An Insider’s Guide to the Best Things to do in Riomaggiore

Last Updated on 2nd March 2025 by Sophie Nadeau

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One of the most breathtaking places to visit in Italy is Riomaggiore, a pastel hued dream on the Ligurian coastline. Formerly a fishing village and part of the Cinque Terre National Park, the little village houses are perched precariously along the jagged cliff edges overlooking an azure blue sea below. Here’s your guide to the best things to do in Riomaggiore, as well as what to know before you go.

Introducing Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is one of the most gorgeous places to visit in Italy. Five dramatic villages cling to the coastline in this UNESCO World Heritage listed area. The villages are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. 

I personally recommend spending at least 2 or 3 days in the area and if you’re planning your trip, be sure to check out our suggested Cinque Terre itinerary.

Riomaggiore is one of my favourites of the villages hugging the Cinque Terre coastline (the other being Corniglia). It’s a little larger than Vernazza or Manarola, meaning that you have a greater choice of places to eat, drink, and go shopping.

Riomaggiore is undisputedly also the best place to watch the sunset in the entirety of the region, and come sunset, you’ll find crowds of hundreds of people squeezing into the port area to enjoy the sun setting over the Ligurian sea. On a clear day, you can even see the outline of the Alps in the setting sun.

We personally based ourselves in town during our recent Cinque Terre stay and loved the ease of access to the rest of the region (everything is a quick train ride away) and the fact that there were accommodation options in town to suit almost any budget.

Best things to do in Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore is my personal favourite of the five villages which make up Cinque Terre and is not the one to be missed if you don’t have time to visit them all (I would say you could miss Manarola or Corniglia if you have to cut some from your itinerary). This is because Riomaggiore has the most beautiful port of the five villages and the architecture of the town shouldn’t be missed either!

Wander around the village

Truth be told, the best way to get to know any of the villages in Cinque Terre is simply to stroll around and allow the village to reveal itself to you. All of the villages are pedestrian only and, as a tourist, you’re not allowed to bring a car into town (the only vehicle exception are for deliveries early in the morning).

There’s one main road which winds through the village and this is called Via Colombo. This is where you’ll find many of the main shops, bakeries, and restaurants. The rest of the town is filled with narrow passageways that are called caruggi.

The best time to explore is easily during the early morning when the day trippers haven’t arrived and the streets are quiet. One morning, I woke up for sunrise and headed straight down the street to the port (it’s hard to get lost when there’s just one main road through town).

As soon as I arrived, I was greeted by boats bobbing in the gentle waves, the colourful houses, and the best part was that I was the only person there! Later on in the day you’ll find this certainly isn’t the case until well after it gets dark.

Visit the harbour

Riomaggiore’s harbour is one of the most picturesque spots in the Cinque Terre National Park, if not all of Italy. While I’ve already mentioned how you can see the harbour empty during the daytime, another great time to visit is after dark.

We personally got takeaway Aperol Spritzes after sundown and sat on the rocks, admiring the twinkling lights of the town and the stars above for an hour or so. The harbour is also the gateway to many of the water-based activities in town, including sunset cruises and SUPing.

Enjoy the sunset

One of the most popular places to enjoy sunset on the Ligurian coastline is at Riomaggiore, and more specifically, on the rocks which line the harbour. Just be sure to arrive around 15 minutes ahead of sunset as it’s a pretty popular place and so the best viewing spots are taken well ahead of the actual sunset!

Rent a boat or kayak

As I mentioned, the best place in Riomaggiore to rent a boat or a kayak is in the port. We didn’t have time to take a boat tour, but these typically essentially take you out for sunset and will offer you snacks as well as let you use snorkelling equipment.

Expect to pay around €50 per person. If you would prefer to make a reservation in advance, then you can book your kayak hire here in advance.

Another popular option is to take the Cinque Terre Ferry around the towns. This is a more budget option and you can even do your own little DIY cruise down the coastline by taking the ferry between all of the different Cinque Terre ports (with the exception of landlocked Corniglia).

Scuba Diving

The only scuba diving centre within the Cinque Terre National Park is actually located within Riomaggiore. Close to the port (in the little passage that connects the main street down to the marina), they offer dives along the Ligurian coastline.

Via dell’Amore

There’s one activity which is sadly closed for the moment (and set to open up in 2024) and that is the Via dell’Amore. This gorgeous walkway is set alongside the coastline and is a fairly flat trail which connects Riomaggiore to Manarola, which is the next village along. This has sadly been closed for several years due to some devastating mudslides in the area.

Hike to Manarola

If you want to hike to Manarola, there is also the option to take the trail (known as Sentiero di Via Beccara) which goes over the cliff head, though I wouldn’t recommend doing this unless you’re pretty fit and I certainly wouldn’t do it with young children.

This actually proved to be the most challenging of the hikes and took us around 45 minutes because we were rushing. I would say to give yourself at least an hour to an hour and a half if you want to rest and soak up the views a little bit. You should also note that this is the only climb where we had to use our hands to hoist ourselves up and there are even some roped parts. 

Hike to the Sanctuary of Montenero

If you would like to do a hike which is a little bit less secluded and fewer people venture on, then you can hike up to the Sanctuary of Montenero. This Place of Worship dates back to the 11th-century and is known as Santuario di Nostra Signora di Montenero in Italian.

Unfortunately, the opening times aren’t entirely clear and the sanctuary is often shut to visitors (it was during our fall trip). Luckily, the views from the top are simply breathtaking and you can enjoy vistas of the Ligurian coastline from a bird’s eye perspective.

Church of San Giovanni Battista

The Church of San Giovanni Battista of Riomaggiore was founded in 1340 and is set a fair bit of a way up some steps near the top of town. Highlights of this Catholic Church include a rose window, Gothic arches, and a Neo-gothic facade. The Saint’s celebration day is on the 24th of June.

Old Castle

If you’re visiting the Castle (known as Castello di Riomaggiore in Italian) directly after checking out the church, then it’s worth noting that there’s an elevator right next to the church that’s free to access and will take you to the top level of the town.

The old castle of Riomaggiore sits at the highest peak in town and dates all the way back to 1260. Even if the interior of the castle is closed during your visit, like it was for us, you’ll still want to check out the incredible panoramic views from the top. 

Oratorio di Santa Maria Assunta

Right next to the castle, you can also visit the small oratory of Saint Mary of the Assumption. This little place of worship dates back to the 16th-century.

Sample the local wine

Creating wine in Cinque Terre is unique in that it is still a process in which machines aren’t really involved. Apart from a simple monorail which helps to transport the grapes up and down the steep slopes, all of the vines are harvested by hand.

Many people don’t realise but the Cinque Terre’s UNESCO World Heritage designation actually stems from the fact that the landscape of the region is entirely manmade thanks to a series of dry stone walls which have created terraces that span large swathes of the coastline.

As a result, the grapes to create the wine from Cinque Terre is grown within this unique region and many local vintners take great pride in their creations. One of the best ways to experience the wine is to go on a wine tour like this one which will take you into the vineyards.

Cooking Class

Another great food experience to enjoy in Riomaggiore is to take a cooking class. I’ve now taken a few in various parts of Italy and have loved the opportunity to delve deep into Italian culture, talk to the instructor about their life in the country, and come home with a greater insight into Italian food.

There are actually a couple of options for booking a cooking class in Riomaggiore, and the one you choose will depend on your personal preference (though it’s worth noting that pesto comes from the region):

• Gnocchi & Pesto cooking class with seaview: This cooking class will show you how to make homemade Gnocchi and Genovese Pesto with a local guide.
• Group Pasta and Tiramisu Class with Tastings: If you would prefer to learn how to make fresh pasta then this class will show you how to (and you’ll get to sip on some Italian wine while you learn). You’ll also learn how to make tiramisu.

Take day trips to other villages in Cinque Terre

If you’re headed to Cinque Terre, then I highly recommend setting aside two or three days in order to see all of the towns. We personally stayed in Riomaggiore during our trip and loved that it was so convenient to get between all of the towns.

Where to go swimming in Riomaggiore

Every town has its own swimming spot and Riomaggiore is no exception. There are actually a few different locations where you can go swimming in town, and I’ll detail these below. The best time of the year to go swimming is from July through to late October, when the weather is still pretty warm and the sea has had a chance to warm up a little bit:

• Rocks in front of the harbour: The other popular swimming spot is where the wave breaker is directly in front of the harbour. I personally preferred the beach, but the pastel hued views from the rocks in front of the harbour are easily some of the most beautiful to be found anywhere in Cinque Terre.
• Spiaggia di Riomaggiore: The main beach in town can be accessed if you follow the headland along from the harbour and past the spot where the Cinque Terre ferry departs for the rest of the towns. It’s a lovely spot to go swimming and sunbathe for free (though bear in mind that the beach is full of pebbles and so you might want to bring wet shoes along). There is also no shaded area on the beach and so you might want to bring along your own parasol.

Where to eat in Riomaggiore

As with many touristy destinations, it can be hard to find food that’s actually good in Riomaggiore. One quick glance on Google and you’ll soon realise that a large portion of the food and drink places are complete tourist traps where the food is of poor quality and the prices are high.

One of the most important things to note is that you need to make reservations ahead of time to eat in any of the restaurants ahead of time. Booking accommodation with small cooking facilities is also a good idea for when you don’t want to eat out (and save a little bit of money). Here’s where to eat and drink in town:

Tutti Frutti: Thanks to its position next to the sea, one of the greatest foodie specialities to come from Riomaggiore is all of its fresh fish. If you’re looking for a snack to go, then head to Tutti Frutti where you can get a cone of fried fish.

Bar e Vini a Pié de Ma: The view from Bar e Vini a Pié de Ma is like something out of a vintage Italian film. Watch the trains departing from the platform, soak up the sea breeze, and enjoy some of the most aesthetically pleasing drinks anywhere in town. Just note that this is a bar and not a restaurant and so you can only get light bites to eat.

What to know before visiting Riomaggiore

The best time to visit is in the summer, early fall, or late spring. I personally prefer visiting during the early fall as the crowds are fewer and the prices are better than in the summer.

This is a pretty expensive place to visit. We have been to almost every major region of Italy, and visited many of the largest cities including Milan, Rome, and Naples. Cinque Terre is expensive and you can expect to spend around €30 on food per person per day and around €150 on a mid-range accommodation per night.

The local language is Italian. As a popular tourist destination in Italy, you can easily get around by using English, though learning some of the local language is always the polite thing to do. Each of the five towns also have their own local dialect of Italian, though these are becoming less widely spoken as the years go on.

Where to stay in Riomaggiore

Cinque Terre Coast to Coast (affittacamere): This cosy accommodation boasts a garden and a sun terrace. Other amenities include WiFi, a coffee machine, and easy access to the rest of the town. Check prices and availability here.

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