Monterosso al Mare · Cinque Terre
From Monterosso al Mare past Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore — the five, as only the sea shows them.
Tour bookings reopen 1 March 2027. Weddings and other big occasions can be reserved now.
Choose your passage
Every journey is a one day trip — small, personal and open to the weather. Pick the shape of the day; the skipper confirms the details.
Duration2 hours
A two-hour private boat tour of all five Cinque Terre villages aboard a real Ligurian fishing boat — Vernazza's harbour, Corniglia's vineyard cliffs, Manarola's stacked colours and Riomaggiore's ravine, all seen from the water. A swim and snorkel stop along the way when the sea is calm, with masks and cold drinks on board — up to six guests, departing Monterosso hourly from nine each morning.
From€87per guest with 6 aboard · fees included
Duration2 hours 30 minutes
Ghibli's evening departure — a shared, golden-hour sailing from Monterosso with swim and snorkel stops in two sheltered coves and wine poured on deck as the light turns. Two and a half hours, up to seventeen guests, one hundred euros per person. Masks and life jackets aboard, no prepayment, free cancellation up to twenty-four hours before departure.
From€100per guest · fees included
Duration3 hours
A private three-hour tour tracing the full Cinque Terre coastline aboard a real Ligurian fishing boat, with close to an hour set aside for swimming and snorkeling in sheltered coves. Captain Tommy, forty years at sea out of Monterosso, times the two o'clock departure for the warmest water and the softest afternoon light. Snorkel masks and life jackets are provided for every guest — private for up to six, from €550, departing Molo dei Pescatori.
From€112per guest with 6 aboard · fees included
Durationabout 5 hours
Ghibli's longest and most complete day at sea — a private boat tour from Monterosso covering the whole Cinque Terre coast and Portovenere's Gulf of Poets, with a swim and snorkel stop at Byron's Grotto, a pass through Palmaria's Blue Grotto, and real time ashore walking Portovenere's old town and Doria castle. Up to six guests, about five hours, Captain Tommy at the helm.
From€162per guest with 6 aboard · fees included
The departure point
Every sailing begins here. Ghibli casts off from Molo dei Pescatori — the fishermen’s pier at the far end of the old harbour, a flat walk from the station and the beach. No marina, no ticket office, no queue.
The harbour
The old harbour of Monterosso, below the village. Ghibli is moored at the quay — a flat walk along the seafront from the station.
Along the route
The Cinque Terre — and Portovenere beyond them — as you meet them from the water.
The largest of the Cinque Terre — and the only one with a true beach.
The natural harbour — many call it the most beautiful of the Cinque Terre.
The quiet one — high on the cliff, among the vineyards.
Perhaps the oldest — and the most photographed.
Where the day ends — the easternmost village.
The sixth stop — the Church of San Pietro on the rock, and the open sea beyond Cinque Terre.
Guest log
5 / 5
“We had a wonderful time aboard Beppe's boat. He loves his region, and he takes you to discover it with great warmth and a real wish to share it. The bonus is that he speaks French, English and Italian. A big thank you for this magical moment. Martine and Marie-France”
5 / 5
“Angela and Benedetto are the best when it comes to tours — we had a great time 💯💯💯💯💯”
5 / 5
“Two magnificent hours along all five villages, stopping for a long swim on one of the most beautiful stretches. Our guide Angela is extremely well prepared and helpful, a highly recommended tour at honest prices. Thank you!”
5 / 5
“Fantastic boat tour! We were very pleased with everything. We saw all 5 villages, great guide in English, even stopped off for some swimming and pictures. We also got some wine and beer and we were able to feed the fishes too! Highly recommend this tour!”
5 / 5
“Fantastic boat tour - beautiful scenery, a wonderful long swim and snorkel, and fabulous, friendly and kind hosts in Benedetto and Angie. It was a great birthday celebration. Thank you so much for your hospitality!”
5 / 5
“We did the group 5 village trip this morning and had a great time! Angela was very knowledgeable and made the trip a memorable one! It was my husband’s birthday and they sang Happy Birthday and opened a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate. We stopped for 20 minutes and went snorkelling and saw some beautiful fish. Would highly recommend!”
5 / 5
“Fantastic trip - everything I could’ve wanted when visiting Italy! Angela was our guide.”
5 / 5
“We had a really wonderful private tour during 2 hours. The captain and the guide were very nice and friendly. Highly recommend it for everyone, who like to see the villages from the sea - fantastic view with the comfort! Must-visit”
5 / 5
“A perfectly lovely outing, two hours in private with my husband. The Cinque Terre are absolutely magnificent, and we were even able to enjoy a swim among beautiful fish. Being pregnant, they looked after me with great care throughout. Lovely people, passionate about their work and about this beautiful place they share. After being cancelled by another company, we were very lucky to come across them. A wonderful experience, which we recommend without hesitation.”
5 / 5
“A magnificent experience! I recommend it wholeheartedly.”
From the quay
People ask which month is best for a boat tour here, and the honest answer is that it depends on what you want from the day. Warm water, calm sea, quiet villages and good light do not all arrive in the same month. This is how the season…
Read more: The Best Month for a Cinque Terre Boat Tour: A Captain's View of the SeasonMost ships calling on this stretch of the Ligurian coast dock at Porto di La Spezia. Cinque Terre itself has no cruise berth, so if you want to see the five villages from the water, you travel to them. The trip is straightforward, but it…
Read more: Cinque Terre Boat Tour for Cruise Passengers Docking in La SpeziaParents usually ask me the same two things before they book. Will the children be bored, and what happens if it does not go well. Both are fair questions. Here is how a boat trip along this coast actually works with young children, and…
Read more: A Cinque Terre Boat Tour With Kids: What Actually WorksEvery season I get a few messages that begin the same way. We are coming to Monterosso in June, and I would like to ask her on the boat. Or: it is our tenth anniversary and we want to spend it on the water instead of in a restaurant. After…
Read more: Proposing or Celebrating an Anniversary on a Private Boat in Cinque TerreEvery photograph you've ever seen of Vernazza — the one on the postcard rack, the one on the cover of the guidebook, the one your friends posted — was taken from the water, or from a cliff path straining to imitate the view from the water.…
Read more: Vernazza From the SeaEvery year, sometime in the first week of September, the coast exhales. The August crowds thin, the queues at the ferry landings shorten, and the sea — which has been soaking up sun since June — is at its warmest of the whole year. If you…
Read more: September and October on the Water: The Cinque Terre After the CrowdsThe boat
A working fisherman's boat, a local captain, and the Cinque Terre seen from the water.
Ghibli is a working Ligurian fishing boat, not a tourist launch — Captain Tommy has fished this stretch of the Cinque Terre coast for forty years and now runs it out of Molo dei Pescatori in Monterosso al Mare. Four private and shared boat tours follow the water he has always known: past Vernazza's harbour, Corniglia's vineyard cliffs, Manarola's stacked houses, and Riomaggiore's ravine, with snorkel masks and life jackets aboard on every departure. Inside the Marine Protected Area the engine drops to five knots near shore, so the boat runs slow and quiet past the villages and stops to swim and snorkel wherever the sea is calmest that day.
Meet the captain
40 years — among the most experienced on this coast
The living atlas
The Cinque Terre from the water, then the long turn to Portovenere: terraces, harbours, and the Church of San Pietro on the rock.
BoardingMolo dei Pescatori, Monterosso al Mare
Before you board
Private tours take up to 6 guests and shared departures up to 17 — so it's best to book ahead, especially in peak season.
No need to pay in advance — book in a moment, then settle with your skipper at the pier before departure.
Cancellation is free of charge up to 24 hours before departure. Within 24 hours, the booking is binding.
If sea conditions aren't safe, the trip is called off and you rebook or cancel free of charge — the skipper decides no later than 4 hours before departure, based on the marine forecast and harbour conditions.
At Molo dei Pescatori, Monterosso al Mare.
Aim to be at Molo dei Pescatori, Monterosso al Mare about 10–15 minutes before your departure time.
Yes — life jackets for every guest are on board, as required for the trip.
Yes — the tour includes time to swim in clear water, so bring your swimwear and a towel.
Comfortable clothes and shoes you don't mind getting a little wet, plus a hat and sunglasses for the sun.
Your own sun cream is a good idea — the glare off the water is strong even on a mild day.
Choose your passage
2 hours
From €87
2 hours 30 minutes
From €100
3 hours
From €112
about 5 hours
From €162
Your coast, your pace
Book now — no prepayment. If the sea has other plans, you rebook or cancel free of charge. Every departure leaves from Molo dei Pescatori, Monterosso al Mare.
