Italy is a beautiful country with many great spots to visit. Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera is one such spot. Palermo, the regional capital of Sicily is another. If you are unsure wether you should visit Cinque Terre or Palermo, you have come to the right place! This article compares the two places for you and gives you the answer you were looking for, tailored to your preferences and needs. The two places are quite different with main activities that are hardly overlapping between each other. We have taken the time to compare them for you!
Palermo
Palermo is the capital of Sicily, which is a large Italian island in the Mediterranean. Palermo has a rich history with its founding dating back to the 8th century bc, some 2800 years ago. Palermo is a historical and cultural capital of the region and home to a large neoclassical Theater, the Teatro Massimo which is widely known for superb opera performances. There's also the 800 year old Palermo Cathedral, a magnificent achievement of architecture and construction as well as other culturally influential buildings like the 9th century royal palace Palazzo dei Normanni. Palermo also has many museums, like the Regional Archaeology Museum "Antonino Salinas" for example.
Palermo is also home to some rather hectic and busy markets including the central Ballaro street market and the Vucciria, near the port. Palermo is a great place to visit for anybody who wants to learn more about the local culture and the rich history of Sicily.
There is a wide range of things to do and foods to try and Palermo is a great home base to explore inland Sicily as well as other small costal towns nearby such as the magnificently charming little town of Cefalu.
Cinque Terre
Cinque Terre in Italian means "the five lands": And that is quite a fitting name as we shall see, because Cinque Terre is composed of five very beautiful historic seaside villages on the rugged coast of the Italian Riviera. The five villages are very picturesque and composed of colourful homes on the steep cliffs. They are nested inside vineyards which are placed around them on the rocky landscape. The harbors are full of tiny fishing boats, giving the local cuisine a strong sea food influence. The villages are connected by a beautiful hiking trail "Sentiero Azzurro" which offers amazing views over the ocean. In fact, we would recommend you experience Cinque Terre at sunset through one of our favourite local agencies which have curated an incredible sunset tour.
Cinque Terre is relaxed and quiet and an ideal place for relaxation. It is so beautiful, that photographs of the village are frequently used by companies to elevate their own products such as TV producers and we totally get why that is the case! Cinque Terre is a must visit for anybody who is into landscape photography and many famous photographers have Cinque Terre images in their portfolio.
Things to do in each place
Each place offers us many different things to do. In Palermo, we have first and foremost a rich history and old culture and the experiences that can be had here revolve largely around that: You want culture? Go to Palermo. You want to visit the Opera? Palermo has got you covered with the Teatro Massimo. Same goes for Museums: Palermo has some very good ones. Iy you're interested in history, Palermo is the better place. And if you want to go on the Mafia trail to visit the village of Corleone and see where the godfather was filmed (Yes!!! The place exists for real), you also have to come to Palermo.
Cinque terre is old with a long tradition and a lot of history as well but much smaller than Palermo. Kings never came here for long and there are no large cathedrals or opera houses. But therein lies the charm: Cinque Terre is small, very small as a matter of fact and thus the ideal choice for a romantic getaway for couples. Cinque Terre features beautiful Italian vibes and lends itself really well to photography. If you are seeking recovery and relaxation with some good food, this is the better place. Plus, it is a lot cleaner. Parts of Palermo, some of them even close to the historical city center can be very dirty with a lot of garbage on the street. That's not the case in Cinque Terre, which is very clean.
Which place is better for couples?
What’s better for couples? Palermo or Cinque Terre? We've eluded to this already in the section above about things to do in each place: Palermo, albeit nice is nowhere near as well suited for a romantic vibey getaway as the cozy little villages of Cinque Terre are. Many relationships had their spark rekindled here in the beautiful and romantic setting. Are you seeking romance with your partner? Then Cinque Terre is the better place for you.
Getting there
Palermo is much easier to reach than Cinque Terre. That's largely du to the fact, that it is a regional capital in Sicily. Palermo has its own airport and connections to most major European cities. American travellers can come here with usually only one layover and for most Europeans it is even easier to get to Palermo. The airport has very good connection to the city. A train leaves every 30 minutes from below the terminal and arrives in the city shortly thereafter.
Cinque Terre is harder to get to. It does not have its own airport (how would 5 small village end up with one?). We have the option to fly into Genoa Airport and then take a bus and train from there to Cinque Terre wit a travel time of 2 hours and 30 minutes or we fly into Florence Airport and travel onwards for 3 hours and 30 minutes by train. Keeping that in mind, it might be smart to combine a Cinque Terre visit with a visit to Florence or Genoa for anybody who comes in from very far away.
How long do you need?
How much time do you need in either place? Palermo can be thoroughly explored in a couple of days. We think 5 days is a good amount of time to spend in Palermo and we have written about how long to stay in Palermo before in great detail.
Cinque Terre is thoroughly explored in a similar amount of time. Overall, there's less to do here in total so you can get away with as little as three days if finding the time is an issue for you or maybe you want to see other parts of Italy. Staying five days in Cinque Terre makes the visit very relaxed and gives you plenty of time to explore the villages and the excellent local sea food.
For Foodies
Is Cinque Terre or Palermo better for foodies? Where can I find the better food? Well, that's a tough one. Palermo has incredible Pizza, maybe the best in all of Italy together with Napoli. If Pizza is your thing, you will love Palermo.
But Pizza is simple food and you might want it more refined? The seafood in Cinque Terre is out of this world. From tuna tartar to pasta with mussles, you cannot go wrong in a well rated local trattoria. Pro Tip: Check Google maps ratings and go to restaurants or trattorias with at least 4.2 stars and a decent sample size of more than 100 votes.
Better for a weekend
Which place is better to spend a weekend? Palermo, or Cinque Terre? The answer to that question depends on your needs. Do you want to immerse yourself in European culture? Or are you looking for relaxation in a cozy setting and maybe some scenic hiking through a beautiful coast line? If it's the former, Palermo is the better place to spend a weekend. For the latter, you're better off going to Cinque Terre.
Final thoughts for you
By now we get a picture of the two places. Now let's answer the question: Which place is better for you? The answer is Palermo, if you are looking for culture, history and a city to explore and if you want to explore Sicily on top. In contrast, the answer is Cinque Terre if you're looking for calm relaxation by the ocean, maybe in a romantic setting as a couple or if you like iconic photography. Cinque Terre is a must stop for Tuscany travellers too who want to explore the Italian riviera. So there you have it, the answer to your question: "Cinque Terre or Palermo?"
Why trust us?
Why trust iseeyoutravel? Only certified travel-holies are allowed to write content for us! This article was written by Jo and edited by Amy who both have written about traveling extensively and have been avid travelers for coming up on two decades!