Genoa: Cinque Terre Excursion

While visiting Genoa, Italy on the Ruby Princess we took a Princess shore excursion to picturesque Cinque Terre. According to Princess, the name Cinque Terre refers to five dramatically situated villages clinging to the cliffs and once only accessible by sea. Even today there is no road linking the villages visited on this tour.

Photo: Manarola, Italy

According to Wikipedia: "The Cinque Terre National Park was established on October 6, 1999 in recognition of the territory's considerable scenic, agricultural, historical and cultural value. The Cinque Terre National Park and Protected Marine Area aim to protect cultural heritage. This is the first Italian Park created to safeguard a landscape that has been mostly built by man. To achieve its objectives, the Park Organization encourages the development of responsible tourism, able therefore to invest in the identity of the places and the territory's products, and thus save its immense heritage of terracing, now endangered.

The Park protects a coastal area where man has created a stable life and mutual coexistence between self and nature. The villages are terraced with dry stone walls in a coastal environment typically Mediterranean where the mountains of 'Appennino Ligure come straight to the sea, creating a unique environment.

The climate is typically Mediterranean with dry summers and mild winters."


View Cinque Terre in a larger map

We rode the bus approximately 2 hours to the Cinque Terre National Park. Because of the terrain, large portions of the highway run through tunnels in the hilly countryside.

We passed through the town of La Spezia, a major Italian Naval Base, before our bus climbed up winding roads into the Cinque Terre National Park.

Photo: Manarola, Italy

We got off the bus at Manarola and walked along the Mediterranean coast line on the "Path of Love" to the village of Riomaggiore.

Photo: "Path of Love" Connecting Manarola to Riomaggiore

Photo: Riomaggiore, Italy

We were supposed to ride a boat from Riomaggiore to Monterosso al Mare but heavy surf prevented this and we took the train instead.

 Photo: Monterosso al Mare, Italy

Monterosso al Mare has an "old" and a "new" section connected by a tunnel.

Photo: Monterosso al Mare, Italy

 Photo: Monterosso al Mare, Italy


Our bus was waiting in Monterosso al Mare for our trip back to Genoa.

The scenery and villages were beautiful and interesting. I would highly recommend visiting this area and will return to Cinque Terre if I have the opportunity.

However, if you are comfortable with independent travel, a better option might be to take the train from Genoa to Cinque Terre. The cost is around 5 Euros each way and the time shorter than the bus ride to and from Cinque Terre.

Useful Links:
Cinque Terre - Wikipedia
Genoa Port Information