On our 5th visit to the Cinque Terre it was finally time to base in Riomaggiore! I am so glad that we had this experience and we really enjoyed using Riomaggiore as a base this time. Riomaggiore is large and has a lot of excellent food/drink options. It has access to some special hikes, it has some nice and unique swimming spots, and it also has the now reopen “Via Del Amore” which connects it so quickly and easily with Manarola. This post will contain information you need to base yourself in Riomaggiore for your visit to the Cinque Terre.
Even if you don’t decide to base here, you can check out things to do/see/and eat in this lovely Village.
If you’re looking for more practical information that you need to know before visiting the Cinque Terre, check out my post here —-> What You Should Know Before Visiting The Cinque Terre
If you’re looking for more information about basing in Monterosso, you can check out my post here —–> Monterosso Al Mare, Cinque Terre
If you’re interested in basing in Corniglia, I’ve done that too, you can check out more details here —–> Corniglia, Cinque Terre
Where to stay in Riomaggiore
Villa Caterina
This place was absolutely perfect for our visit to Riomaggiore. It should be noted up front though, that you have to be comfortable with a significant amount of stairs/uphill travel in order to stay here. While you CAN take an elevator (2 euro) and you can use a luggage service if need be, it still requires you to be able to do some stairs.
This was not a deterrent for us what so ever, and we loved everything about our stay here. The biggest highlight was the large terrace with a view over all of Riomaggiore. We loved sitting outside for our morning coffee and our evening down time every day. The apartment was perfect for what we needed, had a nice kitchen and comfortable bed. The shower was a good size and had nice pressure. Overall, we would 100% stay here again if we were to return. We also loved the area it was located, it was a more quiet/local feeling area of Riomaggiore.
If you’re interested in booking this place as well, you can check it out here —-> Villa Caterina
How to get to Riomaggiore
By Plane
The closest airport would be the Genoa airport which is about 2 hours from Riomaggiore.
By Train from Major Cities
From Milan you can reach Monterosso in about 4 hours by train. Then, with a quick change you can be in Riomaggiore.
From Rome it can take 3-5 hours to get to La Spezia or Monterosso to then hop a quick train to Riomaggiore.
From Venice it would require a number of changes on the train and could take 6-8 hours.
From Florence it is about 3-3.5 hours. Many people will tell you to visit as a “day trip” from Florence but I strongly advise against it. The Cinque Terre needs more time to be enjoyed properly.
By Car from Major Cities
If you are going to drive to the Cinque Terre I HIGHLY recommend making sure you have parking lined up in advance. You will not need a car during your time in the villages, so plan accordingly. I drove from Venice on one of my trips and I parked my car in La Spezia during my time in the Cinque Terre. It was much safer and easier to drive there and take the few minute train ride into the villages, as opposed to trying to navigate the small and winding roads that lead to some of the villages. I highly recommend this if you decide to drive.
From Venice by car it takes about 3.5-4 hours.
From Rome by car it takes about 4.5 hours.
From Milan by car it takes about 3 hours.
From Florence by car about 2-2.5 hours.
Where to eat in Riomaggiore
Fuori Rotta
This was an excellent spot for dinner and had such a fantastic view over the town. I do recommend timing your dinner for sunset! This spot is small and I recommend making a reservation. This spot is up above town and does require stairs to get there. We loved the views here and thought the food was fantastic too. You could choose from a tasting menu or order a la carte here. We ordered a la carte and enjoyed our meal very much. I also did a tasting of some Cinque Terre wines along with my dinner and really enjoyed getting to try them. Overall we found this spot to be solid for food and views!
Bach Yard
I was unsure if I should list this as a “place to eat” or a “thing to do” because it is actually BOTH. This is one of my favorite experiences we’ve done in the whole of the Cinque Terre. We were picked up in a van at the edge of town and taken to a small village up above Riomaggiore. You meet your host Emanuele and learn a bit about his property, his wine making process, his history, and why he loves to play piano. Then you spend the evening on his lovely garden terrace enjoying an amazing aperitivo, dinner, and desert. You are able to sip on his homemade wines the entire time, and finish with his special version of limoncello. The entire time, he is playing piano to add to the beautiful ambiance as you watch the sun set over the Cinque Terre. I truly hope you will take the time to participate in this beautiful experience, we loved it so much.
You can find more information and book this experience here —–> Bach Yard
If you’re interested in other experience that I love in the Cinque Terre, check out my post here —-> 11 Must Do Experiences in the Cinque Terre
Old School
Another spot that is on a street up above the main drag of the town. We didn’t get a chance to eat or have a drink here, but we DID have their gelato and it was AMAZING!!! So good that we admittedly got it more than once! This spot was also up in a quieter area of Riomaggiore and I would have loved to sit here and have a drink/aperitivo/or snack if we had more time. It looked like such a relaxed and wonderful spot. I’d highly recommend trying to fit it into your itinerary if you’re in town.
La Lampara
We didn’t get a chance to eat here either, we only had 2 nights in town on this trip. But it was recommend by our B&B hosts and we were told to eat here by a number of others in town as well, so I would consider it notable. It is also right in town on the main drag, so it would be worth looking up the menu to see if it interests you.
Bar e Vini a Pié de Ma
This is the last spot I’ll mention that I haven’t actually been to I promise. But this one also looked to have a great view, great vibes, and I have heard good things. I wish I’d had the chance to get here and I hope to check it out on a future visit.
Snack!
I’m not even going to list specific places because there are so many, and they’re all great. But the beauty of the villages of the Cinque Terre is that you can eat delicious food for reasonable prices on the go! Riomaggiore is no exception! Make sure to snack on fritto misto, focaccia, panini, pizza, etc. It’s one of the best parts of hanging in these villages!
If you’re interested in where to eat in other villages of the Cinque Terre check out my post here —-> Where to Eat in the Cinque Terre
Things to do in Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore “Beach”
I put beach in quotes because I want to make sure that you are aware, this is not a sand beach. The beach in Riomaggiore is in fact made entirely of rocks both large and small. There is a small area where you can enter the water from a ladder if you do not want to climb over the rocks, I highly recommend this. It is a very nice place to relax and swim and we really enjoyed it.
If you’re looking for a real sand beach and safe entry into the water I recommend taking the quick train ride to Monterosso for the afternoon to visit the beaches there. Monterosso is the only one of the 5 villages that has sand beaches with umbrellas, chairs, and services.
Walk the Via dell’amore (lovers lane)
This is a beautiful coastal path from Riomaggiore to Manarola that was closed for years but has now been restored. Unlike the hiking trails in this area, this is a flat and paved path over the sea. You must book a time slot to walk the path and you can do this when you purchase the Cinque Terre card. If you stay in Riomaggiore you are able to get a discount on the CT Card so make sure to ask your accommodation for the discount code.
The walk is very lovely and does not take very long. We tried to take our time and it still took us only about 15 minutes. The views are gorgeous and it would be wonderful to time it for sunset if you can!
Boat Excursion
Taking a boat out in the Cinque Terre is such a wonderful experience. You get a unique perspective of the villages and the water is just absolutely fantastic. There are multiple ways to get out on the water and I don’t think you can go wrong.
Rent a private boat: if you’re going to rent a private boat, I highly recommend my girl Captain Jenny. She has the most colorful boat to match her bright personality and she is SO MUCH FUN. We had the best time getting picked up in Portovenere and riding around until being dropped off in Riomaggiore. She knows the best swimming spots, the best views, and taught us a lot about the area that we love so much!
If you want to book with Jenny, check her out here —–> Boat Tour Cinque Terre
Go on a group boat tour: If you don’t want to splurge on a private boat, there are also tons of group options that are much more affordable and still quite enjoyable.
You can find group options here —–> Group Boat Tours
Take the ferries: Another option is to get between the villages by ferry. It wont be as scenic as a small boat ride, and you can’t go swimming. But you can still get a really nice view of the villages and see what it is like to arrive by boat!
Hike
I can’t state this enough, but if you are physically able to hike, you MUST hike in the Cinque Terre. If you’re basing in Riomaggiore the hike to Manarola is a nice one! You can also hike the whole trail from town to town all the way to Monterosso.
On our trip we hiked to Portovenere. This was a longer undertaking, though it wasn’t incredibly hard. It took about 4-4.5 hours and it was wonderful to arrive into Portovenere, have lunch, and then go for a swim!
There is SO much hiking this area of Italy and I encourage you to research the best routes for you and hike as much as you can! When I am here I try to hike every day!
Watch the sunset
Riomaggiore is famous for being one of the best spots in the Cinque Terre to watch the sunset. It is a really cute communal experience. Everyone sits along the giant rocks in the bay. People bring pizza, fritto misto, drinks, etc and just relax and enjoy the good vibes as the sun sets in the distance.
Walk the streets and shop
The streets of Riomaggiore, although steep and full of stairs, are so charming. There are lots of cute places to pop in for drinks, snacks, and souvenirs. We enjoyed just wandering as much as we could throughout town whenever we had some free time.
Visit the Other Villages of the Cinque Terre
If you’re looking for more information about visiting the other villages, I have tons of posts about the Cinque Terre. You can find them here ——> Cinque Terre Posts
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