Cinque Terre from Lerici: where to stay and getting there

Let's be clear from the start: Il Capolavoro is not in the Cinque Terre. It is in San Terenzo, Lerici, on the other side of the Gulf of La Spezia, about an hour from Riomaggiore by bus and train. Staying here means that hour each way. In return you get a parking space, quiet evenings and the sea 250 metres from the door. Below: how to get there, what to buy and what to know before you go.

San Terenzo from above: houses along the seafront, the beach and its breakwater, and the islands of Palmaria and Tino on the horizon

The real question

Where to stay to visit the Cinque Terre

If the Cinque Terre are one or two days of your trip rather than the whole trip, Lerici is a sensible base. Staying in a village saves the journey, but your car stays far away and the streets fill up during the day. From Lerici you spend an hour getting there and come back in the evening to somewhere calmer.

The rest of the holiday is on your doorstep. From Il Capolavoro the beach at San Terenzo is a 4-minute walk, the village centre 8 minutes, Lerici 20. Portovenere is 40 minutes by car, Pisa airport an hour. The Cinque Terre become a day trip, and you pick the day by looking at the forecast.

What else is around the Gulf of Poets

Bus, train, boat

Getting from Lerici to the Cinque Terre

The simplest way is to get to La Spezia Centrale station, by bus or by car, and take the regional train, which stops in all five villages. In season a boat also leaves from Lerici; it calls at four of the five.

Ways to reach the Cinque Terre from San Terenzo, Lerici
How	From	Worth knowing
ATC bus, line L	San Terenzo or Lerici, to La Spezia station	San Terenzo centre is an 8-minute walk from the house. Timetables on the ATC Esercizio website.
Car to La Spezia	Il Capolavoro, 20 minutes	Handy if you come back late. Paid parking near the station, then on by train.
Regional train / Cinque Terre Express	La Spezia Centrale, towards Levanto	Stops in all five villages; Riomaggiore is first, a few minutes away. You need a Cinque Terre fare ticket or the Cinque Terre Train Card. Details on Trenitalia.
Boat, Line 02	Lerici harbour	Seasonal. Calls at Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso, not Corniglia. Can be cancelled in rough seas. Timetables on the Consorzio Marittimo website.
Driving to the villages	Il Capolavoro	Not recommended: little parking, paid and outside the centre. See below.

By train from La Spezia

The La Spezia – Levanto line stops at Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. Regional trains run all year; from spring to autumn Trenitalia adds the Cinque Terre Express service. Between La Spezia and Levanto an ordinary regional ticket is not enough: you need a Cinque Terre fare ticket, sold through all Trenitalia channels, and the price varies by day. If you plan to hop between several villages, the Cinque Terre Train Card is usually simpler.

By boat from Lerici

Line 02 of the Consorzio Marittimo Turistico Cinque Terre Golfo dei Poeti runs from La Spezia, Lerici and Portovenere to Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso. There are single tickets and a day ticket that lets you hop on and off as often as you like. There is a ticket office in Lerici, and online sales open on 1 February each year. It is the slowest option, and the one with the best view of the coast. A good combination: out by boat, back by train to La Spezia.

Manarola on its rocky spur: houses packed tightly down to the sea, with no room for cars

A practical tip

Why not to drive to the Cinque Terre

Because in the villages a car is no use and has nowhere to go. The centres are walked, parking is scarce, paid and often outside the village, and in summer finding a space is hard. The roads in are narrow and full of bends.

The train stops in all five villages, so leave the car where it is no trouble: at the house. Every house at Il Capolavoro has its own free parking space inside the property. For how parking works around Lerici itself, see our guide to parking in Lerici.

National Park

The Cinque Terre Card

It is the Cinque Terre National Park pass, in two versions: the Trekking Card, for the trails and the Park buses, and the Train Card, which adds regional trains between La Spezia and Levanto. Coming from Lerici, the Train Card is usually the one you want.

According to the Park, the Cinque Terre Train Card includes:

unlimited second-class travel on regional trains on the La Spezia – Cinque Terre – Levanto line;
access to the Sentiero Verde Azzurro trail and the Via dell'Amore;
the Park buses in the villages, including the one up from the station to Corniglia;
toilets at the stations and Wi-Fi at the Park hotspots;
entry to CAMeC, La Spezia's museum of modern and contemporary art.

Buy it online at card.parconazionale5terre.it or at the Park Infopoints in the stations from La Spezia to Levanto. It is valid until midnight on the last day shown, it is personal and must be shown with an ID. Prices vary by length (one, two or three days), age group and day, so check them on the official site. Children under four travel free.

For the Via dell'Amore between Riomaggiore and Manarola, the card is not enough on its own: you also need to book a time slot. In the busiest months the path is one-way, from Riomaggiore to Manarola. The Park recommends booking online.

South to north

The five villages at a glance

Coming from La Spezia you reach, in order, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. Fishing villages and terraced vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997 together with Portovenere and the islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto.

Riomaggiore: The first you reach, a few minutes by train from La Spezia. The Via dell'Amore to Manarola starts here.
Manarola: Coloured houses on a spur of rock above the sea, the ones in the photo at the top of this page. Reachable by train and by boat.
Corniglia: The only village not directly on the sea: it sits high on a headland among the vines. From the station you climb the long Lardarina staircase or take the Park bus. The boat does not stop here.
Vernazza: Houses crowded around a small harbour. It has both a station and a boat landing.
Monterosso: The largest of the five, with a long beach in front of the Fegina district. It is the last stop towards Levanto, by train and by boat.

A wooden boat on the sea in front of Manarola, in the Cinque Terre

Planning the day

When to go, and how to avoid the crowds

June and September are the months usually recommended: the sea is still good and there are fewer people than in July and August. Staying in Lerici gives you one more advantage: you do not have to fix the day in advance. Wait for a calm sea for the boat, or a grey day for walking.

Three things to do before you leave: check train times on Trenitalia, check the boat updates the Consorzio posts every morning from 8am, and, if you want to walk the Via dell'Amore, book your time slot.

If you would rather see the Cinque Terre from the sea on a boat of your own, we can help you arrange a tailored trip: mention it in your request along with your dates.

Where to stay

Three houses in San Terenzo, an hour from the Cinque Terre

Il Capolavoro is three self-contained houses on Via Vassale in Bagnola, 250 metres from the sea and from Marigola golf course. Each has its own entrance, its own outdoor space and its own free parking. For a group of up to eight, the house to pick is Ritratto di Donna.

Ritratto di Donna

up to 8 guests · 90 m² · 3 bathrooms
sea-view bedroom

I Pesci

up to 4 guests · 60 m² · three levels
outdoor patio

I Particolari

up to 4 guests · 45 m² · open plan
private garden and barbecue

Need room for everyone? Read about our holiday home for 8 in Lerici. From June to September the minimum stay is three nights; in low season one night is fine. Bed linen and towels are included.

Questions

Cinque Terre from Lerici: FAQ

How long does it take to get from Lerici to the Cinque Terre?

From Il Capolavoro, allow about an hour: bus or car to La Spezia Centrale station, then the regional train, which reaches Riomaggiore in a few minutes. Monterosso, the furthest of the five villages, takes a little longer. In season there is also a boat from Lerici.

Is Lerici a good base for visiting the Cinque Terre?

It is if the Cinque Terre are one or two days of your holiday rather than the whole of it. Staying in one of the villages saves the journey, but you give up having a car nearby and share the streets with the day crowds. From Lerici you trade an hour each way for a parking space, quiet evenings and the sea 250 metres from the door.

Should I drive to the Cinque Terre?

We would not. The village centres are not for cars, parking is scarce, paid and often outside the village, and in summer finding a space is hard. The train from La Spezia stops in all five villages and is the easiest way in.

Where do I buy the Cinque Terre Card?

Online on the official Cinque Terre National Park website, card.parconazionale5terre.it, or at the Park Infopoints in the railway stations from La Spezia to Levanto. The Train version includes unlimited second-class regional trains between La Spezia and Levanto; the price depends on the day.

Does the boat from Lerici stop at all five villages?

No. Line 02 of the Consorzio Marittimo Turistico Cinque Terre Golfo dei Poeti links Lerici with Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza and Monterosso. Corniglia sits high on its headland and has no landing stage, so you reach it by train. The service is seasonal and depends on sea conditions.

Which house suits a group visiting the Cinque Terre?

Ritratto di Donna sleeps up to 8, with two double bedrooms, two double sofa beds and three bathrooms. I Pesci and I Particolari sleep up to 4 each. All three have a free parking space inside the property.

Request

The Cinque Terre by day, the sea by the house

Three houses in San Terenzo, Lerici, 250 metres from the sea, parking included. Tell us the house and the dates: we will reply with availability and a quote, no commitment.

Check dates See the houses

The Cinque Terre from Lerici