What It’s Like Visiting Cinque Terre in May
This last May, we took a family trip to Cinque Terre, Italy and let me just say, I’m so glad we went in May and not in peak summer.
Even in May when the crowds were lighter than in peak summer, it still felt a bit like we were walking around a Disney park. I really can’t fathom how crowded it must get in July or August.
So, I’ve created this guide to visiting Cinque Terre in May to give you the answers to all of your burning questions, like: “How crowded is Cinque Terre in May?” or “Can you swim in Cinque Terre in May?”
Overall, I think May is a great month to visit Cinque Terre and I can highly recommend it.
We vistied Cinque Terre from May 8-12 and all of the photos in this guide are from that time to help you get a feel for what a trip to Cinque Terre in May might look like.
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✨🇮🇹 IN A RUSH? HERE ARE OUR CINQUE TERRE ITALY FAVORITES
MUST-BOOK EXPERIENCES:
🌱 PESTO MAKING CLASS WITH GORGEOUS VIEWS AT NESSUN DORMA IN MANAROLA:This pesto making class was BY FAR the highlight of our trip. It's located high on the hill in Manarola with gorgeous village views. Our kids still talk about it months later.
🚤 PRIVATE CINQUE TERRE BOAT TOUR WITH SNORKELING & PESTO PASTA: Our friend's took this boat trip and LOVED it. It's a 2-hour private boat ride with gorgeous village views, snorkeling and even local pesto and foccacia! Our friends visited Cinque Terre in peak summer and they said getting out on the water was a lifesaver.
🌱 SMALL-GROUP PESTO MAKING CLASS IN RIOMAGGIORE: We haven't taken this class, but it is a much smaller group than the class we took (which may be preferred for some families) and the location looks incredible.
WHERE WE STAYED:
✨ Airbnb in Levanto: Where we stayed! 5-minute walk to the train station and just a 5-minute ride to the Cinque Terre.
MORE PLACES TO STAY:
💰 2-Bedroom Apartment with Beach Views in Monterosso: We almost booked this one but it wasn't available for our dates. Located right above the train station in Montersosso (but it's not noisy) and across the street from the beach! Hardly can get a better location.
💰💰 Apartment in Monterosso:Simple apartment in Monterosso the flattest and easiest to navigate towns.
💰💰💰 Manarola Apartment with Balconyy with Gorgeous Views: The views from this place are stunning, but be aware, views like this generally require a lot of stairs (might be worth it though!)
📸 Tours/Excursions: Viator & Get Your Guide
🚕 Airport Transfers with Car Seats: Welcome Pickups
👉 Travel Strollers: Zoe Traveler & Zoe Double
🍼 Baby Carriers: Tula Carriers, Wildride Hip Carriers
📱 International Data Phone eSIM: Airalo
🚗 Cheap Rental Cars: Economy Bookings
🏠 Accomodations: Booking, Expedia, VRBO, Airbnb
🌎 Travel Insurance: World Nomads
We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using the above link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
Is May a Good Time to Visit Cinque Terre?
PROS OF VISITING Cinque Terre IN May
- The weather is warm enough in May that you can most likely swim at the beach but still not too hot so you can actually explore the villages or hike without melting in the oppressive heat
- Crowds are far fewer in May than in July or August (which is shocking because it still very much has a feel of Disneyland)
- Accommodations in May may be slightly less than in July or August (we chose to stay in Levanto just a 3-minute train ride from the last Cinque Terre village of Monterosso. It had a more local feel and was much less expensive than staying in one of the 5 villages
CONS OF VISITING Cinque Terre IN May
- The weather, although likely to be sunny and pleasant, remains unpredictable. You could end up with cooler, cloudy days rather than warm sunny ones (mostly in early May)
- When we visited in early May, not all of the beach beds and umbrellas had been set up yet but I hear that should be guaranteed by the end of May
- The water still feels a bit chilly when you first get in, but you get used to it. However, some people may find it too cold
What’s the weather like in Cinque Terre in May?
The average temperatures in the Cinque Terre in May start in the high 60°s F then week by week continue on to the low 70°s F, mid 70°s F and end the month in the high 70°s F.
We visited Cinque Terre from May 8-12 and had temperatures in the high 60°s F hitting 70° F one day. With the sun shining, that was warm enough for swimming and the perfect temperature for exploring the villages.
My favorite way to research the weather for an upcoming trip is to visit Accuweather.com.
To do this, input Cinque Terre, Italy (or whichever specific city you want to check) in the location bar and then select ‘monthly’ at the top (you may have to scroll to the right to find the monthly tab if you’re on your phone).
This pulls up a calendar to which you can select ‘May’ to show you the expected average high and low temperatures for the upcoming year plus you can check the ACTUAL temperatures from the past year.
I find this very helpful in getting an overall picture of what the temperatures might be when I’m researching a new destination.
If possible, I’d recommend visiting towards the middle to the end of May to guarantee warm enough weather for swimming (plus all the beach umbrellas and beds should be up by the end of May).
Is Cinque Terre Crowded in May?
In May, the villages felt quite busy and a somewhat crowded during our stay in Cinque Terre. However, it was obvious that it gets MUCH more crowded come July or August.
For example, when I checked the morning of how many spots were available for the Via dell’Amore (Lover’s Lane) walk, there were still hundreds of available tickets left for each time slot. But in peak summer months, these tickets can sell out.
There were also always plenty of seats available on each train and ferry we took. However, I’ve seen videos of getting on and off the Cinque Terre trains in peak summer and it can be shoulder to shoulder crowds with only standing room.
Even in May when the crowds were lighter than peak summer, Cinque Terre still had some of that crowded Disneyland feel. It was a bit off putting and made me very thankful that we were there earlier in the season because I can’t imagine how crowded it must feel in July or August.
We stayed in Levanto which is the next train stop after Monterosso (only 3 minutes away!) and the town had a MUCH more local feel, wasn’t crowded and it was much more affordable than staying in one of the 5 actualy Cinque Terre villages.
It was nice to return to Levanto at the end of each day for this reason, however, by staying in Levanto you do have to sacrifice some charm and views.
Is It Warm Enough to Swim in Cinque Terre in May?
Usually! When we visited Cinque Terre in May, it was plenty warm enough to swim (especially in mid-afternoon during the hottest part of the day).
Even though the temperatures were still in the high 60s° F and barely hit 70° F, the sun was quite hot and after walking through the villages in the morning we were definitely ready to cool down in the water come afternoon.
The water was still a bit chilly in May, however, we got used to it and had a great time.
One bummer about visiting the beach in Cinque Terre in May was that not all of the umbrellas and sunbeds were up yet at Monterosso beach (which was a bummer because those striped beach umbrellas are such a vibe).
However, as you can see from the photo above, there are plenty of umbrellas already up on the far end of Monterosso Beach.
I hear that the beds and umbrellas are all usually up and running by the end of May.
If you plan to swim in the Cinque Terre, our favorite (and the nicest beach) was the beach in Monterrosso next to the large rock in the water, but you can learn more about all the beaches we went to in/near the Cinque Terre in this guide: Our 4 Favorite Beaches in Cinque Terre Italy.
The beaches are so rocky/pebbly that it’s nearly impossible to walk in bare feet so BRING WATER SHOES (it hurts so much). It’s pretty comical watching people try to walk in and out of the water trying to keep as much pressure off their feet as possible.
So, just bring some sort of water shoes, you’ll thank me later.
What to Wear When Taking a Trip to Cinque Terre, Italy in May
As I’ve mentioned, the weather in Cinque Terre in May can still be a little unpredictable (especially towards the first half of the month). However, most of the time you’ll be wanting to wear short sleeves, dresses, linen, shorts etc.
Plus I recommend packing a light sweater/light jacket and some long pants in case you do need to layer (especially in the early mornings and evenings).
When we visited in early-ish May we wore short sleeves and shorts/dresses each day. However, we did use our light sweaters on a couple mornings.
May is a great time to Visit Cinque Terre with Kids
If you’re looking to visit Cinque Terre with kids, I definitely recommend visiting in May.
We visited Cinque Terre with our 3 kids ages 6, 3 and 9 months. We chose to visit in May so that it’d be warm enough to swim (definitely made the trip more fun for everyone) plus, to beat some of the crowds.
It can be hard enough to navigate public transportation with kids even when it’s not crowded. So we were very grateful to not have any crowds getting on and off the trains and to be able to easily find seats for all of us to sit together.
Other months I’d consider visiting with kids to beat the crowds but have it be warm enough to swim are early June, September or early October
Check out my Cinque Terre with Kids: A Realistic 3 Day Itinerary to see exactly how we spent our time (there was one super dreamy day that we talk about often).
THings to Do in Cinque Terre Italy in May
- Monterosso Lemon Festival: Each year, on the 3rd Saturday of May is the Monterosso Lemon Festival. The village is decorated with lemons, stalls are lining the streets in the old part of Monterosso and you can even walk through the lemon orchards.
- Pesto Making Class with Gorgeous Views: By May, all shops, restaurants and experiences are up and running. By far our favorite thing we did in the Cinque Terre was the Nessun Dorma Pesto Class with stunning views of Manarola. Another option is this small-group pesto class with stunning sea views in Riomaggiore.
🌱🍝 CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR COOKING CLASSES IN CINQUE TERRE ITALY 🌱🍝
- Hiking: May is a great time for hiking as the weather is warm and sunny but the trails aren’t as crowded as they get later in the summer. The Lover’s Lane walk had SO many available timeslots when we visited in May compared to it being sold out in July/August.
- Swimming: Take a dip at one of the beaches in Cinque Terre! Our favorite was Monterosso Beach
- Boat Trip: There are some amazing boat trips to choose from in the Cinque Terre. Our friend’s took this Private, Cinque Terre Boat Tour with Snorkeling & Pesto Pasta and LOVED it. It’s a 2-hour private boat ride with gorgeous village views, snorkeling and even local pesto and foccacia! You can also book a lovely Cinque Terre Sunset cruise with light food and drinks (how dreamy wouuld the villages look in that golden hour lighting?)
🚤✨ CLICK HERE TO SEARCH FOR BOAT TOURS IN CINQUE TERRE ITALY 🚤✨
Additional good times to Visit Cinque Terre Italy
- June or September to mid-October for fewer crowds but warm enough weather for swimming
- Winter for almost no crowds, cool weather, free hiking and a beautiful lit-up nativity on the hill of Manarola (check out my good friend’s guide to visiting Cinque Terre in winter).
And that’s what our experience was like visiting Cinque Terre in the spring! Overall, I recommend May as a great month to visit Cinque Terre. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions. I’ll be sure to get back to you.
☀️LOOKING FOR MORE ABOUT CINQUE TERRE ITALY?☀️
🇮🇹 Cinque Terre with Kids: A Realistic 3 Day Itinerary
⛱️ Our 4 Favorite Beaches in Cinque Terre Italy
🌱 Is The Nessun Dorma Pesto Experience in Cinque Terre Worth It?
✨ 15 Things To Know Before Visiting Cinque Terre Italy | Cinque Terre Tips
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