Train Card, which covers second-class regional trains on the Levanto to La Spezia section. For longer routes see our trains in Italy guide.
Booking tips
Book early for high season (see the best time to visit Cinque Terre), especially in Vernazza and Manarola. Many places here are affittacamere, rooms to let that work like small guesthouses with set check-in times, so message ahead if you will arrive late. Italian towns charge a small city tax per person per night, normally paid at the property; check the amount when you book. The official Cinque Terre Card starts at €10 for a one-day Trekking card and €22 for a one-day Train card (2026 adult off-peak rates, peak dates cost more). For budgeting see Italy trip cost.
Quick recap by traveller type
First-timers and families: Monterosso. Couples: Manarola. Atmosphere: Vernazza. Evenings and La Spezia access: Riomaggiore. Quiet: Corniglia. Value and cars: Levanto. Transport links: La Spezia. Next, plan your days with our Cinque Terre itinerary, look at Cinque Terre tours, or compare more stays in our best hotels in Cinque Terre.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best town to stay in Cinque Terre?
For most first-timers it is Monterosso al Mare: it has the beach, the most hotels and easy trains. Vernazza has more atmosphere but far fewer rooms.
Is it better to stay in Levanto or La Spezia?
Levanto is calmer and has a beach, with a short train hop to Monterosso. La Spezia has more hotels and is about 10 minutes from the first village. Both work with the Cinque Terre Train Card on the Levanto to La Spezia section.
Which Cinque Terre village should I skip as a base?
Corniglia is the hardest with luggage: it sits above the station and takes about 380 steps or a shuttle bus. It suits quiet nights if you pack light.
Can I stay in Cinque Terre without a car?
Yes, and that is the easiest way. The villages are largely closed to visitor cars and linked by frequent trains, so arrive by train and leave any car in Levanto or La Spezia.
Should I book a hotel or an affittacamere?
Both work. Affittacamere are rooms to let that behave like small guesthouses; they often have the highest scores here but set check-in times, so tell them your arrival time.
How many nights do I need in Cinque Terre?
Two or three nights lets you see all five villages without rushing. A single night works if you are passing through, but a bigger base such as La Spezia can be cheaper.
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