The Cinque Terre have become the very symbol of overtourism: capped trails, trains taken by storm and villages that struggle to breathe in summer. Yet the same landscape - colourful houses tumbling down to the sea, fishing harbours, stone and water - survives quietly elsewhere. Here is where to find it again, without the crush.
Cinque Terre in high season: → the alternatives below are far quieter.
Camogli and Boccadasse: two fishing harbours near Genoa, with pastel houses and beached boats, to experience authentic Liguria without the crush.
Not very crowded Jun 21, 2026
In a Ligurian bay reachable only on foot or by sea, the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, protected by the FAI, looks out over crystal-clear waters.
Not very crowded Jun 23, 2026
A Byzantine fortress on an islet off the Peloponnese: Monemvasia stays invisible until you round the final bend, into a maze of stone alleys.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026
On the Gulf of Corinth, Nafpaktos is a fortified Venetian harbour with walls that run down to the sea: quiet Greece with no queues.
Very quiet Jun 21, 2026
On the Mani peninsula in Greece, Vathia gathers its stone towers on a wind-battered hill, among almost deserted olive groves and sea.
Almost deserted Jun 21, 2026