Liguria · La Spezia
Monterosso al Mare
The westernmost and largest of the five villages, where Eugenio Montale spent the childhood summers that became Ossi di seppia in 1925.
- Best time
- Apr–Oct
- By car
- 1 h 18 min from Genoa
- By train
- Station in the comune
- Population
- 1,350
Known for
EUGENIO MONTALE
The Nobel laureate spent his childhood summers in Fegina; his 1925 Ossi di seppia is set in this landscape.
UNESCO CINQUE TERRE
Westernmost of the five villages inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1997 and inside the Parco Nazionale.
SPIAGGIA DI FEGINA
The only large sandy beach in the Cinque Terre, west of the San Cristoforo headland.
When to visit
Best · Apr–Oct
- J12°
- F13°
- M15°
- A17°
- M21°
- J25°
- J29°
- A29°
- S25°
- O21°
- N16°
- D13°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 28° and coldest in February at 14°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: Giovanni Battista, 24 June
Why come
The village splits into two halves on either side of a headland: the older centro storico and, on the other side, the Fegina seafront where the railway runs behind the sand. The Capuchin convent looks out over both sides from that same headland, the hinge on which the whole layout turns. Above the rooftops, a hilltop sanctuary has stood on the same ground since 740, older than the village below it and the oldest Marian site in Liguria.
The parish church down in the old town, banded in black and white marble, was built centuries later, so the two put a long stretch of the coast's religious history on display within sight of each other. Montale's villa stood in Fegina, and the rocks and cliffs he carried into Ossi di seppia are the same ones visible from either half of the village. The geography here is the story: a headland dividing old from new, and a hillside holding the older of the two by several centuries.
Read on
Monterosso al Mare in our articles
The 6 best towns you can reach by train in the province of La Spezia6 towns, Monterosso al Mare among them.
The best towns with a World Heritage site within two hours of Genoa6 towns, Monterosso al Mare among them.
The best towns with a serious restaurant in the province of La Spezia7 towns, Monterosso al Mare among them.
The best small towns with a food festival that eat well within 90 minutes of Genova8 towns, Monterosso al Mare among them.
How to get there
From Genoa (GOA), about 1h 28m by car.
Florence / Pisa (PSA) is about 1h 41m away.
By car from the centre of Pisa 1h 32m or Parma 2 hours.
There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.
Coming from Genoa, Pisa or Florence?
Coming by train into Genova Piazza Principe? Monterosso al Mare is about 1h 25m away by road.
What to see
Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
Parish church built 1282-1307 with a black-and-white-banded marble façade and a fresco of the baptism of Christ over the main portal.
Santuario di Nostra Signora di Soviore
Hilltop sanctuary at 464 meters above the village, occupied by a church since 740, the oldest Marian site in Liguria.
Convento dei Cappuccini
Seventeenth-century Capuchin convent on the San Cristoforo headland, separating the centro storico from Fegina.
Spiaggia di Fegina
Sandy beachfront below the railway, the only large beach in the Cinque Terre, with the giant Statue of Neptune at its western end.
Torre Aurora
Medieval tower on the headland between the two halves of the village, part of the original Genoese defensive system.
Sentiero Azzurro
Coastal path of the Cinque Terre, with the Monterosso-Vernazza leg one of the most heavily walked sections in the park.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Monterosso al Mare fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We recommend
Where to eat
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
BurancoAgriturismo
Buranco carries a Gambero Rosso listing.
Da MikyRistorante
Da Miky has a spot in the Michelin Guide to its name.
L'Ancora della TortugaRistorante
L'Ancora della Tortuga has a spot in the Michelin Guide to its name.
Signature dish
Acciughe di MonterossoSeafood
Anchovies salted and layered in the Cinque Terre village, eaten with lemon or kept under oil.
See every town in our catalogue with a dish of its own.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Festa del Limonefood festival
usually held in May. Deep Experience - Sagre e Fiere Liguria
The Sunday letter
Monterosso al Mare got its letter. One town every Sunday, free. The photo, the food, the festa.
Living here
- Population 1,350
- Remotei
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Train station in the comune
- Nearest airport Genoa, 1 h 28 min drive
- Regional capital Genova, 1 h 18 min drive
Common questions
- What is Monterosso al Mare known for?
- Monterosso al Mare is the westernmost and largest of the five villages, where Eugenio Montale spent the childhood summers that became Ossi di seppia in 1925.
- Where is Monterosso al Mare?
- Monterosso al Mare is a comune in the province of La Spezia, in Liguria, at 12 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Monterosso al Mare?
- Genoa (GOA), about 1h 28m by car.
- Can you get to Monterosso al Mare without a car?
- Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
- How long is the drive from Pisa to Monterosso al Mare?
- About 1h 32m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Monterosso al Mare?
- Best in Apr–Oct. August is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and May the wettest, with about 15 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Monterosso al Mare?
- Yes. Festa del Limone. May is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Monterosso al Mare?
- Deiva Marina, Laigueglia and Borgio Verezzi.
- How many people live in Monterosso al Mare?
- 1,350 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 12 m
- Population: 1,350
- Surface area: 10.94 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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🏛️ UNESCO
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