Let’s start with some facts.
Is Cinque Terre extremely popular? Yes.
Is it one of the most popular places in Italy? Also yes.
Is there an endless number of day tours and cruises coming to Cinque Terre? Yup.
Can it be super crowded because of that? Absolutely.
Were we scared that it would be overhyped and we wouldn’t like it? You bet we did.
After visiting Cinque Terre, do we think it’s overrated? Nope!
Now, let’s explain why. It will help you decide whether Cinque Terre is worth visiting for you.
Our experience
Cinque Terre is a coastal region in Italy and consists of 5 picturesque villages. We’ve heard of Cinque Terre from so many people and seen so many photos and videos on social media. It honestly seemed too beautiful to be real.
But that’s also why we were skeptical at first – we’ve been disappointed by social media before. And we were visiting Cinque Terre in the last days of May, so basically it was already the high season.
Our first plan was to visit Cinque Terre for just 2 days, but at the last minute, we decided to stay 3.5 days. Why? We wanted to do all the hikes and still have time to swim and relax before starting our big Tuscany road trip.
And let me tell you, we’re so glad we did that! The beauty of Cinque Terre is undeniable, and it’s impossible not to be impressed. It is such a unique area and definitely deserves to be seen. I feel like staying there longer really gave us a chance to appreciate it a tiny bit more.
There are also so many fun activities to do. We mostly focused on hikes and strolling through every corner of the towns, since those are the things we enjoy most. But we’d love to come back and do more of the other activities too!
The best activities in Cinque Terre:
🧑🏼🍳 Cooking class in a local home
🚤 Scenic sunset boat ride – passes through every town!
🍷 Wine tasting with a knowledgeable guide
What made our experience better was also exploring in the mornings and late afternoon, and chilling on the beach during the hottest part of the day.
Oh, and hikes. We’re so glad we did the hikes. I don’t think we’d appreciate the area as much if we only did the towns. 😊
Cinque Terre is for you if…
If you love hikes
Now, the Cinque Terre hikes are not your typical hiking paths. When someone mentions hiking, I first think of the Dolomites type, but this is not it.
We’re talking about shorter hikes between the villages of Cinque Terre. And yes, there is a hiking trail between each village.
While you should not underestimate these hikes, as they can still be somewhat steep and the terrain is rocky, they are generally easy and short.
👉🏼 Find all the details about the best hikes in our Hiking guide to Cinque Terre.
Hikes were undoubtedly our favorite thing to do in Cinque Terre and the biggest highlight of our trip! The views are extremely beautiful!
If you love pretty views
Seriously, the Cinque Terre villages are magical, with picturesque spots and beautiful viewpoints. And if you love narrow streets, you’ll enjoy it here.
While you don’t necessarily need to hike for awesome viewpoints, there are usually a lot of stairs involved.
What we loved most was that you can usually avoid the crowds if you just go further from the main parts, and our favorite thing to do in towns is to get lost and follow random streets. This also worked for us in Venice during the high season!
If you don’t mind unique beaches
Cinque Terre is not really a place for a beach vacation in that sense, although each town has a small, cute beach (yes, even Corniglia! Although not as easily accessible as in other towns, it is there. 😃).
If you like standard beaches (long ones with lots of ‘beach’ part and loungers), Monterosso is your best choice.
However, we loved the unique beaches of all the other towns in Cinque Terre more. Most of them are rocky, and our favorites are the ones where you can cliff jump, but they might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Why you might think Cinque Terre IS overhyped
Huge crowds.
They’re impossible to avoid as many day trips and cruises come to Cinque Terre. I mean, the place is really iconic, so, of course, it will be busy.
But it can be more manageable if you visit during the shoulder season or stay in Cinque Terre for a night or more (check our itinerary). That way, you can explore in the early mornings or late afternoons when most day trips leave. It’s our favorite hack!
It’s catered to tourists.
Of course. It’s a very touristy place, so there are lots of souvenir shops and similar places. We’re not the biggest fans of that as it kills a bit of authenticity in our opinion, but we understand why they’re there and that it’s impossible to avoid them. 😀
However, we can confirm that you can still find quieter and more authentic streets.
It can be expensive.
We feel like this is a worldwide thing and pretty standard in most of Italy, too. Especially when you visit such a popular place. So, accommodation will definitely cost a bit more, restaurants in the main square will be more expensive and potentially offer average food, etc.
It’s something that happens in every popular place. However, we don’t agree that this straight away makes it overhyped.
Plus, we confirm you can also do it on a budget! For example, you can save on accommodation by staying outside the main towns.
👉🏼 Check our Where to Stay in Cinque Terre guide for more tips and suggestions for the best hotels.
There’s nothing to do here. – But this one is NOT TRUE
There’s much more to Cinque Terre than just pretty views. Stunning hikes are one of them.
But there are also boat tours (a great way to get a unique perspective on Cinque Terre without the crowds), wine tastings, cooking classes, cycling tours, and so on.
👉🏼 Check our guide to the best things to do in Cinque Terre or our guide to the Top-rated tours for more details.
How to have a nicer time in Cinque Terre
Here are our main tips:
- If you can, stay overnight rather than doing a day trip.
- If you have only a day, check out our 1-day itinerary to make the most of your time. We believe you can still have a great time!
- Explore early in the morning and late in the afternoon – this not only helps with fewer crowds, but also avoids the heat in the summer!
- Don’t stick to main streets only. Follow small, random alleyways, too.
- Do the hikes! They give you a completely different perspective of Cinque Terre. And not all of them are busy – yeah, I know, we couldn’t believe it either. 😀
- If you can, visit outside of the main summer months – less hot & a tiny bit more affordable.
- Consider getting a Cinque Terre Card (read more about it) – easy to use, includes unlimited train rides & access fee to some trails.
- And maybe the most important one: manage your expectations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, no, Cinque Terre is not overhyped. It’s such a unique area and popular for a reason.
And it’s absolutely what we love most while exploring. Small, colorful towns, surrounded by nature and activities like hiking trails and swimming after. Perfection!
We also visited during the high season, so with these small tips, we still managed to have a great time here.
Feel free to share your opinion!
