Cinque Terre is a Photographer’s Dream (See Our Photo Tips!)
Cinque Terre is no stranger to photographers. When Scott and I visited, you could find plenty of people toting tripods and planting themselves for hours in order to catch that perfect shot. Looking to get those iconic shots of the colorful villages perched on the cliffs in Cinque Terre, Italy? Use these photo tips on your next visit!
Sunset is a popular time for photographers in any destination, however, a few places in Cinque Terre proved to be more difficult to photograph at sunset than I had imagined. If the lighting was just right on the buildings, then that usually meant the sky would be blown out in the background.
It’s definitely not impossible to get a good shot though and it’s worth the wait. Cinque Terre is a place I plan to return many times because I barely even scratched the surface of the photo possibilities during our three-day visit.
After visiting Cinque Terre several times, at different times of the year, I’ve come up with some of my best photo tips to help those looking to get those iconic shots.
Cinque Terre Photography Tips
- Get there early to find your spot as it can get crowded during sunset — especially during the summer. You’ll also want to make sure your shot is set up before the sun starts to set so you don’t miss the best light.
- I recommend taking bracketed photos and stacking them in post processing. As I stated above, the lighting can be tricky here with a bright background and dark foreground.
- Have fun and don’t get territorial. A lot of people are looking to get the perfect shot for their vacation photos and we can all share the space and be kind to one another!
- In addition to sunset, I recommend sunrise at one of your favorite spots!
Have you been to Cinque Terre? If so, which village is your favorite?
Read More:
10 Places You Can’t Miss in Italy
The Ultimate Women’s Packing Guide for Italy
Where to Stay in Lake Como, Italy (And The Best Hotels in Each Town)
Cinque Terre, Italy Travel Tips
Italy Travel Tips: 9 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting
10 Things to Know Before You Visit Rome, Italy
To purchase prints or cards from Cinque Terre, please visit our Travel Photography Portfolio.
I’ll be making my first trip to Italy in May. I will be going to Cinque Terra and have bought a new camera to ensure I get fabulous photo’s. I can’t wait~~~
Awesome! I’m sure you will love it! It’s definitely a favorite of ours.
Wow! Cinque Terre is stunning in these photos: both the scenery and the food you ate. I will be traveling there in a couple of days 😀 I hope the lighting (and weather) are optimal for my trip!
Amazing photos! Just beautiful! I am hoping to visit Cinque Terre briefly next month; it just looks breathtaking.
Cinque Terre is whoaaazing!! you photos are superb 😉
Gorgeous shots – I must make it here someday!
Great photos! I wish I was still at the Cinque Terre.
do you have the recipe for the clam pasta Riomaggiore, Italy
Hi Stewart. No, I’m sorry, but we don’t. This was at a restaurant in Riomaggiore. I do know that it had tomatoes, asparagus, clams and parsley. The sauce was like a white wine sauce with a bit of cream. In the next couple of weeks, we WILL be posting a different pasta recipe that we learned in Italy!
Amazing!
Okay, so you guys just made me want to come to these beautiful villages. I fly to Italy tonight. And now I have some new destinations to explore. Its so nice to have such great influences. Will let you know what I find.
Wow! Stunning photos!
Great pics. This area is on my short list of things to do the next time I go back to Europe.
Fantastic! Love the evening long exposures, very colourful
The food sure looks good.
Awesome photos! This place definitely deserves a lot more time to be discovered and photographed.
just back. we stayed in monterosso al mare. glad we did but favorite village was vernazza. best hike was the high path out of manarola up through a small village, through the vineyards down into corniglia. amazing views.
Your photos are always incredible but these really blow me away. I adore the umbrella photo, there is such a great balance of color and the umbrellas look perfect. The after sunset shot is pretty impressive as well, the water looks amazing!
Wow. Thank you, Rease. The after sunset shots are my favorite. 🙂
Cinque Terra is gorgeous and your photos have done each of the villages proud. My favourite is Vernazza but really I loved them all. Did you walk from village to village? If you do you get some amazing views (and a huge staircase by Corniglia!)
This looks like such an amazing place to visit. I love Italy, and I wish I could explore every inch of it. Your photos are gorgeous!
Happy birthday Scott!
We so wanted to visit the Cinque Terra on our trip to Italy, but they had just experienced disastrous floods, so Bologna it was. The good news… We clearly have more reasons to return.
Happy (belated) Cake Day to Scott.
Wow! Those photos are beautiful. And what a pretty town. There should be more brightly painted houses in the world!
Happy birthday Scott!! Hope you had a great one. 🙂
These photos are gorgeous! The ones with the boat dock — what village were those taken in? I think I recognize it!
I am dreaming of feeling the moment of lying under those umbrellas
Here above one of the most challenging sunset photography shared. You have got some really inspiring photographs there. Such a beautiful views of the water.
I love the pattern of the beach umbrellas in the first shot–lovely!
It looks beautiful but you know what tempts me the most are the food photos!
OMG these are amazing! I still hate that I wasn’t able to visit CT while I was in Italy because of the recent floods. It’s okay Italy is a country I wanna visit more of & I’m sure I will go back and see this one day. Again amazing photos.
I have never been, but your photos make me want to go!. Beautiful views of the water, narrow passages to wander through town, and tasty fresh Italian food pretty much define the perfect vacation spot.