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Swim and watch the sunset from the Monterosso rocks, Cinque Terre

Nature & Hiking

Swim and watch the sunset from the Monterosso rocks

Cinque Terre · Liguria

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
Nature & Hiking
COUNTRY
Italy
REGION
Cinque Terre · Liguria
DURATION
An afternoon and evening
DIFFICULTY
Easy — a swim and a sit on the rocks.
BEST TIME
June to September for the warm water; the sunset is year-round.

ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE

The Cinque Terre is a walking destination, but it is also a coast, and the most relaxed way to end a day is on the Monterosso beach or off the rocks at one of the other villages. Monterosso is the only village with a proper sandy beach, and the swimming is easy there; at Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore the swimming is off the flat rocks at the harbours, where the locals gather. The water is clear and deep, and the sunset over the sea — the one view in the Cinque Terre that faces west — is the natural end to the day. Bring shoes for the rocks and a towel.

WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE

What you’ll experience

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL

What it’s really like

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

HIGHLIGHTS

Moments worth savouring

01

The Monterosso beach — the only sandy beach in the Cinque Terre, with the old town behind it.

02

The harbour rocks at Vernazza and Manarola — the flat rocks where the locals swim.

03

The sunset over the sea — the one west-facing view in the Cinque Terre.

04

The clear water — deep and clean off the rocks, with fish visible below.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Good to know before you go

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Access
The Monterosso beach is free and public; the rocks at the other villages are reached from the harbours.
Best Time
Afternoon for the swim; the hour before sunset for the view.
Context
Swimming is the natural end to a walking day; the water is warmest from July to September.

MAP & LOCATION

Swim and watch the sunset from the Monterosso rocks

Swim and watch the sunset from the Monterosso rocks, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy

44.1461, 9.6439

Open in OpenStreetMap

ATTRACTIONS NEARBY

Pair it with these sights

Vernazza, Cinque Terre
Village

Vernazza

The most photographed of the five villages — a natural harbour with a small piazza on the water, a Doria castle above and the church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia beside the bay.

View attraction
Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre
Village

Monterosso al Mare

The largest of the five villages and the only one with a proper sandy beach — a split village of an old town and a newer Fegina quarter across the hill, with the Capuchin monastery above.

View attraction
Manarola, Cinque Terre
Village

Manarola

A village of pastel houses tumbling down a steep gorge to a tiny harbour, with vineyards above and the classic Cinque Terre view from the cemetery road.

View attraction
Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre
Village

Riomaggiore

The southernmost of the five villages, a steep gorge of pastel houses running down to a small harbour, and the start of the Via dell’Amore cliff path.

View attraction

MORE EXPERIENCES

More to do in Cinque Terre

Walk the Sentiero Azzurro cliff path, Cinque Terre
Nature & Hiking

Walk the Sentiero Azzurro cliff path

The classic cliff path that links the five villages along the coast — the Sentiero Azzurro, including the famous Via dell’Amore, the most walked path in the Cinque Terre.

View experience
Ride the Cinque Terre Express train between the villages, Cinque Terre
Scenic & Viewpoints

Ride the Cinque Terre Express train between the villages

The local train that runs along the coast through the five villages in tunnels and on viaducts — the easiest way to move between them and to see the coast from above.

View experience

FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

01

Nessun Dorma — a celebrated bar and kitchen above the harbour in Manarola, for focaccia, pesto and the view

02

Gambero Rosso — a seafood restaurant in Vernazza’s old town, for fresh catch and trofie al pesto

03

Cappun Magru — a refined restaurant in Monterosso for traditional Ligurian cooking, book ahead

04

A Cantina da Mananan — a beloved trattoria in Corniglia for local cooking and Sciacchetrà wine

05

Rio Maggiore — a harbour-side kitchen in Riomaggiore for fried anchovies and focaccia

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

01

Hotel Porto Roca — a hotel on the cliffs above Monterosso with a pool and sea views

02

La Torretta — a charming guesthouse above the harbour in Manarola, with a terrace

03

Hotel Gianni Franzi — simple rooms above a restaurant in Vernazza’s old town, with harbour views

04

A Cà du Sciensa — a small guesthouse in Riomaggiore, good value for a village stay

Explore destination

NEARBY DESTINATIONS

Continue the journey

Portofino

Portofino

Liguria

Portovenere

Portovenere

Liguria

Genoa

Genoa

Liguria

INTERESTS

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