Village Coast or Island Glamour
The Cinque Terre feels handmade. Over centuries, farmers built thousands of miles of dry-stone walls to hold vineyards on near-vertical slopes. Fishing boats are still hauled up between the houses in tiny coves. Each village has its own character: Monterosso is the largest with a real sandy beach, Vernazza has a castle tower over its harbor, Manarola and Riomaggiore have the best evening views and Corniglia sits quietly on a ridge.
Capri feels cultivated. Crisp linen, leather sandals and couples lingering over Falanghina set the tone. Capri town is the social center, with the Piazzetta and the boutiques of Via Camerelle. Anacapri, higher up, is quieter and more village-like. The coastline is all limestone cliffs and grottoes rather than harbors.
If you picture yourselves arriving sweaty and happy in a village for a plate of pasta, the Cinque Terre is for you. If you picture an aperitivo in a pressed shirt with the sea stacks turning pink, choose Capri.
Getting There From the US
Neither has an airport, so the last leg is a train or a boat.
For the Cinque Terre, the closest airport is Pisa (PSA). Trains reach La Spezia in roughly an hour and a half. Local trains then stop at every village within a few minutes. Florence, Milan and Rome work too, with a longer train ride. Do not bring a car. Village centers are closed to traffic and parking is scarce.
For Capri, fly into Naples (NAP), which has had seasonal nonstops from the US in some summers. Otherwise fly into Rome and take the high-speed train to Naples, about 70 minutes. Hydrofoils run from Naples' Molo Beverello in about 50 minutes and from Sorrento in 20 to 25. On the island, a funicular climbs from Marina Grande to Capri town in about five minutes.
Capri's ferries can be canceled in strong wind. Leave a buffer before your international flight rather than catching the last boat the night before.
Best Months to Go
Both run on a season, with similar sweet spots.
In the Cinque Terre, May, June and September are best. Trails are dry, the sea is warm enough to swim by June and evenings are mild. July and August are hot and very crowded from late morning to late afternoon. October brings the grape harvest but more rain, which can close trails. Many restaurants and guesthouses shut from November to March.
Capri's hotels and beach clubs open around Easter and close by late October or early November. Late May through mid-June and the first three weeks of September give the best balance of warm sea and manageable crowds. July is hot, busy and glamorous. August is the peak of Italian holidays, with packed ferries and top room rates. April and October suit walking, but the water is cool.
For either, June or September is the safe bet. Avoid August if you can.
Guesthouses and Grand Hotels
This is the biggest difference between them.
The Cinque Terre's lodging is small. Expect rooms in converted village houses, family-run guesthouses and a handful of boutique hotels. Rooms tend to be simple for the price because demand is high and space is tight. Book one with a terrace or sea view if you can, since it becomes your evening living room. Many sit up long staircases with no elevator. Couples wanting more space sometimes stay in Levanto or Portovenere just outside the park.
Capri has some of Italy's most romantic hotels. Hotel Punta Tragara sits on a quiet bluff above the Faraglioni. Hotel Caesar Augustus clings to the cliffs in Anacapri. J.K. Place Capri has a stylish beach-house feel above Marina Grande. Grand Hotel Quisisana sits on Via Camerelle. Capri Palace Jumeirah in Anacapri is known for its spa. Smaller family-run guesthouses offer better value in both towns.
Confirm porter service on Capri. In the Cinque Terre, pack a soft bag you can carry up the steps.
The Bill
Capri is among the most expensive places in Italy. All figures are approximate. Its best-known hotels often start around $1,000 to $1,100 a night in season, with J.K. Place Capri nearer $2,000, with July and August higher still. Beach-club lunches, skippered boats and Piazzetta cocktails all charge for the view, which is the point.
The Cinque Terre is far easier on the budget. Rooms cost a fraction of Capri's grand hotels, though they are simple for what you pay. Meals are mostly trofie with pesto, fried anchovies and local white wine in small trattorias. The Cinque Terre Card bundles trail access with unlimited regional trains between Levanto and La Spezia, so getting around costs little. A private sunset boat is the main splurge.
On a two-week Italy trip, the Cinque Terre can balance a pricier stop elsewhere. Capri tends to be the stop everything else balances.
Hikes, Boats and Long Lunches
In the Cinque Terre, walking is the main event. The Blue Trail links all five villages along the coast. The stretch from Vernazza to Monterosso takes about two hours with stops. Start early. The Via dell'Amore between Riomaggiore and Manarola is a short, paved cliffside promenade, now one way with timed entry, so reserve a slot. Higher trails through the vineyards to hilltop sanctuaries are free and quiet. Hire a small boat with a skipper at sunset, or take the ferry to Portovenere.
On Capri, the boat comes first. Charter a skipper for a loop around the island, swimming in coves and floating through the arch beneath the Faraglioni. Try the Blue Grotto early, but treat it as a bonus since it closes in rough seas. Lunch at La Fontelina or Da Luigi ai Faraglioni on the rocks. Ride the single-seat chairlift up Monte Solaro. Walk the Pizzolungo path from the Arco Naturale in late afternoon.
The Cinque Terre suits couples who hike. Capri suits couples who swim and linger.
Eating in Liguria and the Bay of Naples
The Cinque Terre is the home of pesto. Order trofie al pesto and taste how different fresh Ligurian basil is from anything in a jar. Monterosso is known for anchovies, fried, marinated in lemon or baked with potatoes. Focaccia comes oiled and salty from every bakery, often for breakfast. The terraces produce a dry white Cinque Terre DOC. The rarer Sciacchetrà is a sweet amber wine worth tasting in Corniglia.
Capri gave the world insalata caprese: tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and good olive oil. Ravioli capresi are filled with local cheese and marjoram. Torta caprese, a flourless chocolate and almond cake, is the dessert to order. Finish with limoncello made from Sorrento lemons.
The Cinque Terre is simple food done very well. Capri is classic southern cooking with a glamorous setting. In summer, book dinner tables with a view a day or more ahead in both.
Can You Do Both?
You can, but they sit at opposite ends of Italy's west coast, so plan them as separate legs of a longer trip.
The train from La Spezia to Naples takes most of a day with a change in Florence or Rome. A natural two-week route: three nights in the Cinque Terre, then Florence or Tuscany, then Rome, then Capri for two or three nights, perhaps followed by the Amalfi Coast. Fly into Pisa or Milan and out of Naples or Rome on an open-jaw ticket.
Capri also pairs well with Positano or Ravello on the Amalfi Coast, a short boat ride away in season. The Cinque Terre pairs well with the Italian lakes or Portofino along the same Ligurian coast.
If you only have a week and want one coast, choose based on the hotel you want. A grand cliff hotel points to Capri. A terrace room above a harbor points to the Cinque Terre.
