10 Things to Do in Cinque Terre in December

Cinque Terre has some of the best beaches in Italy, but in December, because of the cold and rain, you will not be able to take a swim, although you will still see a lot of tourists in the streets and many more decorations than in summer, because Christmas is lived in a special way in the Italian Riviera and the towns along the coast exhibit all its attractions.

Among the best things to see and do in Cinque Terre in December are visiting the Manarola Nativity Scene, which is considered the largest in the world, experiencing the underwater Christmas in Vernazza, participating in the Santa Lucia celebrations, enjoying the fireworks and toasting the year with limoncello, one of the characteristic drinks of the region.

Cinque Terre is one of the most popular Italian destinations for tourists at Christmas and much of its charm lies in the decoration of the streets of the Italian Riviera, which during Christmas Eve are filled with lights and figures, in addition to giant trees that are installed in the main squares of the towns.

Monterosso al Mare and Riomaggiore are the towns that generally have the most decorations, but all the towns of Cinque Terre stand out for their lights and ornaments. In Manarola, moreover, a Christmas crib is set up that is considered the largest in the world.

During Christmas, the best tours of Cinque Terre usually include a walk through the main sites with Christmas decorations, through the squares to discover the giant Christmas trees and through other characteristic sites of the eve, such as the flea markets.

The main attraction of Cinque Terre at Christmas is undoubtedly the giant crib or nativity scene of Manarola, which was built by the designer Mario Andreoli and has been reissued every year since 1976. This crib is installed on the Cerro delle Tre Croce and illuminates the town's skyline in a magical spectacle, especially at night.

Every year this nativity scene includes more than 300 silhouettes of historical characters, some of which reach 3 meters in height, as is the case of the shepherds, sheep and farmers, who stand out as the symbols of Christmas. The Baby Jesus and the comet are placed at the top of the crib, which is also where the brightest lights are located.

Manarola's nativity scene, which is considered the largest in the world, is set up every year on December 8, a date that coincides with the placement in the main square of the giant Christmas tree, and lasts until the first days of February. In addition, during Christmas Eve, a fireworks display is held at the Cerro de las Tres Cruces.

Details of interest

• Price: you can visit the Nativity Scene for free.
• When: every year from December 8 to the first days of February.
• Where: Hill of the Three Crosses, Manarola.

As in other cities around the world, Cinque Terre's Christmas markets are a tradition that attracts locals and tourists and, although none of the towns on the Italian Riviera has a fixed market, during the Christmas season they all inaugurate their itinerant markets in the area of the main square where you can find regional products and handicrafts.

Among the Christmas markets in Cinque Terre, the most famous is the one in Vernazza, which is set up in a fairground near the port and offers a wide variety of typical products such as Sciacchetra, which is a sweet red wine, and olive oil, which is another of the most famous local productions of La Spezia.

In all the markets you can also find Christmas decorations, ceramic handicrafts, fabrics, sweets and traditional cakes. During the Christmas season the markets are often included in the itineraries of the best gastronomic tours of Cinque Terre.

Aria is a classical music festival held every year in December in Vernazza featuring a wide variety of opera performances, solo concerts and chamber music that is very popular with tourists and local residents and is also considered to be the most important classical music festival in the region.

The Aria Festival includes additional events such as master classes and lectures, so if you are a music lover, you can not only enjoy the concerts, but also the activities afterwards. The performances take place in various locations in Vernazza, including the parish church, the Doria Castle and the main square.

Admission to the concerts is free, although you will need to reserve your seat in advance, and the date of each festival changes with each edition, although it usually coincides with the weekend closest to Christmas.

Details of interest

• Price: admission to the shows is free, although you must book in advance.
• When: every year in December.
• Where: Vernazza, Cinque Terre.

One of the most striking December events in Cinque Terre is the Vernazza Underwater Christmas, which is an annual event held off the shores of the town that involves a group of divers diving into the sea to place a Christmas tree and a series of ornaments on an area of the seabed. Afterwards, the divers illuminate the decorations with underwater lights.

This particular Christmas celebration aims to promote the importance that the sea has in Vernazza and to show the beauty of the coast. In addition, during Christmas Eve, the birth of Baby Jesus is celebrated in the waters, so divers take the figure of the newborn out of the water and transfer it to the local church.

If you want to make the most of your visit to Vernazza you can also visit the medieval tower of Belforte, which offers one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Cinque Terre, and visit the two beaches of the village, which are among the most beautiful of the Italian Riviera.

Interesting details

• Price: the entrance to observe the subway Christmas is free of charge.
• When: during Christmas Eve each year.
• Where: Vernazza, Cinque Terre.

If there is one thing Cinque Terre is not lacking, it is churches, so if you want to attend the traditional New Year's masses, you can do so in any of the villages of the region that you find yourself in. These masses are organized in the afternoon and evening of December 31 and aim to bless the beginning of the new period, so it is one of the most popular activities for tourists and also for locals.

The main and most visited of the churches on the Italian Riviera is that of St. John the Baptist, in Monterosso al Mare, which in the village is as well known as, if not better known than El Gigante. There, during the New Year's mass, a large number of visitors congregate and the convocation equals or even surpasses the town's patronal feasts, which you can enjoy if you plan to visit Cinque Terre in October.

Note that you can also participate in the New Year's masses in the churches of Vernazza, Corniglia, Riomaggiore and Manarola. Even Porto Venere, which is the sixth element among the region's towns, regularly joins in this Catholic tradition.

One of the main activities to do in December in Cinque Terre is deep sea fishing, an experience that you will find exciting if you are fond of nature and adventure excursions. Fishing activities are done during December because it is one of the migration seasons, so despite the adverse weather conditions, it can be very effective for fishermen.

To live a fishing experience in Cinque Terre you will have to coordinate with the fishermen of the area, who know the sea conditions, currents and tides. Although fishing is one of the central activities of commerce in the Italian Riviera, local fishermen often use artisanal methods, with small boats and traditional techniques that include hand-fishing for the largest prey.

This challenging experience will allow you to enjoy the natural beauty of the sea and fish for, among other species, anchovies, groupers, tuna, sardines and mollusks, such as prawns and clams.

Santa Lucia is one of Italy's most famous saints and, although her main celebration is in Sicily, every December 13 Italian cities organize parades and pilgrimages to worship the Christian martyr of Syracuse. In Cinque Terre the celebration takes place in churches and, if the weather is right, includes a fireworks display in the harbor.

The celebrations of Santa Lucia include reviews of the Christian faith of the martyr, masses in her honor, parish conferences and other activities, in addition to the parades and pilgrimages that are common in all the cities of Italy. In Monterosso al Mare the core of the celebrations is in the Church of St. John the Baptist.

Keep in mind that the celebrations of Santa Lucia usually take all day, so it may not be compatible if you have a short stay in the city planned. If that's your case, here's a list of things to do to discover Cinque Terre in 2 days.

For more than 2 months, Manarola becomes one of the epicenters of Christmas in Cinque Terre with its giant nativity scene, which is considered one of the largest in the world, and which is installed every year on the Hill of the Three Crosses, but during Christmas Eve the manger is the scene, also, of the fireworks of the city, which eclipse any other celebration of Cinque Terre.

This show is ideal if you plan to visit the region with children or family or if you want to live a different experience to know another profile of the city, illuminated by the lights of the crib, but also by the fireworks. During Christmas Eve, local residents and tourists from all the towns of Cinque Terre come to Manarola to watch this spectacle.

If you plan to visit the Italian Riviera in December, you can't miss the Manarola fireworks show, which is also one of the best things to do during the night in Cinque Terre.

Interesting details

• Price: the entrance to watch the fireworks show is free.
• When: on Christmas Eve every year.
• Where: Manarola, Cinque Terre.

Cinque Terre is a region of traditions and one of the most important is to toast the year with a glass of limoncello, which is a traditional liqueur made with lemon peels and known worldwide for its fresh and citric taste. In the Italian Riviera, moreover, its production is as or more important than that of Bianco DOC wine and canned anchovies.

Saying goodbye to the year by toasting with a glass of limoncello is not only a sign of good omens and gratitude for the season that is leaving, but also a way to pay tribute to the drink that is produced in an artisanal way, using age-old techniques and recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation and involve the area's lemons.

If you plan to visit Cinque Terre in November you will see that the main squares begin to fill with music and celebrations to bid farewell to the year and that limoncello is never absent from these festivities.

The only variation of this custom that you will find in Cinque Terre is that while in Vernazza limoncello is served in crystal glasses with ice, in Monterosso al Mare it is served in ceramic cups, but in all cases it is delicious, and very traditional to say goodbye to the year in style.

In December temperatures in Cinque Terre are very cold, reaching highs of 15 °C, lows of 6 °C and average temperatures of 11 °C, although at least it is a less rainy time than November.

Temperatures, on the Italian Riviera, often drop abruptly, so it is not uncommon for a relatively mild day to start raining or for the cold to take over. To avoid these weather changes altering your tour I advise you to always take a coat with you.

December is part of the low season in Cinque Terre, although it has an upturn in the number of tourists, since the Italian Riviera is one of the favorite places for tourists during Christmas, partly because of the number of attractions offered on the eve, as is the case of the giant crib of Manarola. However, you will find far fewer visitors than if you visit Cinque Terre in summer.

If you are fond of the cold or do not suffer from low temperatures, December is an ideal month to visit Cinque Terre with fewer tourists than during the rest of the year.

October and November are the cheapest months to visit Cinque Terre, but prices increase during December, as the Christmas season brings many visitors to the Italian Riviera, although by no means the costs are similar to those of the summer months, so although it is not the cheapest time of the year, it is not very expensive either.

If you're planning a budget trip, you can maximize discounts by booking tours and accommodations in advance online, which tend to offer better rates than when you shop at the last minute.

December is one of the coldest months of the year in Cinque Terre, although at least the rainfall is down a bit from November, so I advise you to pack the following in your suitcase:

• Comfortable shoes
• Thermal T-shirts
• Light coat
• Light pants
• Raincoat
• Mountain footwear
• Raincoat
• Wool sweaters
• Thermal socks