Cinque Terre vs Amalfi Coast: Deciding Between Italy’s Most Popular Coastlines

July 7, 2023

 

Here at Walks of Italy we want to help you travel smarter and get the deepest cultural experiences possible in the places you visit. If you enjoy our blogs take a moment to check out the expert-guided tours that we run all over Italy.

When it comes to spectacular views and cute seaside towns, both the Amalfi coast and the Cinque Terre of Italy make for excellent destinations. Deciding between them can be difficult, especially if you’ve never been to either!

We know it’s hard to choose between the Amalfi coast and the Cinque Terre so we’ve put together this handy little guide to help you decide which one is better for you. We love them both but there are some important differences betwen them. For more on both coasts check out our blog pages dedicated to the Amalfi Coast and the Cinque Terre. Lastly, if you’re short on time Walks of Italy offers a Pompeii Tour from Rome with Amalfi Coast Drive.

Getting there: From Florence or Milan, the Cinque Terre; from Rome or Naples, the Amalfi coast

Here’s one easy way to decide between the two coastlines: the Cinque Terre is located on the coastline of northern Italy, while the Amalfi coast is in southern Italy. Depending on where you are coming from, one stretch of coastline will usually be far more accessible than the other!

The Cinque Terre's small villages, like the town of Manarola here, are easily reached from Florence or Milan

The Cinque Terre’s small villages, like the town of Manarola here, are easily reached from Florence or Milan

From Florence, you can get to the Cinque Terre in about 2 hours, either by car or train. From Milan, you can drive to the Cinque Terre in a little under 3 hours, or get there by train in 3.5 hours.

The Amalfi coast, meanwhile, is better accessed from Rome or Naples. From Naples, it’s just an hour on the local Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento. From Rome, you can either take the train first to Naples and then switch to the Circumvesuviana train or to a ferry (the fast train from Rome to Naples takes only 1 hour 10 minutes). Or you can take the train directly from Rome to Salerno, on the other end of the Amalfi coast (the fast train takes just 2 hours). (Check out our blog post on why you might want to consider staying in Salerno as an alternative to Sorrento or other Amalfi coast towns!).

Read More: The Best Amalfi Coast Towns for Every Type of Traveller

If you’re based in Rome and want to escape to the Amalfi Coast, we’ve got you covered. Check out our Boat Hopping on the Amalfi Coast: Day Trip from Rome and join us for an impeccably planned outing exploring this gem of a region, complete with round-trip transportation to and from Rome.

For warmer weather, the Amalfi coast

If you’re coming in Spring or Fall remember that the weather will be balmier and drier the farther south you go… so the Amalfi coast might be a better bet. That’s also true because when it rains in the Cinque Terre, the famed hiking trails can get washed out. That doesn’t make winter a bad time to come, but it will probably affect what you get up to. For more info check out or blog on traveling the Cinque Terre in the off-season.

If you’re coming at the height of summer, on the other hand, the Cinque Terre tends to be slightly cooler.

Vineyards on the Amalfi coast

Vineyards on the Amalfi coast

For hiking, the Cinque Terre (maybe)

The Cinque Terre is famed for the hiking paths that link the five towns, and with reason. They’re spectacular! With gorgeous views of the sea and the towns (we love the path that comes into Vernazza, giving you a beautiful panorama of the village from above), they’re a must-do for any hiking enthusiast.

But there are a couple of caveats. First of all, these paths get very crowded in the high season, roughly from May through September. Secondly, they’re also extremely narrow, with steep, sheer drops to one side—so if anyone in your party is slightly unstable on their feet, or scared of heights, we don’t recommend them! (Instead, stick to the Via dell’Amore, the wide, flat, paved path that links Manarola and Riomaggiore). Read our blog on how to hike in the Cinque Terre.

hiking in the cinque terre

Want to hike in the Cinque Terre? If you’re walking from Vernazza to Corniglia, this is what to expect!

It’s also worth remembering that the Amalfi Coast also has some great hiking. We especially love the Sentiero degli Dei, or “Path of the Gods.” (And check out our blog post on hiking in Italy beyond the Cinque Terre for more ideas of where to hike and trek in Italy!).

For sightseeing and day trips, the Amalfi coast

Yes, both the Cinque Terre and Amalfi coast have spectacular, seaside views. But when it comes to specific cultural or historic sights, the Amalfi coast has the Cinque Terre beat. The list includes the gardens and villas of Ravello, the historic cathedrals of Amalfi Town and Salerno, and a number of (small) museums, including the ceramics museum in Vietri sul Mare, paper museum in Amalfi, and Roman villa museum in Minori. And that’s not to mention all of the attractions in Salerno alone, including its castle.

Medieval castle in Salerno, Italy.

Medieval castle in Salerno, Italy

The Amalfi coast is also better-positioned, and better-connected, for day trips to other major sights. Depending on where exactly you’re staying, you can easily day trip to Capri, , Herculaneum, Paestum, and Naples, among other options. So when it comes to sightseeing, the Amalfi coast has our vote. (Don’t miss our post on five must-see sights on the Amalfi coast!).

For 5-star hotels and restaurants, the Amalfi coast; for a more backpacker-ish feeling, the Cinque Terre

The Amalfi coast’s history as a posh resort area means it’s chock-full of luxury hotels and 5-star restaurants. Of course, you can also find economical B&Bs and a more laid-back atmosphere, especially in more off-the-beaten-path towns like Ravello, Vietri sul Mare, and Salerno. But the main centers definitely have a little bit more of a “resort” feel to them, especially Positano.

Amalfi

The Cinque Terre, on the other hand, has developed as a tourist destination in more recent years. So the establishments in the Cinque Terre tend to be cheaper, family-run B&Bs, rather than high-end, luxury resorts. That also means that, while there are just as many crowds in the Cinque Terre as the Amalfi coast, they tend to be of a different variety: There aren’t a ton of backpackers heading to, say, Positano any more, but you will still see them trekking the Cinque Terre.

For spine-tingling drives, the Amalfi coast

The road that winds along the Amalfi coast is world-famous for its gorgeous views, adrenaline-inducing curves, and sheer drops to the water. If that sounds great to you, head to the Amalfi coast – the Cinque Terre doesn’t have anything equivalent (in fact, it’s usually better to take the fast, cheap local train between the five towns).

How to get to the Amalfi coast

The famous Amalfi coast road

Just remember that, while renting a car and driving the Amalfi coast road is recommended for confident drivers only, the SITA bus, which follows the same route, gets quite crowded (and hot) in the summer.

For rustic, small-town life, neither

The Towns of the Amalfi Coast and the Cinque Terre are not the small fishing villages they once were. Instead, they’re resort town and really amazing resort towns at that. But don’t expect to be the only person in them speaking English, especially not in high season.

Of course, this isn’t that surprising. The Amalfi coast has been a major tourist destination since the 19th century. As a result, its most famous towns, particularly Positano, Amalfi Town and (even though it’s not technically on the Amalfi coast) Sorrento, are full of people from all over the world seeking out great food, sunshine, and crystal clear waters.

Though the towns of the Cinque Terre have been popular travel destinations for a much shorter amount of time, they are currently very, very hip. Yes, these five little towns were once authentic fishing villages. And yes, many of the establishments in them remain small, family-run operations. But the towns themselves are now almost completely reliant on tourism; fishing makes up relatively little of the local economy.

If your top priority is getting a feel for authentic, Italian fishing villages, therefore, we recommend a different region altogether, like Puglia (here’s our list of reasons to visit Puglia, in pictures!), the Tuscan coast along the Maremma, Le Marche, or Sicily.

But as long as you know what you’re getting into both the Amalfi Coast and the Cinque Terre feature some of the most beautiful and relaxing coastal towns in the world. Whether high or low season we definitely recommend giving them a visit.

by Walks of Italy

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