If you love the Cinque Terre… you’re in the right place. I assume you love a charming colorful village. A place with no cars, Marriotts, or McDonalds. You’re probably looking for a meal by the sea, some beautiful coastal walks, and a spritz in the sunshine. These places all deliver that some wonderful vibe.
If you ARE looking for Cinque Terre information I also have a number of posts on this blog. You can find them here —> Cinque Terre Posts
Camogli
Why you will love it
Camogli is my favorite town in all of Italy at this point. It has the colorful buildings of the Cinque Terre but has a much more relaxed vibe. It has a long beach and promenade that are so lovely to stroll and enjoy any time of day. It also has a lovely small port area that is perfect for enjoying a morning coffee or aperitivo in the evening.
You can pay for a spot at any of the beach clubs. You can also enjoy just rolling up to the free beach with your own supplies and relaxing for the day.
Camogli also has an excellent dining scene. You can have focaccia or frito misto by the sea and you can also have fine dining just a few steps away. I love when a place has options. Camogli has my favorite gelato shop ever that makes the most perfect affogato. It also has amazing pesto and homemade pasta you can buy and take home to cook yourself.
Overall you will feel at peace here and be able to soak in the Dolce Vita lifestyle to its fullest.
Where to Stay
I have a few recommendations for Camogli, as we have tried quite a few here!
Our first visit we stayed in an incredibly dreamy airbnb that really made us feel like we were living in Camogli. However, we went back a year later and had a difficult experience with the host so I can no longer recommend it.
We have stayed at the Carrick Hotel which is really lovely. It is right on the edge of town and a literal 2 minute walk to the train station. It has large and clean rooms, a nice breakfast buffet, and a rooftop with views over the surrounding area that are really lovely.
We have also stayed at Locanda Tre Merli. This spot is right on the port and has such dreamy views from the rooms. This one doesn’t have as many communal areas to hang out, just a small cafe downstairs. But the location and comfort for the cost can’t be beat.
Sublimis Boutique Hotel is another lovely spot where we haven’t stayed yet, but our friends have. This hotel is right on the sea and is more boutique and romantic feeling.
Things to do/Detailed Posts
If you’re looking for more information about Camogli, you can check out my full post here —–> Camogli Travel Guide
Camogli is a very relaxed Italian town and doesn’t have as many “traditional tours” as you may expect in a place like Florence or Rome. But here are some tours you could check out if interested in the area. —–> Camogli Tours
Portovenere
Why you will love it
Portovenere is like the Cinque Terre’s cousin! It is very close by, and very similar. It is often referred to as the unofficial 6th village. You can also hike from Portovenere to Riomaggiore (the first town of the Cinque Terre). Portovenere has arguably the best pesto I’ve ever had in my life and incredibly charming streets for snacking and shopping. The beach area here is a lot more local and is fantastic. You wont find fancy beach clubs, just a DIY beach day in a really beautiful spot.
Where to stay
I haven’t personally stayed in Portovenere yet, although I’d love to! But if you want to easily compare some best places to stay you can find a link here —-> Portovenere Hotel Options
Things to do
Go on a boat ride with my favorite captain Jenny from Hyena Cinque Terre. She is so positive, bright, and fun! There are so many boat tours in the CT but it’s lovely when you find a captain you really connect with!
Lerici
Why you will love it
Lerici is an absolutely delightful village in Liguria that is also very close to the Cinque Terre. You can reach the towns of the CT by ferry or you can get a taxi to La Spezia and train right in. I think one of the things that keeps Lerici a little more special is that it is just a bit more difficult to reach. Not being on the train line keeps people from flooding in at all hours of the day.
Lerici is also special because it is connected to another small town called San Terenzo by a long beautiful promenade along the ocean. There are an abundance of options for beaches to relax on between the two villages. Lerici itself also has that colorful Italian village charm, all the same incredible food, but far less crowds and better prices. Honestly, I wish we’d spent a lot more than one night here and I know we’ll be back.
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Doria Park Hotel and it was a lovely experience. Having breakfast on the terrace overlooking the town was one of my favorite parts. Make sure to book a room with a view here! They also have parking which made things easy for us since this town is not reached by train.
Bocadasse
You have probably heard of Genoa in Italy, but what you may not know is that there is actually a smaller village within Genoa and it is called Bocadasse. It’s the most charming little corner of Genoa and is worth a little visit. Many people come and spend a couple of hours here, we decided to stay the night and I am so glad that we did. I would also love to come back and base here to explore more of Genoa.
This is one of the most lively places we’ve ever stayed in Liguria. The beach was absolutely full of people from essentially 7 am until 3-4 am the next morning. We even saw a few people that slept on the beach overnight. It was the biggest social scene!
Where to Stay
We stayed in the literal most perfect apartment here. The host was incredibly welcoming and helpful and was there with anything we needed. The place was huge, clean, well appointed, and honestly better than the pictures gave it credit for. The views out of every window were amazing! If you want the link you can message me, but I’m not promoting it becuase I’m not thrilled with airbnb these days.
If you’re looking for other options for places to stay in Bacadasse you can check here —-> Bocadasse options.
Things to Do
There are countless things to do in Genoa as it is a big and important city in Italy. I feel that Genoa is often overlooked for it’s more “charming” neighbors. But it really has quite a lot to offer. You can check out Genoa tours here —–> Genoa Tours
Portofino
One of the most popular villages in Liguria for a reason. This is basically the high end version of every other town on the Italian Riviera. This is where people like Taylor Swift & The Kardashians come to enjoy Liguria. In my opinion this can be both a positive and a negative. I can tell you one thing, I would be SO mad if I came to visit here and things were closed down due to a celebrity visiting.
But, if you can get past all that, it really is such an incredibly charming village. There is a beautiful castle here, a lot of fancy dining, boating from here is excellent, and it all feels very romantic. This would be a perfect honeymoon or romantic weekend destination.
Where to Stay
I haven’t yet had the chance to stay in Portofino but you can check out options here —-> Where to stay in Portofino
Things to do
Like many of these other small Ligurian towns, there are not a ton of traditional tours here. Make sure to check carefully because not all of these tours depart from Portofino directly. But here are some options in the area. —–> Portofino Tours
Menton
Okay, obviously Menton isn’t in Italy. But I never said all these towns would be Italian, just that they may remind you of the Cinque Terre. Menton fits the bill. Menton is also right across the border from Italy and on a good day you can see Italy from Menton.
This town is so colorful and beautiful. Walking the alleys of Menton feels just like walking in an Italian village. The food here is excellent, the beaches are lovely, the town feels so wholesome and safe. Bonus: you can sip French rose and have a French cheese board while feeling like you’re somewhat still in Italy. It’s the best of both worlds in my opinion.
This town is well connected by train to both Italy and the French Riviera which makes it a great base for exploring as well.
Where to Stay
We stayed in an airbnb in Menton that I loved. But lately I haven’t been thrilled with the customer support experience from airbnb so I’ve been more interested in hotels. You can search and compare Menton Hotels here —-> Menton Hotels
Things to do
Menton has a wealth of things to do and there are also many tours that depart from nearby towns. You can check them out here —-> Menton Tours
Honorable Mentions
San Fruttouso
This isn’t actually a place you would stay a night, but is a lovely day trip from a number of towns on the Ligurian Coast. You can take a ferry here or hike here and it’s pretty magical. This is an old Monastery that is sat right on a beautiful and inaccessible beach. Admittedly during peak season this place gets very crowded during the day. It pays to be the first to arrive.
The first time we visited we went by private boat and literally had it all to ourselves. The second time we visited we hiked there from Camogli and by the time we arrived there wasn’t an inch of beach to be had.
There are a few small spots you can eat here and a bit to look around. This is honestly such a gorgeous and worthwhile stop no matter the time or crowds.
Bogliasco
This town is basically next door neighbors with Camogli, my favorite town. It’s just under 10 minutes by train and it is so charming. It is much smaller and has a really relaxed and local vibe. You can spend the day chilling on the beach here and the evening sipping an aperitivo and having dinner by the sea.
This is the place you stay if you want to slow travel, wake up with the sun, spend your day relaxing on the beach, and mosey out to dinner.
If you want to stay in Bogliasco you can check out options here —-> Stay in Bogliasco
Villefranche Sur Mer
I spent 4 days here solo last summer and my goodness did I fall in love with this town. It’s giving the tiny colorful village vibes and for such a small place has quite a bit to do. It is about 6 minutes by train from Nice. This makes it very easy to access the rest of the French Riviera.
This town has sandy beaches (which are rare in this area of the world). It also has a surprisingly amazing food scene considering it’s small size. The hotels here are incredibly charming and are all boutique style. You wont find a Marriott or a Hilton here and that’s the way we like it.
Where to Stay
I stayed in the Hotel Provencal when I visited here and I found it really lovely. I had a nice room overlooking the sea and the hotel had a good amount of communal areas to spend your time. The hotel was right on the edge of town and was very peaceful.
The Welcome Hotel is the quintessential hotel in town. If I was traveling with my husband we would have stayed here. It is so nice and well appointed. I loved having a drink at the bar here daily during apertif time. This hotel is right in the center of Villefrance and you can’t miss it!
Another great option, especially if you are driving in the area is Hotel Versailles. This hotel is about a 6 minute walk from the Old town of Villefranche and is right off the main street. It has a pool and a really lovely design. I have friends who stayed here and enjoyed it a lot!
If you’re interested in more about this town I have a full blog post you can check out here —-> Villefranche Sur Mer: Base for the French Riviera
Bonnasola
While also quite small, I loved the beach here SO much. You can actually ride bikes here through a tunnel system that was formerly a railway. It’s amazing to ride through and get sneak peaks of the ocean along the way. Bonnasola can also easily be reached by train. This beach is all pebbles but it is STUNNING. The water here was so clear and the beach is long and spacious. Again, if you want to be really chilled out and relaxed this is the place to be. Eat a salad of tomatoes for lunch, lay on the beach all day, grab an aperitivo, have some pesto for dinner, and you’ve done it!
Levanto
Levanto is one town over on the train from Monterosso. Sometimes people include it when discussing visiting the Cinque Terre. Some people stay here as a base for visiting the CT. I say, enjoy Levanto for what it is, not as a pathway to something else.
Levanto has it’s own charm and has some amazing food. You can bike here, hike here, relax on the beach here, enjoy local markets, and so much more!
We spent a bit of time here on our last visit to the Cinque Terre and I was left wanting more!
Here are a few tour options for Levanto if you’re looking. —-> Levanto Tours
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