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 won't be able to go swimming, although you will still see a lot of tourists in the streets and many more decorations than in summer, because Christmas is a special time on the Italian Riviera and the towns along the coast show off all their attractions.

Some of the best things to see and do in Cinque Terre in December include visiting the Manarola nativity scene, which is considered the largest in the world, experiencing the underwater Christmas in Vernazza, taking part in the Santa Lucia celebrations, enjoying the fireworks and toasting the year with limoncello, one of the region's signature drinks.

Cinque Terre is one of Italy's most popular Christmas destinations, and much of its charm lies in the decorations on the streets of the Italian Riviera, which are filled with lights and figures on Christmas Eve, as well as giant trees in the main squares of the villages.

Monterosso al Mare and Riomaggiore are the towns with the most decorations in general, but all the towns in Cinque Terre stand out for their lights and ornaments. Manarola also has a nativity scene that is considered the largest in the world.

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

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

Every year this crib includes more than 300 silhouettes of historical characters, some of which are up to 3 metres high, such as the shepherds, sheep and farmers, who stand out as the symbols of Christmas. The Christ Child and the comet are placed at the top of the crib, which is also where the brightest lights are located.

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

Interesting details

• Price: you can visit the crib for free.
• When: every year from December 8th 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 alike, 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 main square area where you can find regional products and handicrafts.

Among the Cinque Terre Christmas markets, 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 La Spezia' s most famous local productions.

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 December in Vernazza featuring a wide variety of opera performances, solo concerts and chamber music which is very popular with tourists and local residents and is 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 enjoy not only the concerts but also the activities afterwards. The performances take place at various venues in Vernazza, including the parish church, Doria Castle and the main square.

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

Interesting details

• 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 coast of the town and involves a group of divers diving into the sea to place a Christmas tree and a series of decorations on an area of the sea bed. The divers then illuminate the decorations with underwater lights.

This particular Christmas celebration aims to promote the importance of the sea in Vernazza and to show the beauty of the coast. In addition, on Christmas Eve, the birth of the baby Jesus is celebrated in the water, and 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 the Cinque Terre, and walk along the two beaches of the village, which are among the most beautiful on the Italian Riviera.

Interesting details

• Price: entrance to see the underground Christmas is free of charge.
• When: On Christmas Eve each year.
• Where: Vernazza, Cinque Terre.

If there is one thing Cinque Terre is not short of, it is churches, so if you want to attend the traditional New Year's masses, you can do so in any of the region's villages. These masses are organised in the afternoon and evening of 31 December and are aimed at blessing the beginning of the new period, making it one of the most popular activities for tourists and locals alike.

The main and most visited church on the Italian Riviera is that of St. John the Baptist in Monterosso al Mare, which is as well known in the village as, if not better known than, El Gigante. There, during the New Year's mass, a large number of visitors congregate and the attendance equals or even surpasses the town's patron saint festivities, 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 largest of 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 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.

For a fishing experience in Cinque Terre you will have to coordinate with the local fishermen who know the sea conditions, currents and tides. While fishing is one of the core activities of commerce on the Italian Riviera, local fishermen tend to 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 molluscs such as prawns and clams.

Saint Lucia is one of Italy's most famous saints, and although her main celebration is in Sicily, every December 13th Italian cities organise 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 harbour.

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

Note that Santa Lucia celebrations tend to take all day, so it may not be compatible if you are planning a short stay in the town. If that is your case, here is a list of things you can do to discover Cinque Terre in 2 days.

For more than 2 months, Manarola becomes one of the epicentres of Christmas in Cinque Terre with its giant crib, considered one of the largest in the world, which is set up every year on the Cerro della Tre Croce, but on Christmas Eve the crib is also the setting for the town's fireworks, which outshine any other Cinque Terre festivities.

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

If you are planning to visit the Italian Riviera in December, you cannot 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 of charge.
• When: on Christmas Eve each 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 from lemon peel and known worldwide for its fresh, citrus flavour. In the Italian Riviera, moreover, its production is as or more important than that of Bianco DOC wine and canned anchovies.

To bid farewell to the year with a glass of limoncello is not only a sign of good omens and gratitude for the season to come, but also a way of paying homage 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 that involve the local 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 the 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.

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 less rainy than November.

Temperatures on the Italian Riviera tend to drop abruptly, so it is not uncommon for a relatively mild day to start raining or for the cold to take hold of the town. To avoid these weather changes altering your tour, it is advisable to always carry a coat.

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

If you are a fan of the cold or don't 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 rise during December as the Christmas season brings many visitors to the Italian Riviera, but costs are nowhere near as high as during the summer months, so while it is not the cheapest time of the year, it is not very expensive either.

If you're planning a budget trip, you can maximise discounts by booking tours and accommodation in advance online, which tend to offer better rates than last-minute shopping.

December is one of the coldest months of the year in Cinque Terre, although at least the rainfall is a little less than in November, so I advise you to pack the following:

• Comfortable shoes
• Thermal T-shirts
• Light jacket
• Lightweight trousers
• Mackintosh
• Mountain footwear
• Mackintosh
• Woollen jumpers
• Thermal socks