Best Photo Spots in Cinque Terre, Italy

Wondering where are the best photo spots in Cinque Terre? You are in the right place! I will help you discover the most beautiful places in Cinque Terre and make sure you get some wonderful postcards from your trip.

Cinque Terre consists of five wonderful towns located on the coastline of Italy. Together with Genoa and Portofino, Cinque Terre is one of the best places to visit in Liguria, and trust me, you don’t want to miss it. These charming towns are filled with colorful houses, cute streets, and some epic sea views. For a photographer, this means a lot of unique photo opportunities.

In this article, you will find a lot of useful photo tips for Cinque Terre like the exact location of every photo spot, the best time to visit, what equipment to use, and more. I know, Cinque Terre is small, but you need to be prepared to make the most of your time.

My guide to the best photo spots in Cinque Terre is going to ensure that you don’t miss a single photo opportunity during your visit!

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But before we dive in…

Best photo spots in Cinque Terre

Vernazza from the top

How to find this photo spot in Cinque Terre?

The easiest way to reach this spot is to start the hike from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare and it will not take you more than 15 minutes from the old town. Technically, these hiking paths are not free, but we arrived here early in the morning and there was nobody to sell the tickets. But it is free if you have a Cinque Terre card.

What camera equipment do you need to bring with you?

Considering the limited space behind me, you will need a wide-angle lens or a 35 mm lens. Make sure you leave your zoom lens at home and don’t carry the extra weight. Your mobile phone can take a great photo here, but then you will have to give up the depth of field.

What is the best time to take photos?

I highly advise you to wake up early and visit it for sunrise. This way, you can avoid the crowd, get the best light and even skip paying the ticket for the hiking trail if you are not planning to do the rest of the hike.

Equipment and camera settings that I used: Nikon D610 + Nikon 35mm f/1.4 | Aperture: f/2.0 Shutter Speed: 1/2000 ISO: 100

Promenade of Manarola

How to find this photo spot in Cinque Terre?

As soon as you arrive in Manarola, take the main street that leads you to the promenade and follow directions to Nessun Dorma. You will find these benches made of rocks and it will give you some space to capture the best view of Manarola.

What camera equipment do you need to bring with you?

Once again, limited space, so a wide-angle lens is a must. 35 mm lens can work if you want to take some landscape photography from Cinque Terre.

What is the best time to take photos?

Honestly, with a bit of patience, you can take this photo at any time. Yes, this promenade gets busy, but people are willing to wait if you are quick. As always, the best light is at the golden hour, so if you don’t like to wake up early, you can enjoy the sunset instead.

Equipment and camera settings that I used: Nikon D610 + Nikon 14–24mm f/2.8 | Focal length: 14mm Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter Speed: 1/800 ISO: 100

Hike from Vernazza to Corniglia (or vice versa)

How to find this photo spot in Cinque Terre?

Once again, the hiking path from Vernazza, but direction Corniglia. This part is free of charge and you can put your destination as Ristorante La Torre. On this path, you will see a lot of impressive views, but there is a spot where the stairs get wide. It takes around 15 minutes of steep stairs and it is one of the most instagrammable places in Cinque Terre.

What camera equipment do you need to bring with you?

Here you will have enough space to use a 35mm lens or your phone. I believe a 50mm lens would create a nice depth of field, but you will be covering most of the view, so anything between 35-50mm is a perfect solution.

What is the best time to take photos?

I took this photo at midday on a sunny summer day. I honestly think that shadows in this spot are not very harsh, so as long as you keep it darker, you will get a great photo any time of the day.

Equipment and camera settings that I used: Nikon D610 + Nikon 35mm f/1.4 | Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter Speed: 1/3200 ISO: 100

Rocks of Riomaggiore

How to find this photo spot in Cinque Terre?

Right next to the bar called La Conchiglia you will find stairs that take you down to the rocks of Riomaggiore. It is super easy to reach and you dont need any hiking gear. If you look at the map, you will find Vista Panoramica di Riomaggiore which is another famous photo spot in Cinque Terre but to get there, you certainly need to wear comfortable shoes as you will have many rocks in your way.

What camera equipment do you need to bring with you?

I will say that a wide-angle lens here is a must and this way you will be able to frame the entire coast of Riomaggiore. If you want to visit the Vista Panoramica di Riomaggiore, you should bring your zoom lens as well.

What is the best time to take photos?

This place gets extremely busy for sunset, so sunrise or late morning is the best time. Around midday, shadows are already too harsh and it will be challenging to take a photo.

Equipment and camera settings that I used: Nikon D610 + Nikon 14–24mm f/2.8 | Focal length: 14mm Aperture: f/5.0 Shutter Speed: 1/1600 ISO: 100

The old town of Vernazza

How to find this photo spot in Cinque Terre?

This is such an obvious spot yet you don’t see many photos taken here. As soon as you arrive at the bay of Vernazza, you will see the port of all the boats and it gives you an amazing view of the town of Vernazza. The colorful houses together with the shore will help you create some beautiful photos from Cinque Terre.

What camera equipment do you need to bring with you?

Anything from wide angle up to 35mm, but I personally think 35mm looks the best as it creates a beautiful depth of field, and still captures the entire view.

What is the best time to take photos?

Very easy to avoid crowds, so you can take photos any time of the day. You can stop by once you take the photos of Vernazza from the top.

Equipment and camera settings that I used: Nikon D610 + Nikon 35mm f/1.4 | Aperture: f/2.0 Shutter Speed: 1/1000 ISO: 100

Rocks of Manarola

How to find this photo spot in Cinque Terre?

I bet you remember the road to the promenade of Manarola. As soon as you are there, you will see a little gate near the fence. One of the gates is locked and you are not allowed to enter, however, a little bit further you will see another gate that is open. Once you go down the stairs, you will find one of the best photo spots in Cinque Terre.

What camera equipment do you need to bring with you?

A wide angle is the only way to go unless you want to risk your life. A 14mm lens makes it look like I am standing on the edge of the cliff when I am actually very far from the water. As soon as you go down the stairs, there is a little flat rock where you can take a photo comfortably. I have seen many people sitting at the edge of the cliff, but you shouldn’t risk your life for the photo.

What is the best time to take photos?

Once again, not crowded, but harsh lights can be a problem, so sunset or sunrise is the way to go!

Equipment and camera settings that I used: Nikon D610 + Nikon 14–24mm f/2.8 | Focal length: 14mm Aperture: f/7.1 Shutter Speed: 1/200 ISO: 320

View from the boat on Riomaggiore

How to find this photo spot in Cinque Terre?

Cinque Terre is beautiful and there is no doubt about that, but have you seen it from the boat? Because it gets even better from there. You can find many boat rentals on the bay of Vernazza or Riomaggiore or you can just look it up on Airbnb. 

I personally had a wonderful experience with Jennifer and her partner. Our captain was raised in Cinque Terre, so he knows it inside out and gave us a lot of cool recommendations.

Click here to see prices & tours and book your unforgettable boat tour.

What camera equipment do you need to bring with you?

It is so beautiful that your mobile phone will do a great job! I choose a wide angle for this photo as there is not a lot of space behind me, but I also cropped it to have a better framing. If you want to capture the beauty of villages and create some unique landscape photography, use the zoom lens! 

What is the best time to take photos?

Most of the boat companies offer sunset tours. We choose to go from Riomaggiore straight to Monterosso in order to see each village with our own eyes and on the way back – take time for photos. It is a perfect way to end your day in Cinque Terre.

Equipment and camera settings that I used: Nikon D610 + Nikon 14–24mm f/2.8 | Focal length: 16mm Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter Speed: 1/500 ISO: 320

Tiny streets of Corniglia

How to find this photo spot in Cinque Terre?

Corniglia probably is the least popular out of the 5 villages, but it is full of cute streets and hidden gems of Cinque Terre. You will need to hike from the train station or take the local minibus, but don’t miss this place. This is the main street of Corniglia that takes you from the bus stop to the sea, but I suggest you experiment and get lost in Corniglia.

What camera equipment do you need to bring with you?

Corniglia is very tiny, so a wide angle lens will do you a big favor and help you capture all the beauty!

What is the best time to take photos?

We visited Corniglia during the worst time – midday and yes, you can see some shadows, but I don’t think it is disturbing at all, so it is easy to take photos any time of the day.

Equipment and camera settings that I used: Nikon D610 + Nikon 35mm f/1.4 | Aperture: f/2.0 Shutter Speed: 1/250 ISO: 100

Monterosso al Mare

I have to say that this is not an easy place in Cinque Terre to take photos considering that the beach of Monterosso is always crowded and busy. However, if you wake up early, you can certainly create some beautiful images from Cinque Terre. You can head to the beginning of Salita dei Cappuccini to overlook the beach from the top or play with your drone if you have one.

Looking for the best Cinque Terre restaurants with a view?

You can’t miss Nessun Dorma in Manarola and Ristorante La Torre in Vernazza. Luckily, both of these restaurants serve fantastic food and prices are very reasonable considering the location & the view that you get. And as much as I would like to say that Ristorante La Torre is a true gem, it has become very popular, so nowadays, both places require a reservation.

Further reading for the best photo spots in Cinque Terre

Or read about other popular regions of Italy

Dolomites | Liguria | Lombardy | Piedmont | Puglia | Sicily | Tuscany | Veneto

In conclusion…

I believe by now you know all the best photo spots in Cinque Terre and you are impatient to start creating some of the best postcards from this magical place in Italy.

I would love to hear your thoughts, so if you have any feedback or additional tips, leave a comment below. Also, check out my Instagram for regular travel videos and travel inspiration. Or explore other destinations on this travel blog.

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