Stay in Cinque Terre or Levanto?
 

We are planning to spend three nights in the Cinque Terre area, and are looking for opinions about whether to stay in one of the five villages, or in Levanto.

We are a couple who will be traveling next summer with a ten-year-old child and a grandmother. She is 80 and in very good shape, but we don't want to make her climb an inordinate number of stairs. At the same time, we've read that it's nice to stay in the towns and savor the quiet after the daytime crowds depart.

We'd appreciate advice on what makes the most sense, as well as recommendations for specific hotels in the town(s) suggested.

Thanks so much.

We stayed in Levanto and found it convenient. It is perhaps not as charming as one of the five towns but is relatively flat and has a range of shops and cafes. It is more of a small town than a tiny village. It is also extremely easy to get by train to any of the other villages. I'm guessing it might even be a little cheaper than one of the 'name' villages.

I can't comment about Levanto but in your situation I wouldn't stay in any of the CT towns. This summer we stayed in Portovenere and loved it! It is a beautiful town, very picturesque. Access from there to the CT towns is by boat or go to La Spezia and take train from there. We were so happy that we didn't stay in the CT towns. They are cute but IMO PV is a much better place to stay.

As your situation, I suggest Levanto

Vincenzo

We stayed in Levanto several years ago and loved it. It has a 'Riviera resort' vibe, but on a small scale. Levanto is car friendly, and has lots of dining options. The beach at Levanto is also nicer than any in the CT towns. It's about a 5 minute train ride to CT from Levanto, or a two hour hike. On the minus side, it doesn't have the same charm as the CT villages, but still has a nice feel to it.

You do not mention 2 important variables that may be a factor. Are you driving, and what time of year? I will asssume yes and summer. In that case I would choose Levanto for easier logistics and the great beach. Look at Villa Margherita.

Bob the Navigator,

We will be traveling in late June / early July as our son is in school and cannot take him out sooner. We will have a car, but I have heard there are parking lots outside the CT towns. Does that help? Thanks.

Neal

Sure, makes good sense. I would stay in Levanto--much flatter and has the best beach in the area. You can drive to Monterosso and park in the big lot on the water,or just train from Levanto. I am a big fan of taking the ferry boat on day one as far as Portovenere and back and then deciding what to hike after that. Have fun and eat some pesto for me.

I agree with Bob, Levanto would be my choice, its a proper Italian resort town on the edge of Cinque Terre with all facilities and a nice place to stay. 5-T village are charming but at that time of year will be over-run with tourists and you will hardly feel you are in Italy at all.

Bobthenavigator,
Could you please tell me about the Villa Margherita? We are booked to stay there in a few weeks and I think it is the plastic chairs in the garden that turn me off. Obviously, you have stayed there before and know a good deal about it.

We are really easy to please, so I don't know why I am so hesitant. We tend to go for really small personal places and I have read on Tripadvisor that the old man at the desk can be grumpy. Actually, we have no choice now, the entire coast is booked for the boat shoe in Genoa.

Tell me something to make me feel more comfortable. Is there an ocean view? How far is it down to their beach? Thanks

We stayed in Levanto in 2006 for our visit to CT and really enjoyed it. It is such a short train ride to the villages I felt we were as well as in the villages themselves. I highly recommend the Hotel Nazionale. Very charming public areas and spotlessly clean rooms. The owner and her niece were very helpful. Her perfect English put my grammar to shame, to tell the truth! It's a short walk to the beach as well as the train station. You will love your visit no matter where you stay!

It is not on the water but a 5 minute walk to the beach. Not fancy but good value---the owner can be moody but also very helpful. Not great, but you do not pay for great.

It is not on the water but a 5 minute walk to the beach. Not fancy but good value---the owner can be moody but also very helpful. Not great, but you do not pay for great.

Hmmm...we must have caught her in her good moods, as our interactions with her are remembered with fondness. Her niece (I regret that I don't remember their names) was a little frenetic but also helpful - probably just too much on her plate. The room we were in was located right at the top of the "T" street, so it looked straight down the street for a peek at the sea. Most of the rooms will not have a view. I think we paid 125 E, so I wasn't really expecting ocean view, so the "peek" was a bonus for me.

Interesting.
We lovedlovedloved staying in Manarola (one of the 5 villages) both in 2006 and 2008...so much so that both times we extended the length of our stay.
We plan to return either this autumn or in the spring, and will again stay in one of the villages.

Cinqueterre is, like a lot of smaller "popular" destinations, an entirely different place when you can live there for a few days and nights. Daytripping is just one way to experience the magnificence and specialness of the place.

Last sentence unclear: my point is that if you stay outside the villages and only go in for the day, you only get a partial experience. imvho.

We stayed 3 nights in Grande Allbegio - Sestri Levante and did our trips tpo the CT and Portofino, Santa Marguerita and San Fruitiosso - by train and ferry. It is a seaside town with plenty of shoppiong and Cafes as well as a beach. The Hotel has its own pool as well as its own beach. We had a great time but a word of advice - don't trust the room safe! It was a digital code - enterd by us - however ALL our cash was stolen from it - though we didn't discover it until too late eg. in the taxi en route to the station!! Good luck - its a beautifl area of Italy.

When we were there several years ago, we stayed at the Serafina guest house, a simple apartment type room in a quiet area about 10 minutes walk to the beach. Lots of public parking nearby, and close to the train station. The best place we ate in all of Italy was right down the street - a local streetcorner Trattoria.

The Villa Margherita is a pleasant place to stay and we enjoyed it very much. It is, however, all uphill to get there. And once you're at the gate, there's a long set of stairs to deal with.

I don't mean to put a damper on your plans, but it will be hot & humid that time of year. Having a car will help if you can find parking nearby...but do expect to still be climbing. That's pretty much the case in the entire Cinque Terre region.

Thanks to all for your input. We apologize -- we thought we'd expressed our thanks weeks ago! Still haven't decided where to stay, but we're going with Levanto.