TOP 16 Amazing Cinque Terre Beaches to Catch the Sun (+ map)
Wondering where you can bathe in Cinque Terre? Here are the best Cinque Terre beaches, with all the info to access them!
With its rugged landscape, the Cinque Terre is better known for its hiking trails than its beaches. Yet, the beaches are often spectacular, with crystal-clear water and a breathtaking Mediterranean backdrop.
In this guide, we’ll go over no less than 16 beaches in this fabulous Italian landmark, with all the details you need, including photos, location, and how to get there. I’ve even included a free map of all the beaches, that you can download to plan your trip.
Let’s get started!
The Best Beaches in Cinque Terre: Monterosso
Monterosso is definitely the best place to swim in Cinque Terre. The village actually has 3 beaches, and contrary to most of the others, they are made of sand: Old Town Beach, Fegina Beach, and Spiaggia del Gigante.
Monterosso Old Town Beach
This beach is located right in front of the old town, and it’s the easiest to reach if you’re staying in Monterosso. It’s also one of the only wheelchair-accessible beaches in the area.
It’s a long sandy beach and the second biggest in Monterosso. The main part of the beach is private, and you’ll need to pay to be on the beach. Don’t worry though, the left part of the beach is free. It’s pretty similar to the beaches on the Amalfi Coast.
💸 Monterosso Al Mare Beach Prices (*Prices can vary depending on the months)
- Lounge chair: 7€ for the day or 5€ for half a day
- 2 lounge chairs + umbrella: 25€ for the day or 15€ for half a day
🧭 How to Get There: From the old town, walk down the main street towards the harbor and you’ll get to the beach. From the train station, walk along the promenade with the sea to your right for around 8 minutes and you’ll reach the beach.
Fegina Beach
Fegina Beach is the largest one in Monterosso, and it’s the best beach in Monterosso al Mare. Oh, and it’s also the best one if you’re with children!
While most of the beaches in Cinque Terre get deep very quickly (you walk a bit in the sea and quickly your feet don’t touch the ground), Fegina Beach has a slow decline, and it’s perfect for kids. They’ll be able to play in the water without you having to worry too much about them being in deep water.
Just like the Old Town Beach, most of the shore is private. For the free parts of the beach, head to the far right of the beach.
🧭 How to Get There: The beach is located right in front of the train station.
Spiaggia del Gigante
And finally the last of the Monterosso al Mare: Spiaggia del Gigante. The name comes from the massive statue of a giant that you’ll find on the beach, the Statua del Gigante.
This beach is also a sandy beach, and just like the other 2, it’s mostly private. If you’d rather simply put your towel down without having to pay, head to the right side of the beach (close to the Giant statue).
🧭 How to Get There: Turn right when exiting the train station, and walk on the promenade with the sea on your left side. Walk for 5 minutes, cross the parking lot in the middle of the beach (yep, that’s weird), and you’ll get there.
Swimming in Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore Beach
Located right next to the village of Riomaggiore, it’s actually hidden from the main area, and you can’t see it from the village itself. Many people miss this beach in Riomaggiore simply because they had no idea it was there!
The beach in itself is not the best: it’s made of stones of all sizes, and truly not the best place to relax. It’s quite uncomfortable to sit or lie down on the rocks, to be honest.
However, the main reason why it’s great is the water. The water in Riomaggiore Beach is crystal clear, and you’ll be able to see fish and even octopuses!
💡 Tip: Bring your swim goggles or mask with you to see the fish. Be careful when going in/out of the water, the rocks can be slippery, and some of them are pretty sharp. Go in the water with water shoes if you have a pair.
🧭 How to Get There: Go down to the harbor, take the stairs to the left towards the high viewpoint, then keep going on the trail around the cliff.
Swimming in Manarola
Manarola Beach
While it’s called “Manarola Beach”, there is no real beach in Manarola. Rather, there’s a concrete ramp in the harbour, that goes all the way down to the water. It’s a pretty nice spot to lay down your towel, and definitely better than the uncomfortable rocks in Riomaggiore.
The sea is deep in this part of the Cinque Terre, and it’s a great spot to jump from the rocks! There’s a ladder that goes from the sea to the top of the rocks, making it very easy to cliff jump.
And when you’re done bathing, there’s a handy shower where you can get rid of all of the salt on your body.
🧭 How to Get There: Simply follow the main street down to the harbor and go to the right part of the harbor where the cement ramp goes down to the water.
Swimming in Corniglia
Corniglia Beach
Spiaggione di Corniglia, or Corniglia Beach, is the easiest one to reach. It’s a wide rocky beach located at the base of a cliff, below the train tracks leading to Manarola.
It’s a very long beach, where you shouldn’t have any problems finding a spot to chill. Note that it’s not always accessible: when it’s high tide, the water covers all of the beach areas.
🧭 How to Get There: Go left when you exit the train station and take the stairs leading down to the shore.
Corniglia Harbor
This is the second beach area in Corniglia, but just like Manarola, it’s a cement ramp stretching over the sea. It’s a very peaceful beach, mainly due to the fact that it requires decent effort to reach.
🧭 How to Get There: Climb up all the way to the village of Corniglia, then follow the main street into the village and stick to the right side. At the end of the village, you’ll find a 343-step staircase that leads all the way down to the sea.
Guvano – Nudist Beach
And finally, the last of the 3 beaches around Corniglia: Guvano Beach. Guvano is famous for being the nudist beach in Cinque Terre, and it’s the favorite spot of those who like to enjoy nature in their birthday suit.
It was previously possible to reach it via an old train tunnel, but the tunnel was closed in 2016. Please note that it’s very difficult to reach this beach, and the only way I’d advise getting there is by the sea.
🧭 How to Get There: Hike the Sentiero Azzuro between Corniglia and Vernazza and follow the signs to Spiaggia Libera. You’ll find a very steep path going down to the beach, where you’ll need to climb down a rope for the final part. It’s pretty tough to get there using the trail. Alternatively, you can get there with a kayak/boat.
Swimming in Vernazza
Vernazza Beach
Vernazza Beach is a wide-open area at the base of the cliffs, where you’ll have space to stretch out. This is a stone beach, so don’t expect to be too comfortable there, but it’s great to swim if the other one is too crowded.
This beach is very recent, as it was created in 2011: a massive flood hit Vernazza and took part of the cliff off. The beach has been safe to visit ever since.
🧭 How to Get There: Walk down the main road in Vernazza towards the harbor, then turn left just before reaching the harbor, when you see a turn in the road. Go through the tunnel in the rock, and you’ll be on the beach.
Vernazza Harbor Beach
Unlike the other one, Vernazza Harbor Beach is a sandy beach! In fact, it’s one of the only sandy beaches of Cinque Terre.
Be aware that it’s a really small beach, so if you’re visiting during the high season you’ll need to wake up early to secure a spot on this beach.
🧭 How to Get There: This beach is very easy to reach. Simply walk down the main street in Vernazza, and it will lead you straight to the harbor where you’ll find the beach.
Other Beautiful Beaches Near Cinque Terre
All of the places included above are directly in the Cinque Terre National Park. They are great beaches, but they can get quite crowded in summer.
If you’d like to see other options to escape the crowds, I’ve included below the best beaches near Cinque Terre (don’t worry, they’re not far at all!).
Levanto Beach
The Cinque Terre village of Levanto is very similar to Monterosso: it has several beaches, and they’re sandy. The only difference is that it’s not located directly in Cinque Terre, but right outside.
piaggia di Levanto (Levanto Beach) is the biggest one in the village.
It’s a huge sandy beach, and it’s the second largest beach on this list after Fegina in Monterosso. It has a private part where you can rent lounge chairs and umbrellas, and free parts as well. It’s a great alternative to Monterosso to escape the crowds!
If you go camping in Levanto, you’ll undoubtedly spend a lot of time on this beach.
Even though it’s technically not in Cinque Terre, I rank this beach high on the list of the Cinque Terre top beaches.
🧭 How to Get There: Levanto is on the same train line as the other villages, and it’s the next stop after Monterosso. Exit the Levanto train station, and follow the road leading away from the station: keep going straight for 10 minutes, and you’ll be at the beach.
Spiaggia Vallesanta
Spiaggia Vallesanta is the second largest beach in Levanto. It’s located right next to Levanto Beach, and it’s separated by the harbor. It’s a bit further from the station than Levanto Beach, and generally much more peaceful there.
🧭 How to Get There: Once you reach Levanto Beach, head to the right and walk along the promenade: walk past the harbor, and you’ll see a small cement ramp going on the beach right after the harbor.
Spiaggia Bonassola
Spiaggia Bonassola is located right next to the previous one, but most people don’t go there because they don’t know it’s actually there! You can’t see it from the other beaches in Levanto, so you have to know it’s here.
Bonassola is a really small beach, but if there are too many people for your taste on the other beaches, try your luck at this one!
🧭 How to Get There: Instead of taking the cement ramp down to Spiaggia Vallesanta, keep walking on the road along the shore. Go through the 2 tunnels, and you’ll see the beach on the right just after the second tunnel.
Spiaggia per i Cani (Dog Beach)
And finally the last beach in Levanto, the Spiaggia per i Cani. This one is different from the others, as it’s a bit special: Spiaggia per i Cani literally means “beach for dogs”.
It’s exactly what it says: a beach open to dogs, and the perfect place to go for a tan or a swim with your canine friend!
🧭 How to Get There: Same as to get to Spiaggia Bonassola. Walk on the promenade heading right when in front of the sea, go through the 2 tunnels, and keep going until you reach the 3rd tunnel. Just before the tunnel, you’ll see stairs on the right side, going down to the beach.
Canneto Beach
Next up is Canneto Beach; on the opposite side of Cinque Terre, about a 5-minute drive south from Riomaggiore. But getting there isn’t as easy as simply driving to the beach!
You can’t access Canneto from the land: no hiking, biking, or driving. The only way to get to this beach is by the sea: you’ll need to go on a boat tour or rent a boat/kayak to reach this secluded beach.
If you’re visiting in the high season, all of the beaches will be absolutely crowded. A good way to escape the crowds is to go to a secret beach like this one. Sure, it’s hard to reach. But it’s even more worth it if you do get to it!
Oh and to make it even more beautiful, there’s even a waterfall on the beach.
🧭 How to Get There: Go by boat/kayak from Riomaggiore, cruise down south along the coast and you’ll reach the beach in a few minutes.
Fossola Beach
Let’s finish off this list with the 16th beach: Fossola Beach. Just like Canneto Beach, it’s a secret beach, and you can only access it by boat.
In the past, there was a trail leading up to the beach, but a massive landslide made it a secluded beach. Now the only option is to rent a boat/kayak and get there by sea. I mean, you need to deserve such a beautiful pristine beach!
It’s located right below Canneto on the coast, and if you rent a boat you can visit the 2 beaches on the same trip.
🧭 How to Get There: Go by boat/kayak from Riomaggiore, cruise down south along the coast and you’ll reach the beach in a few minutes.
Map of All the Beaches + Info
You’ve made it all the way to the end of the article! To make your trip easier, I’ve created a custom map of the best beaches in Cinque Terre. Click on the map to save it to your Google Maps.
Click on the map to open in Google Maps
Does Cinque Terre have beaches?
Yes, there are 10 beaches inside the Cinque Terre National Park and many more in the nearby area.
Which Cinque Terre town has the best beach?
The best beach in Cinque Terre is in Monterosso! In close second comes Levanto with beautiful sandy beaches, but it’s not directly in Cinque Terre.
Are there any sandy beaches in Cinque Terre?
Yes, there are 3 sandy beaches in Cinque Terre: 3 sandy beaches in Monterosso, 1 in Vernazza, and 4 in Levanto.
Does Vernazza have a beach?
Yes, Vernazza has a beach. In fact, Vernazza has 2 of them! There’s Vernazza Beach, a rocky beach below the cliffs that you can access through a tunnel in the rock, and Vernazza Harbor Beach, a small sandy beach next to the harbor.
Is it possible to swim in Cinque Terre?
Yes, you can swim in Cinque Terre! There are plenty of beaches in the area, and you can swim in all of the villages.
The best time to swim is during summer when it’s hot outside, as it can get quite chilly during the other months of the year. I wouldn’t recommend bathing in winter as waves can get pretty strong along the shore, plus it’s freezing cold!
🔍 Read more:
Planning a trip to the Cinque Terre? You can find below several other articles about this wonderful part of Italy to help you plan your trip:
- Ultimate Guide to the Cinque Terre
- Choose the Right Village to Stay in Cinque Terre
- Manarola – the Oldest Village
- Vernazza – the Jewel of the Cinque Terre
- Corniglia – the Highest Village
- Monterosso Al Mare – the Place to Relax
- Levanto – the Perfect Starting Point
- Guide to Camp in the Cinque Terre
And many other helpful guides about Cinque Terre and the rest of Italy here.
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