Lerici
We liked some of our host's tips even better than the Cinque Terre! Lerici took first place. The small town had a lot of charm and is also adorned with colorful houses. There is also a beautiful beach here where you can spend the day with a wonderful view of the panorama of the village. Lerici is also a great place to eat out in one of the restaurants or grab an Italian ice cream!
Porto Venere
Porto Venere is also a beautiful place! In addition to beaches, colorful houses and a castle complex, it also has a beautiful coastline! The town is therefore perfect for a day at the beach, which you can round off with a stroll through the town and a meal in one of the cute restaurants. A propo food - Porto Venere probably has the best pesto in the country! To try it, you have to go to the “Bottega del Pesto”.
Portofino
Portofino may not be one of the five villages of the Cinque Terre, but it is in no way inferior to the Cinque Terre. The fishing village of Portofino is also characterized by colourful little houses that are picturesquely lined up along a small harbour! The best view of this is from Castello Brown.
Lucca
The Tuscan town of Lucca is admittedly a little further away from the Cinque Terre. However, it is a suitable destination for a day trip. Lucca is lovingly surrounded by an old city wall within which cars are only allowed to drive to a very limited extent. You can therefore discover the city center on foot. Stroll through the alleyways, across Piazza San Michele to Piazza dell'Anfiteatro and pop into one of the boutiques here and there or enjoy a delicious ice cream!
Isola Palmaria
Isola Palmeria was a tip from our host. You can reach the island by boat from La Spezia or Porto Venere. Here you can spend a relaxing day on the beach or set off on a hike through untouched nature.
Forte dei Marmi
Forte dei Marmi is a well-known seaside resort on the Italian Riviera. My mother used to spend her summer vacation here with her family as a child. Forte dei Marmi and the surrounding towns are characterized by their sandy beaches. Most of them are only accessible via beach bars, for which you have to pay an entrance fee. But in Marina di Massa and Viareggio there are also free stretches of beach!
Hiking
The Cinque Terre National Park is perfect for hiking! Most of the hiking trails - especially in the mountain regions - are free of charge. However, the two main hiking trails (Monterosso - Vernazza and Vernazza - Corniglia) are subject to a fee! However, the price of the hikes is included in the Cinque Terre Card. It costs €16 and includes the day ticket for the train and the price of the hiking trails. Hiking maps with all the hiking trails are also available on site.
La Spezia
The largest town in the Cinque Terre National Park is La Spezia. It is also the easiest place from which to reach the five villages of the Cinque Terre. It is therefore worth taking a short stroll through the town before or after a trip there. La Spezia is not the most beautiful Italian town, but the yachts in the harbor are impressive and there are some nice places to eat. The Dai Pescatori fish restaurant in the harbor is particularly popular.