Hi, is Cinque Terre a place for 2 sisters??? Or is it mostly for romantic couples. I have heard wonderful things about CT. We want a mixture of nature and fun! Where should we stay? Monterosso?

Monterosso is for you rather than the somnolent middle three of the five 'lands' or villages.

Monterosso has a neat old town and also one of the world's finest beaches (according to some magazine that recently declared it so) and the only sandy beach in the CT i believe.

So in Monterosso's beach part of town you'll find your prerequisite excitement day and night and can hike to the middle three villages to soak up the ancient car-less atmosphere in those dreamy and preciously quiet towns.

CT is for people who like walking, spectacular scenery, and tiny (but sometimes crowded) villages perched over the sea. All of the villages have their pros and cons. Monterosso does have the best beach of the 5, but I think it's a long way from 'one of the world's finest beaches'. We stayed in Levanto ,which technically is not part of CT, but is the next town past Monterosso. Levanto is much more car friendly, has a very nice beach, and lots of dining and hotel options.

Cinque Terre is definitely NOT just for romantic couples. I was there with my daughter last May. It's beautiful. Search this Forum for the thread I posted, which is a compilation of Fodorites' comments on each of the hikes. It's helpful to know in advance which hike(s) you want to do. Some are very strenuous, and others are not. Have fun there.
>-

I would look at staying in Lerici or Portovenere, which are on the LaSpezia side of the Cinque Terre. Very beautiful, in my estimation, even lovelier than the CT, a tick less crowded, and you can boat into the CT and get those unbelievable views from the water.

Monterosso will work fine for you, I think. Has the Old Town and New Town, hiking trails, and you can take the boat or train to the other towns, including Portovenere, which I recommend.
There are plenty of rooms to rent there, but if you're looking for a mid-priced hotel, I always recommend the Hotel 5Terre in the New Town. Good free breakfast, clean, quiet, very friendly and helpful staff. You'll find mostly Europeans staying there -- few Americans -- if that makes a difference.

Hi. CT is a place for everyone who loves the outdoors, hiking/walking and gorgeous views.

We loved the Villa Steno in Monterosso, great rooms, outstanding views and most of all charming and helpful owners & staff. If it suits your budget you won't be disappointed in this lovely small hotel. This hotel is very popular and books up well in advance.

All of the other towns are charming but we found Monterosso to have a little more to offer as it is the largest town of the five.

Have a wonderful trip.

How many nights are you staying?
If you're interested in a longer stay, I'd recommend Santa Margherita Ligure, also, as a nearby town to stay in. It's more a small city, but we thought it was charming and less busy than the little Cinque Terre towns. Also more to do if you're staying more than 1 or 2 nights.
And, definitely try take a ferry boat, to see the coastline from the water, as previously recommended.
>-

By day, CT is not what I'd call "romantic." All the towns by day are lively and bustling -- almost frenetic, depending upon the day. At night, you'd be better off in Monterosso (which we avoided for lodging precisely because we wanted quiet at night!)

San Diego Girls, the Cinque Terra is for everyone!...its a great area of Italy to explore, lots of beautiful scenery, breathtaking views, great shops, restaurants, and wine bars, not to mention the incredible food (the pesto is the best in Italy)...we stayed in Levanto, and as Zootsi stated, it called "the sixth town of the Cinque Terra"..Levanto is beautiful, has a better beach than Monterosso, and more options for hotels...by shuttle train you can reach the first village in the CT (Monterosso) in about 5-7 minutes..I have been to Italy many times, and the CT remains a favorite!..Enjoy!
Mikek

Romantic yes but I don't think it's for couples only. We saw young and old...couples and singles. We loved our 3 night stay in Vernazza but it might be a little quiet compared to Monterosso.