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Monterosso al Mare - Lungomare Fegina 88
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Monterosso al Mare, or simply Monterosso, is the first Cinque Terre village you encounter coming from Genoa, or the last if arriving from La Spezia. It matters little which direction you’re coming from: it’s perfect as either the beginning or end of a holiday in Liguria.
It’s one of the largest and most populated of the Cinque Terre villages (with around 1,400 inhabitants – unusually high for these challenging lands) and less rugged and steep than the other four, making it the most “approachable”.
Nestled at the centre of a bay bordered to the west by the Punta Mesco headland and now protected by an artificial cliff, Monterosso is divided into an old quarter and a new quarter connected by a tunnel.
Unlike the other four villages, you’ll find a long sandy beach here – the only beach in the entire Cinque Terre suitable for bathing and the largest stretch of sand on this section of the Riviera di Levante – plus a greater variety of bars and restaurants.
What it shares with the other villages is its timeless charm: colourful tower houses, the characteristic narrow streets (caruggi) that smell of salt air, exquisite local cuisine, dark rocky cliffs plunging into the sea, and paths winding through lush greenery.
The poet Eugenio Montale fell in love with it, as have countless visitors over the decades. You will too.
Monterosso is the only Cinque Terre village that attracts more visitors for its beaches than its historic centre. Still, it’s worth taking time to explore the old town slowly, wandering through the caruggi (the typical narrow streets of Ligurian villages) in search of the best focaccia bakery or a romantic corner.
Make a note of these points of interest to visit during your free exploration of the village.
The first building to admire in Monterosso is undoubtedly the Church of San Giovanni Battista1: built in the Gothic style between the 13th and 14th centuries, it’s easily recognised by its stunning façade of alternating white and dark marble. The original bell tower dates from the Middle Ages and originally served a defensive purpose; what we see today is a reconstruction.
Next to the Church of San Giovanni Battista stands the Oratory of the Blacks2, also featuring a two-tone façade but in baroque style.
At the top of the San Cristoforo hill, which separates the old town from the new town, stands the Capuchin Friars' Convent3, built in the 17th century and used as a military base during the Napoleonic era before returning to religious use.
Leaving the village, the most evocative religious building in Monterosso is the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Soviore4, set amid the green hills surrounding the town at 418 metres above sea level. Dedicated to the Madonna, Queen of the Seas and protector of sailors, the sanctuary comprises churches, refuges and bell towers. It’s an oasis of peace reached by an uphill walk.
Little remains of the medieval defensive system built to protect Monterosso from pirate raids and other attacks: of the original 13 towers, only three survive, the most famous being Torre Aurora, built in the 16th century on a rocky spur along the coast.
It’s not open to visitors as it’s currently used as a private residence, but it’s an evocative sight – a stronghold from another age that seems still to be watching the sea for potential dangers.
The unmissable attraction in Monterosso’s new quarter is the extraordinary Statue of the Giant, a magnificent example of harmonious integration of human creation with nature.
It’s a monumental reinforced concrete statue, 14 metres high, depicting the giant Neptune holding an enormous shell. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it’s embedded in the rock of the headland that borders Fegina beach in such a way that it appears to be a bizarre formation of the rock itself rather than an external work added to it.
Created in 1910 by sculptor Arrigo Minerbi and architect Levacher Minerbi, it has suffered considerable damage over time: it has lost both arms, its trident and the shell. These losses give it a melancholic air whilst making it a perfect image of life in this corner of Liguria, where for centuries people have fought for survival in difficult terrain, wrested from the sea and squeezed between mountains.
The poet Eugenio Montale, Nobel Prize winner for literature, spent much of his childhood in Monterosso and returned often in adulthood.
The Art Nouveau villa that was his residence still exists today, which he called the Yellowish Pagoda or Villa of Two Palms. Unfortunately, the villa is privately owned and not open to the public.
There is, however, a literary park dedicated to him: local guides will take you through the terraced vineyards where the poet found inspiration, to the cemetery where his family tomb is located – a place frequently mentioned in his works – and to other sites dear to the poet.
Monterosso’s top attraction is the Fegina Beach8, accessible just outside the station via a convenient staircase.
It’s a wide strip of sand stretching from Punta Mesco, on the western side of Monterosso, to the tunnel leading to the old town; it has both equipped and free sections with a bar and restaurant. Due to its ease of access and available facilities, it’s certainly the best family beach in the Cinque Terre and recommended for those who don’t enjoy tiny, hard-to-reach beaches.
What makes this town beach particularly charming are the extraordinary colours of the sea, with countless shades of green and blue, and the two rocky outcrops rising from the water. They look like a carefully positioned statue, but they’re actually a work of nature’s art!
Beyond the tunnel lies another beach, equally lovely and easily accessible on foot within minutes. Monterosso’s beaches end where the path to Manarola begins.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
Like the other Cinque Terre locations, Monterosso is a paradise for lovers of nature walks. Numerous trails depart from here offering various levels of difficulty, from easy 30-minute to one-hour strolls to challenging trekking reserved for experienced hikers.
The town is located on section N2d of the famous Sentiero Azzurro, the walking route connecting all the Cinque Terre villages. Unfortunately, due to a landslide in 2012, much of the path is impassable.
A popular walk with Monterosso visitors is the trail to the Monastery of Sant’Antonio on the Punta Mesco headland. At 2.2 km, it takes just over an hour and rewards you with stunning panoramic views across the Cinque Terre.
It’s a steep uphill path but requires no technical difficulty and is well signposted; it’s marked on hiking maps as SVA-590 (formerly 10).
Another accessible uphill trail connects Monterosso to the Sanctuary of Soviore, from where you can continue on path no.1 towards Portovenere. The section to the sanctuary is around 2 km and takes 50 to 70 minutes.
Even for these easy walks, proper footwear (no flip-flops!) is recommended.
Monterosso is perhaps the Cinque Terre village with the widest choice of accommodation; bed and breakfast and guesthouses predominate, though there are also a couple of three-star hotels.
Both Fegina and the historic centre are excellent areas to stay: the former is recommended for those planning to spend considerable time at the beach, whilst the latter is ideal for those seeking more romantic atmospheres.
Options for a dream holiday are plentiful: beachfront hotels, charming hillside houses, guesthouses with stunning panoramic terraces and much more; if you’re after maximum comfort, you can find modern apartments with all amenities.
Unfortunately, hotel and bed and breakfast prices in Monterosso are not budget-friendly, so if you’re on a tight budget we recommend booking as early as possible to secure the best deals.
To drive to Monterosso, the best solution is to take the A12 motorway, exit at Carrodano and follow signs for Levanto; from there continue following signs for Monterosso. This adds considerably to the journey via the provincial Cinque Terre coastal road, but it avoids difficult sections and challenging bends.
As with all the Cinque Terre villages, arriving by car is not recommended as parking is a difficult and expensive task. The recommended car parks are those at Loreto in the old town and Fegina in the new town, both charged 24 hours a day.
The most convenient way to reach Monterosso is by train. Monterosso station, located in the new part of the town, is on the Genoa-La Spezia railway line; it’s served year-round by regional trains and in summer months also by local trains of the 5Terre Express line.
From the station you can reach Monterosso’s centre on foot in about 10 minutes or take a local bus; services run fairly frequently.
Another way to reach Monterosso, slow and not economical but decidedly fascinating, is by sea: the town is served by ferries departing from La Spezia, Portovenere, Riomaggiore, Vernazza, Manarola and Levanto.
From Monterosso you can easily reach the other Cinque Terre villages by train or ferry (except Corniglia, accessible only by train).
What's the weather at Monterosso? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Monterosso for the next few days.
Monterosso a Mare is a municipality in the province of La Spezia and sits in eastern Liguria. The nearest Cinque Terre village is Vernazza to the east: as the crow flies it's just a few kilometres away, but by car you'll need to navigate a winding road of around 20 km. Heading west, the closest settlement is Levanto, which isn't part of Cinque Terre; La Spezia is roughly 35 km away, and Genoa around 90 km.
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