Fresh Air › Instead of Cinque Terre
Levanto
Levanto is where people who actually want to enjoy Cinque Terre stay. It is a real town with a beach, a medieval old quarter, good restaurants, and accommodation at prices that do not require remortgaging. The Cinque Terre Express stops here, meaning you can reach any of the five villages in 5-15 minutes and then return to somewhere functional at the end of the day. It also has a good surf break — something the more dramatic villages cannot offer.
Why visit
A functional beach town with good surf, medieval old quarter, lower prices than the Cinque Terre villages, and easy train access to all five villages.
Crowd level
Receives many visitors using it as a base for Cinque Terre but is significantly less congested than the five villages.
Best time
June or September
Getting there
One stop north of Monterosso on the Cinque Terre Express. Direct from La Spezia and Genova.
Tradeoffs
Less picturesque than the Cinque Terre villages. The beach is the main attraction rather than architecture.
Direct comparisons
Layers
Region
At a glance
- Country
- Italy
- Region
- Liguria
- Fresh Air Score
- 78/100
- Cost level
- $$
- Distance from Cinque Terre
- 20 km