Cinque Terre Coastal Villages - #5 Monterosso Al Mare

Last but not least is the biggest town within Cinque Terre: Monterosso Al Mare. This is by far the best town if you want to actually be at the beach within Cinque Terre. The pebbled coastline extends practically through the entire village. At least while we were there in October, it felt less touristy, similar to Corniglia. There was a local event going on for kids, and all the families were barbequing in the town square. Only a couple people were with us while we eat gelato on the beach, though I’m sure this is different in the summer months.

The best views in this area are either on the beach or up where you take the hiking trail from Monterosso Al Mare to Vernazza.

-If you do plan on hiking between any of the villages, please look ahead of time to see how long it takes, and wear supportive walking shoes. Also, take into consideration that many of the trails end up taking more time than the signs say. We hiked from Vernazza to Monterosso Al Mare at a moderate pace and it took us about 2.5 hours. It also was a difficult hike that I wouldn’t recommend for anyone with asthma or any type of knee issues.