Cinque Terre in the Winter

Along the rugged Italian Riviera coastline lie five centuries-old seaside villages. Colorful houses in shades of red, yellow, blue, and green line the rocky cliffs, creating a striking contrast against the deep blue sea. Above the villages, vineyards stretch across the hills, connecting the towns and offering sweeping views of the ports below.

During peak season, tourists flood the trains that link these villages, and Cinque Terre National Park’s trails are packed with hikers. However, Winter in Cinque Terre is the off-season. The crowds disappear, and many restaurants and shops close their doors. The weather can be unpredictable—often windy and cold, with rough seas.

Fortunately, this was not the case for us. We had cool weather in late December which we were expecting and dressed for, found a few restaurants still open for the intrepid travelers who visit Cinque Terre in winter, and explored the villages without the usual tourist crowds. Walking through the nearly empty streets, we admired the Christmas decorations lovingly arranged by the remaining villagers, adding a festive charm to the quiet atmosphere.

This was a brief but memorable two-night stop for us on our way to Pisa, Siena, and San Gimignano.

What We Did in Cinque Terre in the Winter

We had two night in Cinque Terre. Our arrival was around 4:00. Once settled into our apartment we went on a walk around Manarola . We hiked up thru the famous nativity scene and took a picture from the Instagram bucket list photo spot from Punto Bonfiglio Point Walk. The Nativity Scene (Presepe) in Manarola is the largest in the world according to The Guinness Book of World Records.

The next day we took the train between the five villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggio. We walked the villages and took in the views of the sea. It was a treat seeing the villages decorated for Christmas. We found restaurants that were open to serve the few tourists that came in during this time of the year. There were even some hikers hiking between villages. However, hiking can be dangerous this time of the year.

Where We Stayed in Cinque Terre in the Winter

We stayed in Manarola at Ines Apartment. We had two rooms one was an a apartment with one bedroom and a kitchen. The other room didn’t have a kitchen, just a bed. We had views of the sea from our apartment and views of the Nativity Scene.

Food Experiences in Cinque Terre

Pesto- Cinque Terre is the birthplace of Pesto

Foccacia-This region is known for Foccacia, a flat oven baked bread

Tegame Alla Vernazza- A layered casserole of whole anchovies, potatoes, tomatoes, white wine, olive oil and herbs

Farinata- Chick pea flour, water and oil and pepper baked on a copperplate

Pansotti- Ravioli with ricotta and a mixture of greens, often served with walnut sauce

Limincino- Local lemon liquer

Vino Delle Cinque Terre- White crisp refreshing wine great with seafood

Sciaccherta- Potent dessert wine often served with dunkable cookies

Foccacia-This region is known for foccacia

Restaurants We Visited

Most restaurants were closed. You could find someplace open to eat in each village. One fun experience was a Cinque Terre wine tasting and meat and cheese platters at Enoteca Internazionale in Monterosso. We tasted Vino Delle Cinque Terre from each of the five villages

How We Got There

We left Montagnana and headed for Manarola Italy. Manarola is one of the five villages in Cinque Terre. We considered visiting the Ferrari museum in Moderna on our way but decided we all wanted to get to Cinque Terre. The condo that we were staying in had a parking space in a parking garage close by. It was nice that we could park our car there once we arrived in Manarola

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Read more about our Christmas Experience in Montepulciano Italy