Cinque Terre and the terraced Ligurian coast

Cinque Terre in La Spezia is a terraced Ligurian coast of compact villages, stone walls and steep ground with a long settlement history.

Cinque Terre in La Spezia is a chain of compact coastal villages set against steep slopes, stone terraces and a restless strip of Ligurian sea. Its landscape is shaped as much by settlement as by geology, and the terraces remain the clearest visible feature.

Stone terraces above the Ligurian coast

The five villages are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The UNESCO World Heritage property describes the coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere as a cultural landscape, with settlement patterns and surrounding terrain forming part of the same whole.World Heritage property

Stone-walled terraces climb the slopes above the coast and support vines and olive trees. The area extends along a steep eastern Ligurian shoreline between Levanto and La Spezia, and the villages sit in a narrow band between rock and sea.

Villages shaped by coast and slope

Monterosso al Mare is the only village with a beach, while Corniglia stands on a high promontory above the sea. Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore unfold along small valleys and rocky spurs, where houses crowd close to narrow streets and the shoreline.Monterosso al Mare

These settlements date from the later Middle Ages in their main five-village form. The area also entered the UNESCO list in 1997, and the protected landscape later became part of the National Park of Cinque Terre.National Park of Cinque Terre

History written in stone walls

The present landscape reflects long work on terraces, walls and small holdings rather than a single grand plan. Drystone walls, local stone huts and compact hillside hamlets all belong to the same agricultural world, and the coast has been linked to the wider region by the Genoa-La Spezia railway since the nineteenth century.Genoa-La Spezia railway

The property’s significance lies in the visible relationship between settlement and terrain. Stone construction, terracing and tightly grouped houses show how people occupied a difficult shoreline over generations.

Visiting Cinque Terre: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The villages lie on the Ligurian coast in the province of La Spezia. Rail connections serve the area, and coastal paths link several of the settlements.
• The terrain is steep, with terraces, steps and narrow streets. Corniglia stands high above the sea, while other villages sit directly by the coast.
• The landscape includes vines, olive trees and drystone walls. The surrounding area is part of the protected UNESCO landscape and the National Park of Cinque Terre.
• The official language is Italian and the currency is the euro.

Searching for Cinque Terre on social platforms

These links open searches for Cinque Terre on each platform.

Frequently asked questions about Cinque Terre

Where is Cinque Terre?

Cinque Terre lies on the Ligurian coast near La Spezia in north-western Italy. It names the five villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.

What does a visit involve?

The place is defined by steep ground, close-set villages and terraces above the sea. Rail access, coastal walking routes and village lanes are part of the experience.

What makes it distinctive?

Its distinctiveness lies in the combination of compact settlements, drystone terraces and a shoreline shaped by long human occupation. The landscape is a protected cultural site and a national park.