Cinque Terre Trip from Florence

Have you ever heard about a little piece of paradise called the Cinque Terre? If you look for the Cinque Terre on map you will be able to locate them going a little further north from Tuscany. Cinque Terre towns are located between Genova and La Spezia. Why to take a guided tour of Cinque Terre.

Why to take a guided tour of Cinque Terre? For many reasons, you won’t get there comfortably on a do-it-yourself trip. This unique landscape, suspended on steep cliffs overlooking the sea, is not that easy to reach. First of all, we are inside a natural park (Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre). Roads are twisted with speed limits and severe rules. Parking for your car is limited. While there are many activities to do in Cinque Terre, having a professional guide can help you focus on the best ones. You will find the paths that suit you best, the ones that will arouse your curiosity and interest the most. You well be walking on the most romantic trails or finding the most suggestive views, for a memorable experience that you will end up carrying in your heart forever.

In the end, having a guide is also useful for those who are coming by train. In fact, coming on your own you will not save much money. While joining a guided tour with myTour you will surely save time and earn an inestimable value in terms of energies saved and stress avoided.

How does the Cinque Terre day trip from Florence is structured?

You will meet our kind staff at Alamanni - Santa Maria Station, in front of Ambasciatori Hotel.

Coming from Florence we will pass through the northern part of Tuscany. After the province of Massa-Carrara, we will enter La Spezia province and Liguria region.

Manarola Italy what to see: buildings, vegetation, vineyards, and wine tasting

The first land we’ll reach is Manarola, a tiny jewel that does not have any equal in Italy or even worldwide. This place takes its name from the oil mill, underlining the importance of the excellent local production still managed by farmers, the real heroes of the place. Olives and extra virgin olive oil produced here are full of smell and taste coming from the sea (that is really close) and the sun, who keeps those lands warm even in the coldest winter.

From an architectural point of view, Manarola is a small town showing a unique kind of Genoese style colored buildings, called ‘case-torri’ (house-towers). They rely on a big rock close to the sea, one next to the other, showing their peculiar pastel colors. Together with the lush vegetation of the Mediterranean coastal area, they form a unique charming landscape. A view framed by vineyards, a view that you’ll be able to capture comfortably on photos, having the possibility to show this spectacular scenery when you’ll be back at home.

Manarola is also rich in art and history. San Rocco Hospital and the Oratorio dei Disciplinati are worth the visit. Then, in the upper part of the village you can visit the Gothic Church of San Lorenzo (1338) and its Baroque interiors. Here also relies the Torre Campanaria. The white bell tower, unusually separated from the church, offers a wonderful panorama sweeping down to the sea.

Riomaggiore Italy: the starting point of Via dell’Amore

Riomaggiore is one of the biggest villages in the Cinque Terre. Founded by fishermen who have been struggling since the dawn of time to get anchovies from the sea, this natural port is a truly suggestive place. The narrow streets called caruggi are crossed by lights and shadows, creating a unique effect, during summers and winters. Here houses are famous for their double entrance, one located on the facade, in front of the alley, the other on the back, in correspondence of the upper street. When pirates once came here with the intent to conquer the homes of the local inhabitants, Riomaggiore citizens escaped from the back door.

In this town, you can also visit the castle, located on the Cerricò hill, and the church of San Giovanni Battista.

But not only that, Riomaggiore is also the starting point of the famous Path of Love, the Via dell’Amore, a wonderful road connecting the village to Manarola by foot.

Monterosso al Mare, the pearl of Cinque Terre

Our local guides will lead you the way to discover the pearl of Cinque Terre, Monterosso al Mare. Well-positioned in the center of a natural basin, Monterosso town goes down to the sea, embracing its sparkling waters. People who love to have a bath or to explore the seabed can find here the perfect opportunity. Monterosso offers some spacious and easy-to-access sandy beaches. This is really important for those who don’t like rocks. Monterosso seaside is comfortable and less wild than the other areas of the Cinque Terre. Monterosso boasts also the Spiaggia del Gigante, the Beach of the Giant, so-called for the statue of Neptune holding up the rocks, realized by Francesco Levacher in 1910. Apart from going to the beach, you have other activities that you can do. You can visit Monterosso Castle, built by Genoese, or the Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista, with the fresco of the baptism of Christ. You can also reach the Cappuccini hill, enjoying the breathtaking views of lemon trees, vines, olive trees, and incredible slopes this magnificent territory offers.

Vernazza Italy: the true colors of Cinque Terre

If you are looking to find the true colors of the Cinque Terre, Vernazza is the right place for you. Here the atmosphere is unique and you may lose yourself in a typical medieval village, with its enigmatic alleys and the case-torri, colored in red, yellow and pink. Despite being much frequented by tourists, Vernazza is maintaining its maritime tradition, with fishermen and sailors still active here. Regarding art and history, you can visit the Doria Castle, built to protect the village from pirate raids, nowadays used as an exhibition site. You can also have a look at the Church of Santa Margherita of Antiochia, place of preservation of the patron saint's relics since its construction, after 1318, with its octagonal bell tower. 

Are you still thinking why having a guided tour from Florence to Cinque Terre is useful?

You won’t see as many different towns coming on your own on a day trip. You won’t get all the useful information our guides are going to give you. A visit to this country, loved by artists, painters, and poets, can restore your soul. This suggestive landscape has inspired the works of great British and Italian writers (P.B. Shelley and Eugenio Montale – just to name a few) and painters.

Our day trip will end approximately at 20.45 in Florence.