Why Visiting Cinque Terre, Italy is Still Amazing, Despite the Crowds

When we planned our trip around the world, everyone of us, kids included, got to pick where we would go.  For Jessica,  Byron Bay,  Australia and Cinque Terre, Italy were her two top places.  What I love about Jessica is that she doesn't overthink things.  She picked this place from the heart and didn't really care about other places that could have been more practical or convenient. She pronounced Cinque Terre , sink- wa -terrē, which drove me nuts.  I mean how could this be a place that you longed to go when you don't even take the time to find the correct pronunciation of the place itself?!  (it's pronounced (Chink- wa Terra in a true Italian accent).  

But we rode in on small commuter train from the South of France and arrived in the charming little town of Manarola (one of the 5 towns in the Cinque Terre). I knew right away that her instincts were again correct as we would soon come to find out!

Why Visiting Cinque Terre, Italy is Still Amazing Despite the Crowds:

1) See What You Want to See

If you're the type of person who wants solitude on vacation, you can surely find these places with a few clicks of your computer and the right keywords.  If you want solitude when visiting the most iconic, famous and beautiful places in the world then you are living in the wrong era, my friends!  The internet economy is in full effect these days, and we knew that we would encounter insane crowds when we visited these places that are well known. Of course, right? Especially the quaint and delicate Cinque Terre.

This is the lesson. Stop acting like you're the only family that wants or deserves to see these iconic places and see the joy of others being there too. It will will change everything. It will never NOT be crowded in these places, especially Cinque Terre. It's too small.  It's too beautiful.  If you stop complaining about it being what it is and not what you expected, you'll love every minute of it.  Our family still remembers seeing a 90 year old couple sitting every morning on the steps of their balcony along a winding, narrow street near our AirBnB sipping espresso, smiling at the tourists and enjoying THEIR town that's been there for hundreds of years.  It's worth the work to see the crowds as joy in motion and get in the right mindset.  See the terraces where lemons have grown for hundreds of years and smell the salt air. There's enough for everyone.

2). Learn some Italian and Smile at the Locals

We learned alongside our kids that a few words spoken in Italian make all the difference in getting good vibes in return from the locals. TRYING to make a connection and showing respect to the beautiful people of this country made our experience so much more rewarding.  If you come to these towns acting privileged and assume that everyone speaks English (they don't),  you're bound for some bad energy in return.  I can confirm one fact that I know now - after visiting the Cinque Terre (and about Italians in general), is that they don't care about your English language, privileged heritage or abundance of money.  We discovered this first hand by watching tourists complain incessantly and give off impatient and disgusted vibes about the crowds and long lines for focaccia bread pizza. Amazing thing... they got same energy back in return. These people are proud (rightfully so!) and they respect their own culture so much that they don't want to be Americans or speak English.  Best of all....and THE ULTIMATE HACK FOR VISITING THE CINQUE TERRE - is that when they see foreign children asking for things in Italian it makes them light up! And when they see that it's important to you, as a parent, to have the kids show respect, you get the respect in return. Approach it like a child, be respectful and curious and it will make all the difference, no doubt.

3) The Early Bird Gets to Experience Italy 100 Years Ago

Even when you are expecting crowds, the crowds are unexpectedly big in the Cinque Terre. They can take even the most researched traveler by surprise.  You can turn your mentality around by doing one easy thing. Wake the hell up……early. Stop telling yourself that you are jet lagged. Stop telling yourself that you're not a morning person. Get prepared the night before with your clothes lined up, with your coffee cup ready with a Nescafé packet (these aren't perfect but will do the job at 5 am) and commit to seeing the place like you never could with crowds of people there. From Manarola, you can catch the trail to Corniglia (the trail to Riomagiorre is closed currently pending repair) and while the sun is rising, head straight up the hill from town and see barely a soul. Wander through lemon terraces and take the 1.5 hour hike to Corniglia, the only of the five towns that isn't directly built on the cliffs of the sea. Once there, take a train anywhere to the five towns and have breakfast while it's still quiet and serene. Best thing is that this travel hack works anytime, anywhere. It's human nature to not want to get up early.  Do it, and you'll have some amazing photos in your memory book of the quaint little towns of the Cinque Terre without all the commotion and distraction.  Best thing is that you'll be ready to relax the rest of the day and handle all the crazy tourists knowing that you've already had a great morning.

4) Take a Leap From the Rocks

Manarola has some of the best cliff jumping and rock leaping in the Cinque Terre.  For kids, there are leaps for all ages from small jumps to towering 10m leaps of faith into turquoise pools with crowds watching and cheering brave jumpers. Our kids remembered these moments as much as any. It’s a great way to spend a hot summer day soaking in the old town while the littles get some adventure. A close second for cliff jumping was the town of Vernazza.  We hiked from the town of Corniglia (about 1.5 miles along the Blue Trail) to Vernazza early one morning to get breakfast and do some cliff jumping with the kids.  This was our favorite trail! This trail approaching Vernazza is breathtaking. The town’s upscale swagger is on full display once you get it in your sights.  Unlike Manarola, which is beautifully understated and delightfully slow and simple, Vernazza was a nice change of pace. We explored the Doria Castle which gave us perfect perspective from which to see the entire town from high up.  We also found a hidden beach that can be located through a tunnel from the Main Street in town that had a perfect spot to sun on the rocks and enjoy a peaceful cove away from the busy nature of the town center.

Cheers to dreaming- Matt