Borgo Antico
Borgo Antico
4.5
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4.5
561 reviews
Excellent
246
Very good
263
Average
44
Poor
5
Terrible
3
Jake23
New Jersey6,839 contributions
June 2021 • Couples
The old town is beautiful. Yes, it does have a lot of tourists even in a partially covid year, however it still has so much charm. Small shops and restaurants line the streets and and beautiful flowers hang over walls. You can see clothes hanging from lines in the air. Such a charming place.
Written 27 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mairwen1
United Kingdom11,690 contributions
May 2022
Planning how to divide your time between the five Cinque Terre towns is a daunting task, especially if you have a tight itinerary. We had four days in the region which gave us a little more flexibility and we were very glad to have the extra days.
Overall Monterosso was my least favourite town, with one caveat - the beaches.
It’s by far the largest town and I thought it was the least charming (although the whole area is so beautiful that the bar is set very high) but its the only town with a real beach.
OLD TOWN/NEW TOWN: It is helpful to know beforehand that Monterosso is divided into two quite distinct areas - the historical centre, known as ‘the old town’ and Fegina (the newer, beachy section). If you arrive by train, you will get off in the new town. It’s only a short walk between the two sections. A 10 minute stroll along the promenade (although with the summer, crowds its less of a stroll and more of a scrum) brings you to a pedestrian tunnel and into the old town.
OLD TOWN HIGHLIGHTS:
i) the lookout point beside the cliffside statue of St Francis - breathtaking views
ii) the short hillside walk to the Capuchin monastery and church - peaceful, serene location
iii) the black and white, zebra striped Church of San Giovanni Battista and the nearby Oratory
TRAGAGIA BEACH: Monterosso’s huge drawcard is the beach. It’s the only town with long, flat beaches where you can spend a few hours. The main beach is in the new town but Spiaggia Tragagia in the old town, is a less crowded alternative.
HIKING: The hiking trail to Vernazza starts from the old town (Trail 592-4 / SVA2). Before going, we’d heard a lot about whether you should start in Monterosso or in Vernazza. In the end, I’m not sure it mattered a lot. The downside to starting in Monterosso was that we spent the first half hour or so climbing very steep steps without much break. However the birdseye view coming down into Vernazza was incredible and we preferred to end up in Vernazza where we stopped for lunch.
Overall Monterosso was my least favourite town, with one caveat - the beaches.
It’s by far the largest town and I thought it was the least charming (although the whole area is so beautiful that the bar is set very high) but its the only town with a real beach.
OLD TOWN/NEW TOWN: It is helpful to know beforehand that Monterosso is divided into two quite distinct areas - the historical centre, known as ‘the old town’ and Fegina (the newer, beachy section). If you arrive by train, you will get off in the new town. It’s only a short walk between the two sections. A 10 minute stroll along the promenade (although with the summer, crowds its less of a stroll and more of a scrum) brings you to a pedestrian tunnel and into the old town.
OLD TOWN HIGHLIGHTS:
i) the lookout point beside the cliffside statue of St Francis - breathtaking views
ii) the short hillside walk to the Capuchin monastery and church - peaceful, serene location
iii) the black and white, zebra striped Church of San Giovanni Battista and the nearby Oratory
TRAGAGIA BEACH: Monterosso’s huge drawcard is the beach. It’s the only town with long, flat beaches where you can spend a few hours. The main beach is in the new town but Spiaggia Tragagia in the old town, is a less crowded alternative.
HIKING: The hiking trail to Vernazza starts from the old town (Trail 592-4 / SVA2). Before going, we’d heard a lot about whether you should start in Monterosso or in Vernazza. In the end, I’m not sure it mattered a lot. The downside to starting in Monterosso was that we spent the first half hour or so climbing very steep steps without much break. However the birdseye view coming down into Vernazza was incredible and we preferred to end up in Vernazza where we stopped for lunch.
Written 4 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tommy M
Roseville, CA2,901 contributions
July 2016 • Friends
This would be a long day of driving. Lots of autostrada (mostly A-11 west and E-80 north) would lead us to La Spezia, a seaside town where we fumbled around buying train tickets to rail up the coast with stops at each of the five little towns that comprise the Cinque (5) Terre.
We took the train from La Spezia.
All was in order. We got out to the tracks, saw our train approach, boarded it and started our ride. When the conductor came to check our tickets, he couldn’t hide a slight chuckle. We were on the wrong train—an express choo-choo headed for Turino, home of the Winter Olympics. If it didn’t stop before reaching Turino, we would be in the Alps.
Luckily, it did make a stop, in Chiavari. We were many miles beyond where we had hoped to be, almost half way to Genoa.
We had a long wait before getting a train heading back in the direction of La Spezia. This time, however, we did manage to get off at the first of the five resorts that comprise Cinque Terre.
Monterroso al Mare is the uppermost village of the quintet of old fishing villages. The trains are the best way to get to any of the villages which are hovered over by sheer cliffs. Trains reach the villages through a series of tunnels. Going by car requires a long hike down from the highway at each town.
From the train station we were just strides away from the shore. We walked southward, stopping for lunch in a restaurant overlooking the sea. Continuing our walk, we came to the old town, located at an inlet. At this point train tracks were overhead and we saw one train sail by.
We did some window-shopping in this unique Old Town area. We didn’t stay long as we hoped we could visit one or two other villages along the line. It was not to be.
We got on another train, headed in the direction of La Spezia, but it was not the local run. Foiled again. It zipped past the other four villages, each purported to be uniquely different than the others.
There was nothing much more to do but get the car and drive homeward. We passed the hills of Carrara, the famous area where marble is mined.
Lesson for others; plan carefully.
We took the train from La Spezia.
All was in order. We got out to the tracks, saw our train approach, boarded it and started our ride. When the conductor came to check our tickets, he couldn’t hide a slight chuckle. We were on the wrong train—an express choo-choo headed for Turino, home of the Winter Olympics. If it didn’t stop before reaching Turino, we would be in the Alps.
Luckily, it did make a stop, in Chiavari. We were many miles beyond where we had hoped to be, almost half way to Genoa.
We had a long wait before getting a train heading back in the direction of La Spezia. This time, however, we did manage to get off at the first of the five resorts that comprise Cinque Terre.
Monterroso al Mare is the uppermost village of the quintet of old fishing villages. The trains are the best way to get to any of the villages which are hovered over by sheer cliffs. Trains reach the villages through a series of tunnels. Going by car requires a long hike down from the highway at each town.
From the train station we were just strides away from the shore. We walked southward, stopping for lunch in a restaurant overlooking the sea. Continuing our walk, we came to the old town, located at an inlet. At this point train tracks were overhead and we saw one train sail by.
We did some window-shopping in this unique Old Town area. We didn’t stay long as we hoped we could visit one or two other villages along the line. It was not to be.
We got on another train, headed in the direction of La Spezia, but it was not the local run. Foiled again. It zipped past the other four villages, each purported to be uniquely different than the others.
There was nothing much more to do but get the car and drive homeward. We passed the hills of Carrara, the famous area where marble is mined.
Lesson for others; plan carefully.
Written 19 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Betula103
Australia7,854 contributions
Sept 2014 • Friends
The newer part of the town near the railway station is like a typical seaside resort however once you walk to the old town is really charming. The shortest walk is through the tunnel although it is well worth taking the longer walk via the cliff if you are able. It is not a difficult walk. There are plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants in the little narrow streets and architecturally and historically interesting churches.
Written 4 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BigHugh51
Adelaide, Australia3,628 contributions
June 2015 • Couples
We took a guided tour to Cinque Terre whilst our cruise ship was berthed in the port of Livorno. The tour took us to three of the five towns of Cinque Terre. The old town of Monterosso al Mare was one of our favourite places of the tour.
The narrow streets and laneways wind their way uphill from the small beach. They are filled with interesting little shops, bars and cafes, private houses and small hotels along with the occasional church.
We were there in the early weeks of summer and the place was full of tourists like us. As Cinque Terre is one of Italy’s premier coastal tourist attractions, one could expect little else. All it means is that you just have to exercise a little bit of patience and recognize that certain activities may require a little bit of waiting. If you don’t like crowds perhaps you could visit in the middle of winter.
The narrow streets and laneways wind their way uphill from the small beach. They are filled with interesting little shops, bars and cafes, private houses and small hotels along with the occasional church.
We were there in the early weeks of summer and the place was full of tourists like us. As Cinque Terre is one of Italy’s premier coastal tourist attractions, one could expect little else. All it means is that you just have to exercise a little bit of patience and recognize that certain activities may require a little bit of waiting. If you don’t like crowds perhaps you could visit in the middle of winter.
Written 1 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ckvar
Cudjoe Key, FL115 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
This is the cutest town ever, walked up the "left" side street going up, and ended up at Burrano winery. Not as far as it looked on the map. What a lovely walk (huff, puff, but it's Monterosso, everything is up a mountain!!). Don't miss it. Town is lovely and safe.
Written 6 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tony36
Crowborough, UK1,008 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
The 'new' part, or the main beach area nearest the Station, is a clean and bright typical small seaside resort. To see the old town you need to take a short walk through the Tunnel to the left and that is where the true character of the place comes to the fore. Delightful. Well worth a visit.
Written 4 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SylvieFrancois444
Ontario Canada1,335 contributions
Sept 2013 • Couples
Take the time to explore Borgo Antico while in Monterosso. It is not very big but worth looking around while on a break from hiking.
Written 5 April 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Canadianstraveling
Oakville, Canada381 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
We stayed in the Borgo Antico section of Monterosso al Mare for four nights in May 2019. Having visited all five of the Cinque Terre towns, we were glad that we chose Monterosso and particularly its older section, as our base; it has a calmness and charm that, for us at least, made it very comfortable. We stayed at a wonderful B&B (Il Giardino Incantato) in a 500 year old building and ate three very nice dinners (at Via Venti and Gastronomia San Martino), all in the old section of Monterosso. We loved its old buildings, the charming side streets, getting lost in the alleyways, visiting the historic churches, browsing in the shops and walking up to the Church of San Francesco and the Capuchin Friars Monastery. It was memorable!
Written 9 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
48thAnniversary
Meridian, ID610 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
Since we had visited Vernazza yesterday and hadn’t liked it like we thought we would we were alittle apprehensive of the crowds and touristy feel that Monterosso might have. First off we headed north when getting off the train and walked along the promenade enjoying no crowds, amazing sandy beaches, and a play area for children. After lunch, a visit to a small church, we headed south. Decided to walk through the tunnel and was amazed by what greeted us there...a vibrant town full of shops, restaurants, and tourists!!! Nice to see a piazza with a fountain, a municipal building that looked interesting, and another play area for kids. The city thought of everything!!! Enjoyed the two churches in the middle of town as well. Loved the small alley ways and really liked the feel of Monterosso -just may return again someday!!!
Written 30 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, I will be travelling via train. How far from the station is the borgo antico?
Written 5 February 2019
It is a very short walk, maybe 400 meters to Piazza Matteotti that marks the beginning of the old city area.
Written 6 February 2019
bj .y a t'il des resto qui prennent la cb
Written 30 June 2016
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