hello all.. i am in the midst of planning my trip to Italy in December, have questions coming up all the time. Apologies if its beginning to look like spam!
Anyway, how is Cinque Terre in December? The trails, the walking, the view... is it advisable to go? thks
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,
Well, it could be rainy and likely will be pretty cold and the trails could be muddy but if you get a clear sunny day, the hiking can be nice. I have hiked there in the winter on clear sunny days and had the trails totally to myself. Plan for it to be cold though... and you'll just have to hope that you get some sunny days because otherwise if it is constantly rainy while you're there it won't be too interesting.... I mean you'll get a sense of how cute the villages are but they don't look their best in the rain.
One thing to look for, there is a HUGE (probably the largest in Europe) creche scene above the town of Manarola that they do every year in December.
When IS it the best time to go to Cinque Terre? My husband and I really loved the views but we went in August, high tourist season, and didn't have time to hike the trails. Is there a "best" month or season to go?
Probably the best months are May, June, and September because the weather is warm but generally not hot and the chance of rain is slim. The flowers, especially the roses, are beautiful in May, and poppies are in bloom in some of the olive groves. In June and September, you can also swim in Cinque Terre.
We have visited in late March, and the weather was mixed. We enjoyed a spectacular storm one night.
We visited in April, too, and the weather was lovely for hiking. However, at that time, we didn't know about the Italian Liberation Day holiday of April 25, and we went hiking that day - along with hundreds of Italians. In the distance, you could see the hikers filing along the trails like a line of densely packed ants. It was still enjoyable but a very different experience from hiking with fewer hikers on the trails.
Week days, at least in the most popular months, are better for hiking than week ends because of the numbers of tourists.
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