When to go to Cinque Terre – Not on a Holiday!

View from the Blue Trail

I had a super vague picture of Cinque Terre as this magical place along the coast with colorful seaside villages that demanded to be photographed and painted. But are some facts I learned before our trip. Cinque Terre is actually five towns: La Spezzia, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, and Vernazza. The towns are connected both by train and by trails in Cinque Terre National Park. A common strategy is to start in La Spezzia, because it is easy to park in the city center close to the train station. Some of the other towns restrict car traffic. To use the trails, you need to buy a pass. But that pass also allows you to ride the trains. From La Spezzia, you can explore the other four towns with a combination of hiking and trains that will suite you fitness level.

After two weeks of wineries and restaurants, I was looking forward to some coastal breezes and mountain hiking. I imagined us out enjoying a crisp morning of nature and taking pictures of the quaint colorful towns. While I can’t say that all those things didn’t happen, it was not what I expected. And it was mostly my fault. I thought I was being smart, planning our trip there for a Monday morning after the Spring Break and Easter holidays and before summer break. I even checked specifically Italian holidays, like their Independence Day earlier in April. Expecting smooth sailing, I was frustrated when we could barely find a place to park in La Spezzia, were met with massive lines for the train, and had to manage narrow overcrowded trails. Apparently, I had overlooked Labor Day. In the back of my mind I knew Labor Day was the first Monday of May. But I’m embarrassed to say that it did not dawn on me that other countries also celebrate Labor Day at the same time.

The Blue trails are the “easy” ones, but they still require care. I saw a couple people slip. I also recommend taking water with you.