Amalfi Coast vs Cinque Terre: Which Is Right for Your Trip?

The Amalfi Coast suits a trip built around terraced gardens, cathedral towns and ferry hops between 13 municipalities, and the Cinque Terre suits one built around five pastel villages joined by trails, trains and boats inside a national park. Both get busy from June to August: the coastal road SS163 becomes truly congested on the Amalfi side, and trains reach the first Cinque Terre village every 20 minutes, so the month you travel can tip the choice.

At a glance

• Size of the area: Amalfi Coast, 13 municipalities from Positano to Vietri sul Mare; Cinque Terre, five villages
• For beaches: Monterosso (Cinque Terre) has the broadest beach area; Marina Grande (Amalfi) is sand and pebbles with lidos
• For a quiet stay: Corniglia, the quietest Cinque Terre village with the fewest tourists
• For hiking: Path of the Gods (Amalfi Coast); Blue Trail, Monterosso to Corniglia (Cinque Terre)
• Ferry fare: Positano to Amalfi, €13.00 one way for adults
• Heaviest traffic: June to August on both coasts

Should you choose Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre?

The Amalfi Coast runs from Positano to Vietri sul Mare above the Gulf of Salerno, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It rewards a traveler who likes to move between towns. Ravello sits on a rocky spur at 1,198 feet (365 meters), with the gardens of Villa Rufolo and the Terrace of Infinity at Villa Cimbrone. Amalfi has a cathedral that dates from the 9th century, and Vietri sul Mare is known for its ceramics.

The Cinque Terre are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare, a UNESCO site since 1997 and also a National Park and Marine Protected Area. The houses are painted in pastel colors, and the villages are linked by the Blue Trail, by train and by boat. It suits a traveler who wants to walk from village to village and swim off a rocky coast.

Either coast can disappoint in peak summer. On the Amalfi side, a base that looks 20 minutes away on the map can mean an hour or more in traffic on a bus in mid-August. In the Cinque Terre, the train tends to be overcrowded in summer, and passengers may have to stand.

• Choose Amalfi Coast if: you want gardens and cathedrals (Villa Rufolo, Villa Cimbrone, the Amalfi Duomo); you like a choice of 13 towns, from Atrani to Cetara; you plan to get around by SITA bus and ferry.
• Choose Cinque Terre if: you want to walk between villages on the Blue Trail; you want one card that covers trails, village buses and, in its train version, regional trains between Levanto and La Spezia; you want to swim in a marine protected area, where bathing is free in Zone B and C.

Which has better beaches, Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre?

For a beach day with lidos and public beaches side by side, pick the Cinque Terre. Monterosso has the broadest beach area, with paid lidos and public beaches. Vernazza has a small sandy beach at the harbor, and Riomaggiore has a pebble beach. Bathing is allowed freely in Zone B and C of the Marine Protected Area, and the park lists swimming and kayak itineraries.

The Amalfi Coast suits rocky coves and small bays, since there are no large sandy beaches. Marina Grande in Amalfi is sand and pebbles with lidos, bars and restaurants, and it is often crowded in peak season. The Spiaggia del Duoglio is reached by a green path and a flight of 400 steps. Santa Croce Beach can only be reached by sea, and a small beach at the bottom of the Fiordo di Furore is open for swimming.

Which is busier, Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre?

For a quiet stay, pick the Cinque Terre and sleep in Corniglia, the village with the fewest tourists. For a lively stay, pick the Amalfi Coast: Amalfi is visited by many tourists in every period of the year, and Positano is one of the most popular destinations for tourists from all over the world. The Capodanno più lungo d’Italia, the long New Year celebration, is the most awaited event for the whole coast.

Crowds in the Cinque Terre come in waves. Vernazza is crowded by day, but when day-trippers leave in the evening it gains a unique atmosphere, so an overnight stay changes the village. The park rates attendance in three bands. Green, the lowest, covers March and weekdays in May and October. Yellow covers April, June, September and weekdays in July and August. Red covers national holidays and weekends in July and August. In Amalfi, the SS163 slows to a walking pace in July and August, and SITA buses travel packed.

What is there to see in Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre?

On the Amalfi Coast, start in Amalfi with the Arsenale della Repubblica, the only rock shipyard still existing, and the Museo della Carta, set in an old paper mill at the start of the road to the Valle delle Ferriere. That valley is a nature park dotted with waterfalls and streams. The cathedral dominates Piazza Duomo with its imposing staircase, and the 12th-century Chiostro del Paradiso is next to it. Above the sea, Villa Rufolo in Ravello was built in the 13th century and hosts the Ravello Festival. Walkers can take the Path of the Gods, the Lemon Path from Maiori and Minori, or the 1700 steps from Nocelle down to Arienzo. The Grotta dello Smeraldo is at Conca dei Marini.

In the Cinque Terre, a first visit is mostly about the five villages and the trails between them. The Blue Trail runs Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia. The Via dell’Amore from Riomaggiore to Manarola needs a booking. The Trekking Card includes both, plus the park buses, and the Treno card adds regional trains between Levanto and La Spezia. Corniglia is the only village not built directly on the sea. It sits on a cliff 328 feet (100 meters) up, reached by the Lardarina staircase, 377 to 382 steps depending on the count, or by shuttle bus. Card holders also get free entry to the CAMeC art center in La Spezia and Podere Case Lovara.

Can you visit both Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre on one trip?

The two coasts can share a trip, and each has its own boat network, so plan each as a separate base. Arriving by the coast with the easier transfer for you and moving on once is simpler than switching bases every night.

On the Amalfi Coast, TRA.VEL.MAR. ferries run from Praiano to Amalfi, Atrani, Minori, Maiori, Cetara and Salerno, and ferries also run from Amalfi and Positano. Tickets are sold at the company offices near the boarding points. In the Cinque Terre, all villages except Corniglia are served by ferry.

• Positano to Amalfi: €13.00 one way for adults · in season · for a coastal hop that skips the SS163
• Praiano to Amalfi, Atrani, Minori, Maiori, Cetara, Salerno: TRA.VEL.MAR. ferries · for a base in the middle of the coast
• La Spezia, Lerici, Porto Venere to the Cinque Terre: daily in spring and summer · for reaching the villages by sea
• Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, Riomaggiore: internal lines during the day, ending at Monterosso · for moving between villages

When is the best time to visit Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre?

The Cinque Terre are at their calmest in March, on weekdays in May and on weekdays in October. May is also mild: La Spezia reaches 72°F (22°C) with six rainy days, while Amalfi reaches 78°F (25°C) with four. October is wetter on both sides, with nine rainy days in La Spezia and seven in Amalfi.