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Photographing Cinque Terre: 15 Photo Locations & Tips

The Cinque Terre is one of my favorite places in the world for photography.  From excellent sweeping landscapes of the colorful homes spilling all over the cliff tops above the ocean to beautiful street photography opportunities, the Cinque Terre is an excellent location for photographers.

I've just been in the Cinque Terre (five lands) for the last few days, and so I'd like to share a few tips and locations that I particularly liked.

First, you need to choose a city to stay in.  It may not matter too much which city you pick, because there are regular trains passing people between the five cities, and there is a popular hiking trail that allows you to walk between them.  The cities are very close geographically–you can see the last city from the first one.  If you get the “Terre Pass” for just a few euros, you can take the train, bus, and use public restrooms all day long.

IMPORTANT TIP! Since publishing this article, we created the ULTIMATE tool for planning a photography trip to Cinque Terra.  It's called Really Good Photo Spots.  It's a free iPhone and iPad app with THOUSANDS of the best photo locations in the world all in one app, and Cinque Terra and Tuscany especially are well covered in the app.  It's really convenient for travel photography because you can just tap “Spots near me” and BOOM! It lists all the best spots to take pictures near you.  Download really Good Photo Spots for the iPhone or iPad right here.

Riomaggiore Italy in the Cinque Terre
Riomaggiore, Italy in evening light by the author (Jim Harmer)

Best Photography Cities & Locations in the Cinque Terre

#1 Riomaggiore – Most photographers pick Manarola as their home base for photographing the Cinque Terre.  It's the postcard shot that you've seen all over.  However, I personally prefer the look of Riomaggiore for the wide sweeping shot of the city in blue hour light.

Riomaggiore has a large rock outcropping in the bay.  As long as you're reasonably light on your feet, you can easily climb out on the rocks in the bay and have a perfect view of the city.  If you're less nimble, there is a closer spot on the rocks with stairs going down to it for a decent view as well.

Aside from the wide sweeping shot, you'll also find lots of “detail” shots of the colorful homes and street photos in Riomaggiore.  All of the cities in the Cinque Terre are photogenic, but as a professional photographer, this is the one that won most of my attention.

Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy (Photo licensed from stock)
Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy (Photo licensed from stock)

#2 Manarola –  Manarola is the postcard shot that probably made you decide to come to the Cinque Terre in the first place.  It's a beautiful shot because it shows the homes more straight on and the homes spilling over the edge of the cliff.

One caution about staying in Manarola is that this postcard shot is difficult or impossible to access if the hiking trail is closed.  There are very frequent landslides in this area that can shut down the entire hiking trail and thus ruin your ability to get this shot.  Be sure the trail is open if you want to get this shot.  It was closed when I visited.

#3 Vernazza – Vernazza is another excellent photography location for photographing the Cinque Terre and is my third pick.  Vernazza is an interesting photo because it adds the dimension of a large cathedral near the edge of the city.  However, the side of the cathedral looks more like a flat face of concrete, and some photographers may not enjoy the look of the city as well for that reason.

The “Other” Cities – All of the Cinque Terre is beautiful and you can certainly make great photos in all of them.  But if you are picking where to make your home base, I'd stick with Vernazza, Manarola, or (my personal favorite) Riomaggiore.  You'll have no trouble when you're there taking a train to the other cities to visit as well.

Tip on Picking a Hotel for Photographers – The only trouble is that photographers need to find a hotel right in the downtown area of one of the cities.  If you are in one of the many “agritourismos” outside the city, you won't be able to shoot the city in evening light.  The last bus leaves at 8:05, which is before sunset.

If you've already booked a hotel outside the city, you're not totally out of luck.  The trains run until after midnight, so you can shoot late in the city center and then take a train out of your city to La Spezia (5 minute train ride) and then get a taxi back to your hotel, which costs about 35 euros.  There are no taxis in the Cinque Terre itself.

Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy - View from on top of the castle overlooking the city. Photo by the author (Jim Harmer)
Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy – View from on top of the castle overlooking the city. Photo by the author (Jim Harmer)

My “Other” Favorite Location

If you climb to the top of the castle overlooking Riomaggiore (Don't worry, you can't miss it. Just look up and you'll see it on the top of the hill), there is a perfect overlook over the entire city.

This is a great spot for not only getting photos of a few of the houses clumped up and filling the frame, but also for shooting the bend in the main street as it winds up the hill.

This is a really neat shot of the Cinque Terre, and while it's not the classic postcard shot showing the ocean, I think it shows off the uniqueness of the location well.

The castle is open until very late and you can just walk right in.  There is no entrance fee.  You'll want a lens of about 135mm on a full frame camera for this shot.

5 More Quick Tips for Photographing the Cinque Terre

Tip #1: If you want the classic sweeping shot of the Cinque Terre, you have to shoot late.  You'll see other photographers shooting at sunset and slowly they'll all filter out and leave as it gets past sunset.  Hold your ground!  The very best lighting for the Cinque Terre is during the blue hour after sunset.

You're waiting until the rich blue sky matches the brightness level of the city lights.  Once the sky looks a rich blue and is dark enough to not be the brightest part of the photo, you're at the perfect moment to capture your shot.

You can see that on my photo of Riomaggiore at the top of this post.  Hold on for the best light!

Tip #2: Bring a tripod!  When you're traveling it's understandable to not want to bring a tripod, but if you'll be shooting into the blue hour, you need a tripod to get a steady shot.

If you won't be needing a tripod for other shots while you're in italy, you could actually get away with just bringing a little gorillapod in this instance because you can set up the gorillapod on the rocks out in the bay and it'll be plenty high enough.

Tip #3: Look up!  The older Italian women in Italy love to people watch.  Keep your eyes peeled for women looking out their beautiful windows on the streets below.  It's an excellent photo opportunity!

Tip #4: Bring a good all-around lens.  If I had this trip to do over again, I would have brought a good wide angle lens, and then an all-purpose lens for the street photography stuff.  A Canon 24-105mm lens would be PERFECT for this, and then you only have to carry around two lenses for the whole trip.  It covers such a broad focal length and is such a sharp L lens that it's meant for travel.

Tip #5: Don't skip out on the daytime shots.  It can be tempting to become a “light snob” as a photographer and to skip out on photographing during the day until the light is perfect at night.  Don't make that mistake in the Cinque Terre.

The bright daytime sun turns the water of the ocean into an incredible, vibrant bluish green and contrasts well against the color of the houses on the cliffs.  A few daytime shots in this location are warranted as well.

Tip #6: Don't underestimate travel time and don't drive!  It's true that there is parking in the Cinque Terre at the top of the cities, but I would strongly discourage driving.  Parking spots are extremely limited and the few American tourists we talked to who parked there got large parking fines for misunderstanding the very complicated parking rules.

Taking the train to the Cinque Terre is really the best bet.  It's fast, easy, and inexpensive.  There is no driving in any of the cities, so a car is really just dead weight while you're there.

We flew into Milan, and it did take quite a bit of time to get to the Cinque Terre.  We arrived in Milan at 9AM and didn't get to Riomaggiore until about 4PM.  It's a big travel day to get to the Cinque Terre because of their somewhat remote location, but I do believe trains are best for most travelers.

 

 

14 thoughts on “Photographing Cinque Terre: 15 Photo Locations & Tips”

  1. This article, and others like it, are written in the first person. ” I’ve just been in the Cinque Terre….”, etc. However, the author is not identified anywhere in the article. Is there a ghost author? Very odd. I think the author should be noted at the top under the headline .

    1. We’re hoping to fix that in the site design soon. But it’s me! Jim Harmer. I did actually say that a couple times in the captions, but we’re working to make it easier to see the authors.

  2. Hi Jim, great article, but what’s with the stock photo? I had one day in the area last July, weather was wall to wall sun . I saw four of the five towns, missing out Riomaggiore, and got some me-too postcard shots. Regrettably had to get back to Tuscany by train so no opportunity to emulate the long exposure shots so favoured by 500px viewers.

    I could add two more tips:

    # Hike! – you mention trails, but these are not just for exercise, they are photo opportunities! The pic below was taken from the undulating coastal path between Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza looking south towards the latter.

    http://www.pixoto.com/images-photography/landscapes/travel/vernazza-6225849948831744

    # Water taxi – these ply trade between Monterosso and Riomaggiore and all ports in between (excepting the clifftop Corniglia) and offer unique coastal views at a reasonable cost.

    I will definitely return and spent a couple of nights there.

    Keep up the good work

    Love the podcasts

    Terry

    1. Hi Terry,

      I love your photo you posted.
      I am planning a trip to Cinque Terre and would love to imitate your photo.
      Is the hiking trail pretty easy to find?

      Thank you,
      Becky

  3. Great photos and information, thank you. To take like these photos is my dream. Especially I liked the first photo very much. Colored lights reflected in the water is very nice.

  4. I’ve got to say. I am in Riomagiorie right now and the first place I went to night wa the rock outcropping from the photo. It is an amazing location but VERY VERY DANGEROUS! Do not go out on those rocks! They are large and slippery and the waves from the sea are constantly pounding them.

    I got soaked with my gear on my back, but I was happy that I got back safely after I quickly abandoned the location due to the rising waves.

    Lesson learned, do not get so excited about an advised location that input myself into a dangerous position.

    P.S. That is an AMAZING shot Jim got, really jealous of it. But there are also other amazing compositions in the area that don’t require you to risk you gear or safety to achieve them.

    Be careful, and don’t climb on those rocks. Not worth it!

  5. Okay, I had to come back and make a revision to my previous post.

    My second day in Riomaggiore, I went back down to those rocks that Jim took that photo at and realized that, on a CALM day, the rocks are MUCH safer to cross. I realized I was a moron for crossing those rocks in such choppy seas.
    To my credit, I didn’t realize the difference between choppy seas and calm seas, so I crossed the rocks and realized I had made a mistake. When I got to the location on the rocks, I looked back and saw sea waves just COVERING the rocks and began to worry that high tide was coming in. At that point, I was very scared that I could get swept out to sea or even fall on the slippery rocks. I got back safe and learned a valuable lesson, use common sense and don’t let your excitement to get the shot get the better of you.

    I was very lucky to have learned this lesson at no cost other than a wet camera bag!

    When you at the location that Jim mentions in Rio, look at the rocks; if you see waves crashing into them at all, don’t cross, the seas are too choppy for your shot! You can only safely get to this location on a CALM day at sea! In all actually, I prefer the shooting location that is on ledge on the right side of Jim’s photo (near the umbrellas); This is a safer location and I personally like the composition even more than on the rocks!

    Second, just plan on staying a night in Rio and a night in Manarola. The reason is that you do not want to completely rely on the trains. They are not as intuitive to figure out as you might think and it is actually pretty easy to mess your train if you are not paying careful attention. If you do need to catch a train back to La Spezia or any other location DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST TRAIN PICKS UP!!! If you miss your train, you are stuck for the night wherever you are. The towns on Cique Terre close very early and you can’t walk back because the trails close at night. Take at least the second to last train back, so if you make a mistake, you are not sleeping on the streets for the night.

    But, just plan on booking a hotel in Rio and Manarola. The iconic shots you can get are best caught during the blue hour and night, so just have your hotel room near by so you can shoot into the night and simply walk back to your room. It is well worth the extra money!

    Do not miss shooting at the Cique Terre. It is truly one of the best locations in the world to capture, but just be safe and plan your trip well.

  6. Helpful, thanks. I stopped in for a night a few years ago and I have to return. I will be there in May 2017. I drove and got plenty of nice stuff; however, parking was very aggravating and expensive, unless you park in the early AM. Everyone sleeps in in Italy except for fishermen and there was plenty of parking lacking parking attendants. The harbors were wonderfully empty in the AM because all the tourists are sleeping also. view from above http://theholepicture.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Italy/G00006x35spX1rLs/I0000ZPYfKmu9Mwk/C0000jQiDl8U6PFE

  7. Appreciate the tricks and tips for photographing the Cinque Terre. I am going to the area in the next few days, and will be bringing my DSLR camera, very exciting!

  8. Hi Jim! I appreciate your article. Thank you! I have been to Rio Maggiore in the past and don’t recall any way by land to get to the vantage point your shot was made from. I’m referring to the image at the top of this post. Is my memory incorrect or did you capture that image from a boat?

    Thanks in advance for your response!

    John

  9. dg van arsdale

    Thanks for the few photo location caption, as I still can’t differentiate the 5.

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