No holiday to the Italian coast is complete without a little beach time. So, if you’re looking for the very best beaches in the Cinque Terre, keep reading - we’ve got you covered.

If you're planning a summer break, or looking for somewhere to relax in Italy during a longer adventure by road or rail, then Cinque Terre, Italy is an understandable choice.

Nestled on the Ligurian Coast, with those famous clusters of colourful houses perched precariously by the sea, the incredibly popular national park comprising of five villages, protected waters, and a myriads of hiking trails offers quintessential Mediterranean moments in the sunshine alongside dolce vita realities.

However, should you be booking it for a family beach holiday? Absolutely not. Should you be going there if you only like long stretches of wide sandy beach and want an affordable experience for a week? Probably not.

That's no reason to despair though if you have your heart set on summer fun in the sun, as the Cinque Terre is tailor-made for days by the sea and is in fact home to some of our favourite spots from that two month trip in Italy - and a previous summer spent in Sicily.

You just need to realise that things are done a little differently in Italy.

Indeed, once you adapt and accept that old stone harbours, smooth rocks or boulders, pebbly coves, and marinas are actually MUCH more fun for sunbathing and swimming, you'll learn to love the sense of freedom that hanging out by the sea in the Cinque Terre offers.

There is also a lot to be said for not getting sand in your crack.

After our own week in the region, where we made a point of seeking out the best beaches in the Cinque Terre alongside slowly exploring in and around the five villages, we've shared our personal pick of the best beaches, sunbathing, and swimming spots in the national park to help you plan ahead. In the list below, the order runs from Monterosso in the northern section to Riomaggiore in the south. We've also included practical tips for beach etiquette and what you need to bring with you.

The essentials

// Monterosso has the sole ‘traditional’ beach in Cinque Terre
// All five villages have swimming access
// Learn to love the rocks

The Best Beaches in the Cinque Terre

Monterosso Beaches

Which Cinque Terre town has the best beach?

As the place with the only ‘proper’ sandy beach in Cinque Terre, the definitive answer is Monterosso al Mare. Obviously however, this article would end quite abruptly if sand and space were mandatory requirements in definition of a 'beach’.

The largest and northernmost of the villages, Monterosso is split into an old and new part, joined together by a short tunnel. In 'new' Monterosso - also called Fegina - you'll find a long stretch of beach segmented into four zones and a bit more of a resort / holiday vibe.

In the summaries below, we've used Monterosso train station as your reference point ('spiaggia' is beach in Italian by the way).

Spiaggia Fegina

The largest, nicest sandy section of beach in the Cinque Terre, which you'll be standing directly opposite once you've exited the station.

There's a very small area of free beach here (Google Maps) which you can access and lay your towel down for no cost, but this fills up quickly and becomes very crowded in summer. Get there early if you can and don't expect a lot of space to sprawl out as the day progresses.

Alternatively, you can choose from a few lidos on the left and the right sides. The art of the Italian lido, effectively a private/paid beach club, is something which has taken us several trips to go through the various stages of confusion, anger, avoidance, acceptance, and enjoyment. We have a whole article on the subject because understanding how lidos function and appreciating that they're more expensive than you expect, is quite intrinsic to any summer trip to Italy.

Read Later | The Art of the Italian Lido

It is on Fegina these lidos that you’ll find those iconic orange and green parasols by the way, with Beach Bar Stella Marina Monterosso Al Mare on the far right side and the Bagni Eden Bar & Gelateria (Google Maps) on the left. It’s the lido at Bagni Eden Bar that’s the most photogenic, but if you want a chair and parasol in the very best spot by the rock, you’ll need to reserve ahead of time (when we were there, there was a mobile number on the gate which you could call in advance of your beach day to secure your place). Do note that during the high season, even the lido on the far right fills up super quick, and so we’d recommend getting there as early as possible.

When we were in Monterosso, the lidos opened at 9 am and closed at 5 pm, but this may change dependent upon time of year. Expect to pay €30 for a parasol and two sun beds in high season, and €25 in low season.

Spiaggia Il Gigante

Turn right out the train station, walk for a few minutes past various restaurants, the car park and little football pitch on your left, and you'll arrive at the next best section of classic 'beach' after Spiaggia Fegina. It's a lot smaller with two lidos, so more of a 'plan b' if there's no space at Fegina. Keep an eye out for the battle-scarred statue of Neptune in the cliff!

Spiaggia Portiglione

A 10-minute walk from the station, about five minutes after you pass Il Gigante, this is lesser visited by tourists given its location, but it's free and still very pleasant.

Spiaggia Tragagia

Walk left from the station for five minutes and go through the tunnel. You'll emerge out into 'old Monterosso', which is a prettier than the 'new' section, and quickly spy its small beach area (it’s the beach in the photo below). We wouldn't choose to go there for the day, but the upside is that it's usually got a decent-sized free area in addition to its lido.

All of the above are great for swimming, and are also the most accessible sun & swim spots in this article (although do involve a few steps to enter / exit).

Vernazza Beach & Harbour

Whilst the beautiful neighbouring village of Vernazza is not known for its beaches, it does have two small sections of coastline upon which you can place your towel:

Vernazza Harbour

The only natural harbour in the Cinque Terre, Vernazza’s seafront has a very small dark sand beach to the side of Santa Margherita di Antiochia Church. Free to access - with not a whiff of a lido - it becomes sun trap on a summer’s afternoon, with views out onto fishing boats bobbing away on the blue.

Alternatively if the conditions are right - the waves can be strong here - you can head toward the marina and rocks on the left (Google Maps) lay your towel, bask, and leap into the sea to you heart's content.

Vernazza harbour beach with colourful buildings in background

Vernazza Beach

Were it not for the devastating floods and mudslides of 2011, Vernazza would still have only one beach area. As it stands however, there is now a second beach accessed through a cave in the village centre.

The beach itself is within a cove and covered with little rocks and pebbles, so not the most comfortable to lie on for an extended amount of time. The waves are stronger here than elsewhere in Cinque Terre, so just use common sense and be aware of conditions or signs advising against swimming. This also gets the sun in the afternoon and is free.

Note that the cave through which you will pass has a sign placed in front of warning people not to enter. As far as we are aware, this is more of a warning that you do so at your own risk, but if anyone reading this has further information we’d love to hear from your in the comments.

Corniglia Marina

There's a little giveaway in a number of other articles about the Cinque Terre where, if the writer says that Corniglia’s got no swimming spots, beach, or access to the water, then they clearly didn't spend very much time there at all (or perhaps they're just cutting and pasting...?)

We arrived at this clifftop village, which has no port for the Cinque Terre ferry to dock at, at the end of the first leg of the Blue Trail hike. Sweaty, thirsty, and hungry, we had a quick beer and Spritz at KM0 and lunch at the idyllic Terra Rossa Di Casiraghi Eliana E Sabrina, before trusting our instinct and following the handpainted 'Al Mare / To The Sea' sign.

What an excellent decision that was!

Perhaps best typifying what we mean by you don't need a 'beach' to feel like you're at the beach in Italy, we made a snap decision to change our plans and catch a train from Corniglia to Vernazza, and walk the trail back to Monterosso in golden hour. The memory of that all too brief moment sunbathing on the smooth concrete and cooling off in that perfect water will stay with us for a long time.

To access this wonderful free sunbathing and swimming spot in Corniglia (Google Maps), it's about 5 minutes walk from the centre, but does involve an awful lot of steep stairs.

Corniglia marina - rocky cove with sunbathers

Manarola Beach / Marina

We heard a lot of good things about Manarola, and would perhaps base ourselves there if returning to the Cinque Terre. However, we chose to visit it for a full day and that was enough time to puts its little marina into our top three spots in Cinque Terre. From the early morning, it transforms into the perfect little sunbathing and swimming area with several spots to lay your towel down for the day, drink some beers, soak up the sun, and enjoy some divine sea swimming or jumping off rocks.

people sunbathing and swimming in Manarola harbour

The only difficulty is choosing whether to go for a spot between or by the boat slats (here), settling in on the little stone platform facing the jutting out rock (here), or walking a little further to find a space on the wave breaks (here).

You can also walk to more secluded spots along the coast from the village to sunbathe on rocks, easily visible from the viewpoint, but we'll leave you to find those and keep the secrets to yourself on how best to access.

Riomaggiore

Watching sunset from the rocks of Riomaggiore is an obligatory rite of passage in Cinque Terre, but the southernmost village also offers up excellent opportunities for chilling out by the sea and swimming all day.

Riomaggiore Beach (Spiaggia di Riomaggiore) is perhaps the most obvious choice. Set in front of railway arches, this rocky beach is larger than those available in Vernazza. You can find it here on Google Maps, and reaching it simply involves a short walk up the stairs on the left and along the narrow walkway from the marina.

By this point on the trip, we much preferred simply finding a smooth rock or two to sunbathe on, and you can find a few good spots on the right hand side as you walk toward the beach. Alternatively, make your way out to the rocks here, which also serve the best vantage point for watching the sunset over the colourful village.

Note that you cannot swim in the harbour side of the rocks in Riomaggiore due to boat traffic.

View of Riomaggiore village and harbour at golden hour

Cinque Terre Beach Tips

// The water in Cinque Terre will be fantastic for swimming from early June to late September; in the time just before and after this, it will depend on your tolerance level and whether the weather is on your side. For more information on the best time to visit and times to avoid, check out 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Cinque Terre.

// For the Monterosso lidos, expect to pay €20 - €30 to rent one umbrella and two sunbeds for the whole day (or at least until 5-7 pm when they pack up). It's a good idea to have this in cash, just in case.

// Be aware that the lidos do sell out in high season and on weekends. It's possible to reserve your place in advance at some of the Monterosso lidos by turning up the day before to request a space - this isn't a bad idea if you're based there and are planning to be at the beach for the whole of the next day. The signs may also have a number you can Whatsapp to reserve.

// A lot of lidos also close after the summer season, which does free up more free beach (but the weather at these times may make lying on the beach a less enjoyable activity too). End of season is generally defined as the end of September by the way.

// For the harbours and rock sunbathing / swimming spots, all you need to bring is your towel, suncream, drinks, and snacks (and a good book if you've got one). The sun during summer is very strong, and you will not have any shade available at any of the beaches / sunbathing spots except at the Monterosso lidos or if you bring your own umbrella. Therefore, it's best to take a break in the early afternoon rather than sweating it out.

// As always, it's imperative that all visitors to the Cinque Terre take their responsibilities seriously and be a good tourist. Don't leave your rubbish at the beach of wherever you've spent your time, be considerate of locals and those around you.

// Also, please don't be a chav and walk around these beautiful, charming, historic Italian villages in your flip flops and swimwear. It's just not right and these aren't beach holiday resorts. Have a change of clothes to walk to / from them and simply change by the water.

Blue and white parasols on Fegina beach - Monterosso

// Monterosso's beaches have restaurants, shops, and bars in close proximity, as does Vernazza. For Manarola, it's a five or ten minute walk back up to a shop (depending on the time of day) so it's a good idea to bring supplies with you. For Corniglia and Riomaggiore, it's also best to bring everything with you.

// It is possible to reach a few additional, secluded beaches (the nudist Guvano beach outside Corniglia and Canneto beach outside Riomaggiore) exclusively by the water, but it’s essential you understand your abilities and limitations before trying to do this by kayak.

// There are also a bunch of lovely beaches on this section of coast, known as the Italian Riviera, but it would be disingenuous of us to have included them under the guise of the best beaches in the Cinque Terre. As we mention in 23 Things to Know Before You Visit Cinque Terre, you aren’t visiting and staying in the national park in order to leave it for day trips to places outside it (it would be the other way round if anything)! If you're curious though, check out our Sestri Levante guide (published soon). Levanto also has a massive sandy beach.

// Be really careful when making your way to / from the rocks as they can be slippy - especially so if you're in flip-flops. One girl in Corniglia went arse over tit when leaving and her whole bag got submereged...you have been warned.

// If you’re doing various hikes, including the Blue Trail, then factor in that you may wish to stop for a quick dip at one of the above when your route passes through or nearby. For more information, check out this article: A Beginner’s Guide to Hiking in Cinque Terre.

// As with a number of places we've visited on the Italian coast, it's not a bad idea to have sea slippers with you (very popular with Italians) to make the initially rocky seabed less uncomfortable. If you want to buy before you travel, take a look at these.

// Your accommodation in Cinque Terre will NOT be happy if you take your bath towels to the beach (stains are inevitable). Our guesthouse in Monterosso was good enough to provide separate beach towels for guests, but this is rare so it may be worth buying a large sarong if you’re going to have a bunch of Italian beach days.