With kids · Cinque Terre · Italy
Cinque Terre with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves . Feel free to use my photos, but please ment, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The Cinque Terre suit older children who like walking, boats and swimming, but steep stairs, crowded trains and limited beaches make them harder with toddlers. Monterosso and Levanto, with sandy beaches and flatter streets, are the easiest bases. Top picks: Monterosso old town and Fegina, Ferry along the Cinque Terre coast and Levanto–Bonassola–Framura cycle path. Families usually base themselves in Monterosso al Mare.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Monterosso al Mare
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
Neighbourhood · Monterosso al Mare
1.Monterosso old town and Fegina
Monterosso's old town has the black-and-white striped Church of San Giovanni Battista, an oratory of a medieval confraternity and a hill crowned by a Capuchin convent, while the Fegina seafront has the longest beach in the Cinque Terre. At its western end stands Il Gigante, a huge early 20th-century statue of Neptune damaged by war and storms but still gripping its rock.
The tunnel and seafront path between the old town and Fegina take five minutes; base yourself here if you want proper beach time.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Outdoors
- History
Experience · Levanto to Porto Venere
2.Ferry along the Cinque Terre coast
From spring to autumn, ferries run along the coast between Levanto, Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, Riomaggiore, Porto Venere and La Spezia, stopping at every village except hilltop Corniglia. Seeing the villages rise from the water is the best way to understand their setting, and a day ticket lets you hop on and off.
Heading north, sit on the right-hand side for the best views, and expect cancellations when the sea is rough.
- Time needed
- 2–5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Views
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Iconic
Experience · Levanto
3.Levanto–Bonassola–Framura cycle path
A former coastal railway line between Levanto, Bonassola and Framura has been converted into a flat path for walkers and cyclists, running mostly through old tunnels with openings onto coves and beaches. Bikes can be hired in Levanto, and the full route is about 5–6 km each way.
Pack swimwear: side paths lead down to small beaches between the tunnels.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Active
- Outdoors
- Free
- Off the beaten path
Castle · Vernazza
4.Castello Doria, Vernazza
The round medieval watchtower and ruined walls on the rock above Vernazza's harbour were built to watch for pirate raids and are among the oldest fortifications in the Cinque Terre. The climb is short but steep, and the top looks straight down onto the harbour and along the coast towards Monterosso.
Go up late in the afternoon, when the harbour is in shadow and the coast towards Monterosso is lit.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- History
- Kids
- Photo spot
Museum · La Spezia
5.Naval Technical Museum
Beside La Spezia's naval base, the Museo Tecnico Navale, one of Italy's oldest maritime museums, displays ship models, carved figureheads, anchors, early diving equipment and weapons, telling the story of the Italian navy and the port city that grew around it.
Combine it with a walk along the seafront gardens and the Passeggiata Morin promenade nearby.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Rainy-day ideas
- Naval Technical Museum — Combine it with a walk along the seafront gardens and the Passeggiata Morin promenade nearby.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for families, beach and first-timers
Monterosso al Mare
Monterosso, the westernmost village, is split by a headland into the old town, with its striped Church of San Giovanni Battista, and Fegina, the newer seafront by the station with the longest beach in the Cinque Terre. It has the widest choice of hotels and restaurants, the easiest walking and a busy beach-club scene in summer.
- Good
- Real beaches with loungers; Most hotels and restaurants; Few stairs by local standards
- Watch out
- Crowded with day-trippers in summer; Less dramatic setting than Vernazza or Manarola
- Nearby
- Fegina beach, San Giovanni Battista, Il Gigante, Sentiero Azzurro
Family travel tips
- Leave the pushchair at home; a baby carrier works far better on stairs and trails.
- The ferry is a hit with children and avoids crowded summer trains.
- For a first outing with kids, the flat Levanto–Bonassola cycle path is far easier than any section of the coastal trail.
- Swim from Monterosso's beaches rather than the rocks of Manarola or Riomaggiore with young children.
- Avoid midday trains in July and August, when carriages and platforms are packed.
Day trips for families
- Porto Venere and Palmaria (About 30 minutes by bus from La Spezia) — At the tip of the gulf, Porto Venere's tall harbour-front houses lead to the striped Gothic church of San Pietro on a rocky point and the cliffs of Byron's Grotto, with the Doria castle above.
- Lerici and Tellaro (About 30 minutes by bus from La Spezia) — On the eastern side of the Gulf of La Spezia, Lerici has a castle above a sandy bay and a seafront of cafés, while tiny Tellaro, a few kilometres further on, is a fishing village built on rocks above the sea.
- Pisa (About 1–1.5 hours by train) — Pisa's Piazza dei Miracoli holds the Leaning Tower, the cathedral, the baptistery and the monumental cemetery on one lawn; the rest of the old town along the Arno is calmer and worth a stroll.
- Lucca (About 1.5–2 hours by train) — Lucca is ringed by complete Renaissance walls topped by a tree-lined path that takes about an hour to walk or less to cycle, with the oval Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, built on a Roman amphitheatre, and the tree-topped Torre Guinigi inside.
- Genoa (About 1.5 hours by train) — Liguria's capital has one of Europe's largest medieval old towns, a maze of narrow lanes called caruggi, the UNESCO-listed palaces of Via Garibaldi and a large aquarium on the old port that suits families.
- Sestri Levante (About 30–45 minutes by train) — Sestri Levante sits on a narrow isthmus between two bays: the sandy Baia delle Favole and the small Baia del Silenzio, lined with pastel houses and fishing boats, one of the prettiest beaches on the Riviera.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–June and September–October. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Cinque Terre good for kids?
The Cinque Terre suit older children who like walking, boats and swimming, but steep stairs, crowded trains and limited beaches make them harder with toddlers. Monterosso and Levanto, with sandy beaches and flatter streets, are the easiest bases.
+What can kids do in Cinque Terre?
Monterosso old town and Fegina, Ferry along the Cinque Terre coast, Levanto–Bonassola–Framura cycle path, Castello Doria, Vernazza and Naval Technical Museum.
+Where should families stay in Cinque Terre?
Monterosso al Mare: The largest village, with sandy beaches, the most hotels and the flattest streets.