Nearest Cities to Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre Holiday: La Spezia, Levanto, Portovenere, Portofino, and Other Cities.
The five villages of Cinque Terre are very small, and the choice of hotels in them is limited, which is why prices are slightly higher. Just a 7-minute train ride from Riomaggiore, you'll find the larger city of La Spezia. Here, hotels are much more affordable. From Monterosso, it takes only 4 minutes to reach Levanto, a larger village with a fantastic beach, plenty of parking, and a wide selection of hotels. Additionally, consider exploring unique villages like Portovenere and Portofino! Check out the map at the end of the page!
La Spezia
La Spezia has a population of approximately 100,000 residents and is a major port city where cruise ships dock, so there is no beach here. Trains from La Spezia depart in various directions across Italy, allowing you to reach Pisa in one hour, Florence in two hours, and so on. When it comes to Cinque Terre, you can reach Riomaggiore in just 7 minutes by train, and it takes an additional 2 minutes to get to Manarola. The distance between the villages is short, making staying in La Spezia on a small budget a great choice. Choose a hotel on this website near the train station (which is right in the city center).
Levanto
Levanto is home to 5,500 people, and it's even easier to reach Cinque Terre from here. The best part is that Levanto boasts a very good and large beach! If you want to not only enjoy the sights of Cinque Terre but also take a dip in the sea, then Levanto or Monterosso is your choice. Hotels in Levanto are more affordable. It's also easier to get here by car, and there's more parking available.
Portovenere
Many mistakenly consider this village as one of the Cinque Terre, but that's not the case. It's located 10 km / 6 miles from Riomaggiore. Of course, you can try to walk there on foot, but it will take about 6 hours. The best way to get to Portovenere is by boat from any of the Cinque Terre villages or by bus or boat from La Spezia.
This village is incredibly picturesque, and opposite it lies an island offering unique panoramic views, as shown in the photos. If you plan to visit Portovenere, we recommend checking detailed information on the following websites:
https://www.porto-venere.com
https://www.bestofcinqueterre.com/en/portovenere-and-palmaria
https://portovenere.a-turist.com
Portofino
Don't confuse Portovenere and Portofino; they are two different villages. Portofino is world-famous. Here, you can always spot the expensive yachts of millionaires and Hollywood stars. Getting here from Cinque Terre takes about an hour: first by train to Santa Margherita Ligure, then by bus to Portofino. We recommend visiting this marvelous village if you are nearby. You can find more information on this website: Portofino - www.bestofcinqueterre.com
Other Cities
Additionally, you can visit cities such as Pisa, Lucca, Genoa, Parma. You can reach all these cities in less than 2 hours by train. So, you can stay in La Spezia and make day trips to nearby cities. You can even reach Florence in 2 hours, but one day may be too short to explore Florence thoroughly. A map of all the cities that you can visit with descriptions and information can be found on this website: Towns closest to the Cinque Terre - www.bestofcinqueterre.com
Map of Nearest Cities and Villages to Cinque Terre
The most popular cities nearby are shown on this map.