Cinque Terre Villages by Train Shore Excursion from La Spezia

La Spezia and the Cinque Terre railway

La Spezia is the natural gateway to the Cinque Terre: a naval city on a deep, sheltered bay, with a busy cruise terminal and the main station only a short walk apart. The five villages along the cliffs to the west have no easy road access, so the coastal railway, cut through tunnels in the nineteenth century, is how most visitors reach them. Knowing how to get to the Cinque Terre from La Spezia is the first worry for cruise guests, and this excursion solves it from the moment you step off the ship.

The tour leader meets you at the terminal and walks you to La Spezia Centrale, where the regional train reaches Riomaggiore in under ten minutes. Hops between villages take two to five minutes, and the Cinque Terre card included in your booking covers every ride that day. Trains are frequent but crowded in summer, so following the leader saves a lot of time.

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore is the first village coming from La Spezia and many visitors' favourite. Tall tower houses painted in red, orange and yellow line a narrow ravine that drops to a tiny harbour, where fishing boats are pulled up on a stone slipway. The village grew in the thirteenth century when families moved down from the hills, and its main street follows the course of a stream that now runs underground.

From the station a pedestrian tunnel leads straight into the centre. Walk down to the marina for the classic postcard view, or climb the steps beside it to the small terrace above the rocks. Your free time here is enough for photos, a focaccia from a bakery and a look at the parish church of San Giovanni Battista. Is Riomaggiore worth visiting first? Yes: in the morning the light falls straight onto the houses.

Manarola

Manarola sits on a black rock spur above the sea, with pastel houses stacked like building blocks around a small harbour. It is among the oldest settlements of the Cinque Terre, and its church of San Lorenzo dates from 1338, with a Gothic rose window of white marble. Behind the village the hillsides are carved into dry-stone terraces that farmers built over centuries, a landscape that helped the Cinque Terre become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The most photographed viewpoint in the whole region is the path toward Punta Bonfiglio, just north of the harbour, where the village glows above the water. At sunset it is magical, but during this excursion the midday view is just as clear. Manarola has no beach; instead swimmers jump from the rocks into deep, transparent water in summer. Allow time for the steep lane up to the church square.

Vernazza

Vernazza has the only natural harbour of the five villages, and that sheltered cove made it the richest in medieval times. A round watchtower of the old castle stands guard on the headland, while the church of Santa Margherita of Antioch rises right at the water's edge, its octagonal bell tower reflected in the harbour. The tiny piazza, ringed by colourful houses and boats, is often called the most beautiful square on the Ligurian coast.

From the station the single main street, Via Roma, runs down to the harbour in five minutes. Climb to the castle tower for a wide view over the village and the coast to Monterosso, then sit by the water with a gelato. Vernazza is the most crowded village at midday, so the tour leader times your visit to make the most of it. It is the place many people remember longest.

Monterosso al Mare

Monterosso is the largest of the Cinque Terre villages and the only one with long sandy beaches. It is split in two by a tunnel: the old town, with its striped church of San Giovanni Battista and narrow lanes full of lemon and anchovy shops, and Fegina, the newer seafront below the station with beach clubs and a huge stone figure carved into the cliff. The village is surrounded by lemon groves and olive terraces.

With its flat promenade, Monterosso is the easiest village for families and anyone who prefers fewer steps. Use your free time for lunch, a paddle in the sea in summer or a stroll through the old town. The best time to visit the Cinque Terre is from April to June and in September and October, when the weather is warm and the trains are calmer. From Monterosso the train returns to La Spezia in about twenty minutes.