Monterosso al Mare roadstead
Vernazza’s natural harbour
Riomaggiore’s boat basin
Punta Mesco headland
Fegina Bay, Monterosso
Walk the Via dell’Amore between Riomaggiore and Manarola
Climb Corniglia’s 382-step Lardarina staircase
Taste Sciacchetrà passito in a Manarola cantina
See Monterosso’s Il Gigante, a giant statue carved into the cliff
Photograph Vernazza’s Doria Castle from the Blue Trail
Chiesa di Santa Margherita, Vernazza
Punta Bonfiglio viewpoint, Manarola
Doria Castle ruins, Vernazza
Torre Aurora, Monterosso
Riomaggiore’s pastel harbourfront
Late May to June and September offer the calmest seas, warm water and thinner crowds ashore, since July and August bring both peak heat and the coast’s heaviest tourist traffic. Spring also shows off the terraced vineyards at their greenest. Whichever month you choose, mornings are best for exploring the villages, before day-trippers arrive by train from La Spezia and Genoa.
Pisa International Airport (PSA), roughly 90km south, and Genoa Cristoforo Colombo (GOA), a similar distance northwest, are the two practical options, both linked to La Spezia by motorway. Guests coming from further afield often connect through Milan Malpensa instead. From either airport, a transfer to a yacht based in La Spezia or Portovenere takes about ninety minutes.
Monterosso al Mare and the roadstead off Riomaggiore give the most sheltered holding, with a short tender ride to each village’s own harbour or landing point. Since Corniglia has no direct sea access at all, plan to visit it on foot from Vernazza or Manarola along the coastal path, or take the train from a nearby anchorage instead.
Two to three days lets you anchor off each village in turn, walk a stretch of the coastal path and still have time for a lazy lunch on a harbourfront terrace. A single day covers the highlights but means picking only two or three villages, since the coastline’s charm is in lingering rather than rushing between stops.
Yes. Monterosso al Mare is the only village with normal road access; Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are reached solely by train, boat or on foot along the coastal path, which is exactly what keeps their harbours and lanes so unspoiled. For a yacht charter this is an advantage rather than an obstacle, since arriving by sea is often the easiest way in.
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