Cinque Terre · Italy
March
Early spring — the hillsides greening up, light improving, and still very few visitors.
Strong option
#5 of 12 months
There are better months for Cinque Terre — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
14°C
Low
7°C
Rain
88mm
Sun
5.1hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How March scores in Cinque Terre
Weather
Above average
Value
Outstanding
Crowds
Outstanding
Events
Average
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in March
- ↑The terraced vineyards above all five villages begin to show new growth in March and the lemon and citrus orchards are in blossom. The hillside walks that avoid the coastal trail — notably the routes above Corniglia and Manarola — are fully open and offer the Cinque Terre landscape at its freshest.
- ↑Restaurant owners are happy to see visitors and will recommend dishes and take time with guests in a way that is simply impossible in summer. The focaccia at Frantoio Rolla in Monterosso, the anchovies from Vernazza — this food is always good, but March is when you can actually appreciate it.
- ↑Prices remain very low in early March, rising only slightly by Easter (if it falls late). Early bookers get excellent value for accommodation that will triple or quadruple in price by August.
What you sacrifice
- ↓Rainfall is still significant at 88mm and the weather unreliable — a March trip should be planned around hiking and village exploration rather than a beach holiday. The Ligurian coast in early spring does not deliver swimming or sunbathing.
- ↓The main coastal trail (Sentiero Azzurro, Via 2) remains largely closed or restricted depending on the previous winter's erosion. Check the Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre website for current trail status before booking.
How March compares to May (best month)
| Factor | March | May ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 5 | 9 |
| Value | 9 | 7 |
| Crowds | 9 | 7 |
March in other destinations
Lisbon (16.6°C)Barcelona (15.8°C)Tokyo (13.8°C)Bali (30.8°C)Santorini (14.6°C)Paris (11.5°C)New York (9.7°C)Marrakech (22.3°C)Amsterdam (9.2°C)Maldives (30.8°C)Rome (15°C)Bangkok (34.3°C)Istanbul (11.6°C)Vienna (10.3°C)Seoul (9.6°C)Dubrovnik (13.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.7°C)Kyoto (14.3°C)Phuket (33°C)Cape Town (25.4°C)Prague (10°C)Amalfi Coast (15°C)Mexico City (26°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (12°C)Sydney (25°C)Iceland (4°C)Tulum (30°C)Dubai (29°C)Singapore (32°C)Hoi An (28°C)Chiang Mai (34.5°C)Miami (26.7°C)Florence (14.8°C)Queenstown (19.5°C)Madrid (15°C)Porto (17°C)Edinburgh (9°C)Copenhagen (7°C)Budapest (11°C)Kraków (9°C)Tbilisi (13°C)Palawan (31°C)Hanoi (22°C)Osaka (14°C)Goa (34°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (27°C)Mykonos (15°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (32°C)Costa Rica (27°C)Cancun (30°C)Krabi (34°C)Athens (16°C)Seville (21°C)Cartagena (32°C)Siem Reap (33°C)Havana (28°C)Split (14°C)Taipei (22°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (17°C)Ho Chi Minh City (35°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (11°C)Dominican Republic (29°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (24°C)Jordan (17°C)Azores (18°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (21.5°C)Cairo (25.1°C)Kenya (28.5°C)Jaipur (30.8°C)Las Vegas (22.5°C)San Francisco (15.1°C)Madeira (20.5°C)Vancouver (10.5°C)Muscat (31.5°C)Lima (26.4°C)Kotor (14°C)Tel Aviv (21°C)Santiago (27°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (10.1°C)Penang (33.1°C)Lombok (31.4°C)Cape Verde (26.5°C)Fez (19.5°C)Kerala (33°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (21°C)Oslo (5°C)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Cinque Terre, not across destinations. Methodology →