Cinque Terre Boat Tours from Monterosso: Which One Is Right for You
There are three ways to see this coast from the water with us, and they suit three different kinds of day. This page lays them out honestly — what each one includes, who it’s for, and which one we’d suggest if you asked us at the wharf.
We’re Popeye Boat Tours. We sail out of the Fishermen’s Wharf in Monterosso al Mare on two boats: a traditional Ligurian gozzo and a working fishing boat called Ghibli. Both are local, both are skippered by people who grew up on this water.
Why see the Cinque Terre by boat at all
Quick version, because you probably already know.
The five villages were built facing the sea. Their colours, their harbours, their whole shape points at the water — that’s the side they were meant to be seen from. Arrive by train and you come in through a tunnel and up a staircase, into the back of the village.
From a boat you get the front. The terraced hills stacked behind, the churches on the cliffs, all five villages unfolding in sequence. And you get the one thing no train, trail or ferry gives you: a swim stop in a cove that has no path to it, empty in the middle of August.
Here are the three ways to do it.
1. Cinque Terre Boat Tour — the classic
2 hours · private · the full coastline · swim stop
The one most people book, and the one we’d recommend if it’s your first time here.
We leave the Fishermen’s Wharf in Monterosso and run close along the shore — Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore — near enough that every cliff and terrace feels within reach. At Riomaggiore, the last village, we turn and come back. From the open sea on the way home the whole Cinque Terre lines up at once, like a single painting suspended between sky and water.
Along the way we stop to swim in a secluded cove. The water here is clear, the rock shelves drop away fast, and there’s usually nobody else.
Best for: a first visit, anyone who wants to see all five villages, families, anyone who’d rather swim somewhere quiet than on a crowded beach.
Note: Corniglia sits a hundred metres up a headland with no harbour — it’s the one village you see from below rather than land at. That’s true of every boat on this coast, not just ours.
See the Cinque Terre Boat Tour →
2. Sunset Cinque Terre Boat Tour — the evening one
2 hours · small group or private · the same coast in different light
Same coastline, completely different experience.
We leave in the evening with the sun still high and glide slowly along the shore, giving you the cliffs and the villages suspended between sea and sky. On the way back to Monterosso the sun drops in front of us and the sky goes pink and amber.
That’s the moment for the swim — the sea turns to a mirror and everything goes quiet. It’s the tour people remember longest.
Available on either boat, small group or fully private.
Best for: couples, anniversaries and proposals, photographers, anyone who’s already seen the coast in daylight and wants the other version of it.
Book this one early. There’s one sunset a day and it fills first in high season.
3. Private Cinque Terre & Portovenere — the long one
4 hours · private · the Cinque Terre plus Portovenere and the Gulf of Poets
The full day out, and the tour we’d pick for ourselves.
You get the whole Cinque Terre coastline, then keep going southeast past the boundary of the national park to Portovenere: the church of San Pietro standing on the rocks at the point, the Doria castle above, the island of Palmaria across the channel, and the Byron Grotto at the base of the cliffs.
This is the Gulf of Poets — the stretch that Byron and Shelley wrote about — and most Cinque Terre visitors never see it. Twice the time means an unhurried pace, more than one swim stop, and space in the day for things to happen slowly.
Best for: anyone with a full day, second-time visitors, small groups sharing a private boat, travellers who want to be somewhere the day-trippers aren’t.
See the Private Cinque Terre & Portovenere Tour →
Which one should you book?
| Classic | Sunset | Portovenere | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours | 4 hours |
| Departure | Daytime | Evening | Daytime |
| Type | Private | Small group or private | Private |
| Villages | All five | All five | All five + Portovenere |
| Swim stop | Yes | Yes | Yes, more than one |
| Best for | First visit | Couples, occasions | A full day, second visits |
If it’s your first time here: the classic 2-hour tour. It orients you — you’ll understand the geography of the whole coast in an afternoon and everything you do afterwards makes more sense.
If you’re here with someone: the sunset tour. No contest.
If you have a full day and want the part nobody else sees: Portovenere.
If none of these fit: we also build custom tours around your timing, your pace and what you actually want — aperitivo on board, extra swim stops, a specific departure time, a special occasion.
Our two boats
The gozzo “Popeye” is the traditional Ligurian fishing boat of this coast — wooden, elegant, built for these waters. It carries up to 12 people, has a sun deck and a swimming ladder, and a canopy so you can sit in shade or sun. This is the boat for swimming, snorkelling and a relaxed day on the water.
“Ghibli” is a working fishing boat, up to 5 people. On the Ghibli the tour includes a look at how fishing actually works here — the nets, the winches, the echo sounder showing the seabed under you, the species that live in these waters. Kids tend to love it. You won’t fish yourself; it’s a tour, not a fishing trip.
Both boats run all three tours, depending on group size and availability.
Practical questions
Where do the tours leave from?
The Fishermen’s Wharf (Molo dei Pescatori) in the old town of Monterosso al Mare, a short walk from the train station.
How many people fit on board?
Up to 12 on the gozzo, up to 5 on the Ghibli. Private tours mean just your group and the skipper.
Is there a ladder for getting back on board?
Yes, both boats have a swimming ladder.
Are the boats shaded?
The gozzo has a canopy — you choose sun or shade.
Can we visit all five villages by boat?
You’ll see all five from the water. Corniglia is the exception for landing: it sits high on a headland with no harbour, so no boat on this coast can dock there.
Are the tours suitable for children?
Yes. Families are welcome on both boats, and the Ghibli’s fishing tour is particularly good with kids — the skipper involves them. Adult supervision throughout, as you’d expect.
Can we book a tour for more than 12 people?
Not on one boat, but get in touch — we can look at options.
How do we book?
Message us with the tour you’d like, your date and preferred time, and we’ll come back to you quickly. Booking direct means no platform commission and you’re talking to the skipper, not a call centre.
Book direct
Three tours, two boats, one wharf in Monterosso. Whichever you choose, you’re on a small local boat with someone who knows this coast — not a crowd on a large one.
Book With Extra Flexibility
Choose new departure dates if your plans change.
Reach out to us anytime via online chat, phone or email.
Get credit for future trips if you need more time to decide.
Change to a different tour run by the same tour operator.
