The Italian coastal region of Cinque Terre is a summer hot-spot, but in the winter takes on a completely different feel. Today we’re celebrating Christmas by the sea with Ruth Manfredi, our resident Cinque Terre expert reporting from the village of Vernazza:
The Start of the Festive Season
“If you’ve ever wondered what Christmas feels like in a tiny Italian seaside village, let me share a glimpse from my little stone house perched above the Mediterranean, overlooking Vernazza’s pastel rooftops. While summer in the Cinque Terre is all about sun-drenched piazzas, coastal hikes, and swimming in the sea, winter brings something quieter and wonderfully magical.
December begins slowly. Tourists thin out, the sea turns silvery, and late-afternoon sunsets wash the sky in pink and orange. It’s the perfect season for hiking empty trails high above the water, where the only sounds are waves, birds, and the wind.”
“The Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 officially marks the start of Christmas. In the Cinque Terre, that means the lighting of Manarola’s famous Presepe, or Nativity scene. With live music and fireworks, the village gathers to celebrate as hundreds of lights illuminate the terraced Tre Croci hillside.
Manarola’s illuminated Nativity is the largest in the world, featuring 250 handmade figures nestled among vineyards overlooking the village. Begun 64 years ago by local resident Mario Andreoli, it’s still lovingly maintained by volunteers and shines nightly from early December through mid-January.”
Cinque Terre Christmas Traditions
“What I love most about Christmastime here isn’t just the spectacle, it’s the sense of community. This is a season for lingering conversations with neighbors, wine producers, shopkeepers, and restaurateurs, the people who give the Cinque Terre its soul.
Small traditions are everywhere. Families display presepi in churches, shop windows, alleyways, and even inside old wooden fishing boats called gozzi. Nearly every home has a family Nativity, often passed down from a beloved nonna. Decorations go up around the Immacolata and stay through the Epiphany on January 6.”
Christmas by the Sea
Christmas Eve is the heart of the holiday. Families gather at home or at favorite local restaurants for a seafood-filled feast. Anchovies from Monterosso are served salted, fried, stuffed, or marinated in lemon. You might also find baccalà or the elaborate Ligurian classic Cappon Magro.
Pasta is essential, often served with fresh pesto on trofie, trenette, or gnocchi, or as spaghetti alle vongole. The main course might be a whole baked fish prepared alla ligure with potatoes, taggiasca olives, pine nuts, and local olive oil, or a platter of fried seafood or grilled scampi.
Dessert always follows with homemade buccellato, panettone, or pandoro followed by a glass of Sciacchetrà, Cinque Terre’s treasured local passito wine.
Christmas Day itself is peaceful and reflective. With most restaurants closed, the villages slow down. People stroll along the sea and meet for a chat in the piazza. After 30 years here, I’ve grown to love this softer side of the Cinque Terre. It is a reminder that even in one of Italy’s most visited places, community comes first.
If you’re dreaming of a different kind of Christmas, one lit by terraced vineyards and accompanied by the sound of waves, the Cinque Terre might be just the place.
If you’d like to get to know this more intimate, authentic side of the Cinque Terre, join Ruth next year for a fantastic week exploring the Ligurian coast – check out all the details here.
All images courtesy of Ruth Manfredi
