Monterosso is the largest village of the Cinque Terre , the one that offers more services and with a wide sandy beach whose first historical signs date back to 1200.
The village is divided in two by a promontory with a tunnel about a hundred meters long: from on one side there is the Fegina area (residential area, high quality hotel and railway station), on the other the old port , the historic center characterized by the typical alleys where you can find wine bars, restaurants, focaccerie and ice cream parlors.
Monterosso is history and nature together.
It preserves delightful churches with black and white bands, the typical Ligurian style, and the signs of past naval battles. From Monterosso there are beautiful hiking trails such as the famous Via dell’Amore. Identification symbol of the town and the famous Giant , original 14 meters high statue depicting the god Neptune. Also to admire an incredible view, in an elevated position there is the Convent of the Capuchins , not to be missed.
Here’s what to see, where to eat and what to do in the evening in Monterosso al Mare .
What to see in Monterosso al Mare
1 – Church of San Giovanni Battista
Photo by Davide Papalini. At the beginning of the old village, on the left from the main street, there is the church dedicated to San Giovanni Battista.
The facade cannot leave you indifferent, decorated with black and white marble in Ligurian-Pisan Gothic style , while at the top it is dominated by a very refined rose window attributed to the Pistoians Matteo and Pietro da Campiglio.
The building, with a basilica plan with three naves, was built between 1282 and 1307.
Inside, worthy of note, a triptych on canvas depicting the Virgin and Child between two saints, the work of an unknown author and attributable to Giotto’s school.
The bell tower is embattled with a quadrangular base.
- How to get there: from the station take Via Fegina, 8 minutes on foot, 650 meters – Get directions
- Hours: 7: 00-19: 30
- Ticket cost: free
2 – Santuario NS di Soviore
Photo by Davide Papalini. In the municipality of Monterosso al Mare, along the provincial road 38, in the province of La Spezia, stands this sanctuary, one of the oldest in Liguria .
Catholic place of worship located within the Cinque Terre National Park along the slopes of Mount Soviore between woods and terraced fields near the road that connects Monterosso al Mare and Levanto.
Large complex dedicated to hospitality, surrounded by greenery and overlooking the sea at 477 meters.
A stop for hikersand crossroads of some of the most evocative paths of the Park, Soviore offers visitors an oasis of silence and spirituality with unprecedented panoramas ranging from Monterosso to the Levanto valley and, on clearer days, from Corsica to Monviso, up to the Maritime Alps. !
The Sanctuary offers various accommodation solutions for families and nature lovers: there is a house of hospitality and a hostel as well as a typical restaurant .
- How to get there: 6 km from the town; 10 minutes by car via Via Padre Semeria and SP38; alternative, bus from Vettora P. Garibaldi, stop at Colle di Gritta and from there continue on foot for 2 km – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free
3 – Spiaggia di Fegina
Unlike the other villages that make up the Cinque Terre, in Monterosso there are beaches, and they are beautiful. The most famous is Fegina beach which in 2007 was proclaimed by the American magazine “Forbes” among the 25 sexiest in the world.
Along the seaside promenade, beyond the castle, the beach is right in front of the ancient village. It is a beautiful beach of golden sand with a pebbly shore , which overlooks a very beautiful, turquoise, crystalline and transparent sea, with a sloping seabed.
All around, the characteristic jagged profile of the rocky coast of the Cinque Terre, with spurs overlooking the sea; the promenade is dotted with kiosks and shops. The beach is well equipped with sun beds and umbrellas, but there is also an area used as a free beach.
- How to get there: 50 meters from the station; 1 minute walk – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free
4 – Convent of the Capuchin Friars
Wonderful little church of the Capuchin friars, with an adjoining convent, located in a wonderful elevated position in the town that dominates all the Cinque Terre . It offers magnificent views that can be admired from the various windows, loggias and walkways.
To reach it you can choose between an uphill path or a long staircase, both with panoramic views.
The church and convent preserve important paintings in particular of the Genoese school and a Crucifixion attributed to Van Dick or to his pupils. The monastery offers an atmosphere of peace, silence and spirituality in pure Franciscan style .
The convent ranked first in Italyin the census ” The places of the heart 2014 ” of the FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano.
- How to get there: from the station proceed east on Via Fegina towards Via Bastioni. 5 minutes walk, 600 meters – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free
5 – Oratory of Santa Croce or dei Bianchi
Photo by sailko. Small and delightful oratory in the historic center. The exterior is typical of Liguria , in black and white stripes with a central rose window. Inside you can admire an adorned crucifix, the kind used for processions in honor of the patron saints, a nineteenth-century organ from the Pistoia school and a wooden choir with painted parapet.
There are also numerous ex-votos in favor or left by the sailors , as evidenced by the small vessel hanging in the center of the nave.
The oratory was built in the 17th century, during the Counter-Reformation, when the brotherhoods were founded. This one of the Whites ran the town hospital and took care of the sick.
It owes its name to the color of the dress used by the brothers during the processions.
- How to get there: immediately to the right of the Cathedral or 800 meters from the station; 10 minute walk via Via Fegina – Get directions
- Hours: 8: 00-18: 30
- Ticket cost: free
6 – Punta Mesco
Photo by Davide Papalini. It is the green promontory that represents the natural dividing wall that separates Monterosso from Levanto .
High 300 meters above sea level, it is composed of sandstones that have resisted the erosive action of the sea and atmospheric agents to which, instead, the softer rocks have yielded, generating the current conformation of the promontory.
The trek that leads to Punta Mesco from Monterosso starts from Figina and is 2.5 km long. It takes place on good, well-marked trails , and therefore quite simple and deserves for the beauties that one encounters along the way.
The ideal period is spring: the limited density of tourists allows you to fully appreciate and (almost) total solitude, the lush and wild vegetation, the scents of the scrub, the flowers of every color, the views of the sea and the sounds of the woods.
Recommended stop at Podere Case Lovara , an old rural farmhouse overlooking the sea with 45 hectares of recently renovated land, managed by the FAI, and which can be visited.
Shortly after Case Lovara you reach Punta Mesco; here the stop is a must for the beauty of the panorama.
- How to get there: 2.5 km from Fegina – 50 minutes on foot – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free
7 – Oratorio dei Neri
Photo by Davide Papalini. The “Mortis et Orationis” oratory is the counter altar of the Oratory of the Confraternity of Santa Croce or dei Bianchi .
In Baroque style, inside it preserves a statue of Sant’Antonio Abate , coming from the disappeared convent dedicated to the Saint, present around the year 1000 on the promontory of Punta Mesco.
The construction of the Oratory dates back to the 16th century, the period of the Counter -Reformation , an era during which associations of lay devotees dedicated to good works developed.
Usually each village welcomed at least two brotherhoods , as is demonstrated precisely by the case of Monterosso.
The name derives from the color of the dress used by the brothers during the processions.
- How to get there: just behind the Church of San Giovanni Battista – Get directions
- Hours: 8: 00-18: 30
- Ticket cost: free
8 – Eugenio Montale Literary Park
Born on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Nobel Prize for literature to the poet, the purpose of the park is to make the visitor relive the intense emotions that the poet Montale managed to impress through the verses of his lyrics.
Symbol of the park and the Art Nouveau house that the poet called “the yellowish pagoda” and “the house of the two palms”, and where he used to spend the summers.
For a particular and in-depth experience, it is possible to visit the park by taking part in organized tours with guides who lead visitors among the terraces overlooking the sea, immersing them in the environment that inspires Montale. During the walks, thepoems more related to Monterosso (and the Cinque Terre) contained in the collection “Ossi di seppia”.
Montale stated: “Monterosso was a very formative season, but it also constituted the start of introversion, it led to an imprisonment in the cosmos”.
- How to get there: 450 meters from Fegina. Head west on Via Fegina towards Via Molinelli – Get directions
- Hours: park always accessible, the residence is now private property and therefore not open to visitors
- Ticket cost: for more info and reservations visit the website
9 – Statue of the Giant
Photo by giomodica. Imposing statue depicting the God of the seas who has protected Monterosso a Mare since 1910 and has become the symbol of the town itself .
At the end of the Fegina beach, there is a sculpture in reinforced concrete and iron , the work of Arrigo Minerbi from Ferrara and the engineer Levacher.
Originally 14 meters high and 1700 quintals heavy , the statue depicted Neptune together with a large shell-shaped terrace , and adorned the splendid Villa Pastine, home of the Pastine, Giovanni and Juanita spouses, monterossini returned from Argentina after making a fortune. .
The statue and villa suffered the bombings of the Second World War and in 1966 were also damaged by a strong storm.
The Giant, however, gave proof of strength and endurance , and in fact he is still there, intent on staring at the sea. The God of the seas did not come out completely unscathed: he lost an arm, the trident and the shell-shaped structure. But the beauty of the Giant lies precisely in his amputations, which tell how the fearless colossus of Monterosso resisted the fury of war and the constancy of the sea.
- How to get there: 850 meters from Fegina. Proceed west on Via Fegina towards Via Molinelli, 12 minutes on foot – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free
10 – Rock of Monterosso
The “Gaggiata” is the historic rock that delimits the beach of “tragagia” with that of the municipal baths, symbol of the historic center of the town.
Originally it was a single rock which was then divided in two by the violence of the storm surges.
One of the most scenic and photographed points of the Cinque Terre, due to the contrast between its dark color, the light of the sand and the blue of the sea water.
- How to get there: 120 meters from Fegina. Head east on Via Fegina towards Via Bastioni for 1 minute – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free
Monterosso al Mare itinerary in one day
Have breakfast at Bar Lo Spuntino (€ 3.00) and then reach the beach of Figina , the most beautiful and spacious in Monterosso and in the Cinque Terre in general. The choice between free beach and establishment is up to you. During the morning of relaxation do not forget to admire the Giant that rises imposingly above your head.
For lunch, fixed appointment at Il Massimo della Focaccia (stuffed slice + drink € 5.00).
Dispose of your lunch with a nice walk to the rock, which has now become the symbol of Monterosso . Leave it on the right and start the climb towards the Capuchin Convent; along the way you will come across the statue of San Francesco with the wolf and then, once you get to the top, enjoy the peaceful serenity of the place, the splendid panorama and the beautiful works preserved in the church.
Then go down to the village and visit the Cathedral with its typical black and white striped facade, the Oratorio dei Bianchi and that dei Neri .
Before dinner, relax by browsing the small shops that sell typical handicrafts.
For dinner we suggest the historic Ciak Restaurant (€ 40.00).
One day itinerary at a glance
- Breakfast at Bar Lo Spuntino
- Figina beach
- The giant
- Lunch at Il Massimo della Focaccia
- The rock
- Convent and Church of the Capuchin Friars
- Church of San Giovanni Battista (7: 00-19: 30, free)
- Oratory of Santa Croce or dei Bianchi (8: 00-18: 30, free)
- Oratorio dei Neri (8: 00-18: 30, free)
- Dinner at Ciak Restaurant
Where to eat in Monterosso al Mare
- Ciak Restaurant : Ligurian fish specialties in the well-kept rooms of a spacious family-run restaurant with show kitchen.
Average price per person: € 40.00
Address and contacts: piazza Don Minzoni, 6 (Get directions) / tel: 0187 817014 - Belvedere Restaurant : specialties such as fish soup and bruschetta with pesto served in a sober space with large windows with a veranda overlooking the sea.
Average price per person: € 45.00
Address and contacts: piazza Garibaldi, 38 (Get directions) / tel: 0187 817033 - La Taverna di Monterosso : historical place a little hidden under the railway bridge. It offers seafood and land specialties; possibility to choose between two tourist menus or a la carte.
Average price per person: € 35.00
Address and contacts: via Molinelli, 39 (Get directions) / tel: 0187 829111
What to do in the evening: nightlife areas and the best clubs
Photo by Lee & Chantelle McArthur. In the small villages of the Cinque Terre there are no clubs; only in Monterosso are there a few bars and pubs open late. Here there is no real nightlife , but in the largest cities of Liguria there is movement every night. Therefore, lovers of the small hours, can reach the nearby cities for more lively evenings.
The nearest town (8 minutes by train) is the port of La Spezia , where there are some discos and many bars; but also in Sestri Levante and Portofino there is a good quantity of restaurants, bars and discos.
- Fast Bar : very nice place with a rock theme with background music. Cocktails, beer, wine, tasty sandwiches and pizza.
Address: via Roma, 13 (Get directions) - Bar Colpi di Timone Monterosso : at the exit of the train station, on the left, it mainly offers cocktails for young people and foreign tourists.
Address: via Fegina, 46 (Get directions) - Bar Gio 5 Terre : informal location on the seafront, perfect for an unpretentious aperitif
Address: via Fegina, 92 (Get directions)
Plan your stay in Monterosso al Mare: info and useful tips
- How to get there: take the Levanto – Carrodano exit on the A12 motorway; before arriving in the town of Levanto, at the second roundabout take the direction for Monterosso.
The train is the most comfortable means of transport, taking the La Spezia – Genoa line – Get directions - How to get around : being totally ZTL, the best way to get around on foot
- Where to park : car parks are available both in Fegina (300 spaces) and in the old town area (Loreto). Both € 2.50 / h in high season.
In all Cinque Terre most of the car parks are reserved for residents and the possibility of parking is rather limited. It is therefore advisable to use the train. - Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 116.00 per room – see the offers
- What to see in the surrounding area : Vernazza, Manarola, Corniglia, Riomaggiore, Levanto, Portovenere
