June brings 25°C daytime highs, 42mm of precipitation across about 4 wet days and 15.3 hours of daylight — best for reliable sunshine. The strongest run of the year is June to August. December is the quietest month: low-key and inexpensive, and still good for hiking, cycling and low-angle light.
Long-run climate normals for Cinque Terre. Month ratings compare months within Cinque Terre only — they are not a ranking of Cinque Terre against other destinations, and they are not a forecast for a specific year.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Best month | June — Reliable sunshine |
| Best 3-month window | June–August |
| Quietest month | December — fewest visitors |
| Driest month | July — 22mm |
| Wettest month | November — 175mm |
| Warmest / coolest | July 27°C / February 11°C |
| Seasonality | Strongly seasonal — the months feel like different places |
| Annual rainfall | 1200mm over roughly 96 rain days |
December gets roughly 210% more precipitation than June — 130mm against 42mm. That difference, more than temperature, is what changes how a day here feels.
Daytime highs only move 16°C across the whole year (11–27°C), so timing matters far less here than rainfall does.
June gives you 15.3 hours of daylight against just 8.7 in December — a 7-hour difference in how much you can actually fit into a day.
July is the driest month at 22mm across roughly 2 wet days, while November peaks at 175mm.
July is almost as good as June, but usually quieter and cheaper. If your dates are flexible, it is the easier trip.
Cinque Terre changes character completely through the year — June and December are effectively two different destinations. Pick the month that matches what you want to do, not the highest-rated one.
Ratings compare months within Cinque Terre, not against destinations worldwide: five stars means the best time to be here, not that Cinque Terre beats anywhere else. Tags describe what the conditions actually suit.
| Month | Rating | High / Low | Precipitation | Wet days | Sun | Daylight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ★★☆☆☆ | 11°C / 5°C | 120mm | 10 | 5h | 9h | Low-angle light · Quiet and local |
| February | ★★☆☆☆ | 11°C / 5°C | 95mm | 8 | 5h | 10.2h | Low-angle light · Quiet and local |
| March | ★★★☆☆ | 13°C / 7°C | 85mm | 7 | 5h | 11.7h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| April | ★★★☆☆ | 17°C / 10°C | 96mm | 8 | 6h | 13.3h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| May | ★★★★☆ | 21°C / 14°C | 72mm | 6 | 6h | 14.6h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| June | ★★★★★ | 25°C / 17°C | 42mm | 4 | 11h | 15.3h | Reliable sunshine |
| July | ★★★★★ | 27°C / 19°C | 22mm | 2 | 11h | 15h | Beach days · Swimming · Reliable sunshine |
| August | ★★★★★ | 27°C / 19°C | 46mm | 4 | 11h | 13.8h | Beach days · Swimming · Reliable sunshine |
| September | ★★★★☆ | 25°C / 17°C | 85mm | 7 | 11h | 12.3h | Reliable sunshine |
| October | ★★★☆☆ | 21°C / 14°C | 146mm | 13 | 10h | 10.7h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| November | ★★☆☆☆ | 17°C / 10°C | 175mm | 15 | 4h | 9.4h | Autumn colour · Low-angle light · Quiet and local |
| December | ★★☆☆☆ | 13°C / 7°C | 130mm | 11 | 3h | 8.7h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| You are planning | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun & beach days | July | 11h daily sunshine, 27°C highs and only 2 rain days. |
| City walking & sightseeing | May | 21°C highs with 14.6h of daylight — long days without heat fatigue. |
| Photography & light | July | 11h of sun and 15h daylight give the widest window for golden-hour work. |
| Value & fewer crowds | September | Scores 80/100 — close to peak conditions but outside the busiest window. |
| Cooler-weather travel | April | 17°C highs and 10°C nights suit anyone who dislikes heat. |
Each month in Cinque Terre is described from long-run climate normals and then rated relative to the other eleven months in the same city. A five-star January in a cold destination means January is one of the best times to be there — not that it beats a Mediterranean summer.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Described | Average daytime high and overnight low for the month, shown as measured rather than judged. |
| Precipitation | Described | Monthly millimetres and wet-day count, labelled as snow or rain/snow where temperatures make that the likely phase. |
| Sunshine & daylight | Described | Average daily sunshine hours and astronomical daylight length at mid-month, from the city’s latitude. |
| “Best for” tags | Derived | Applied only when the conditions genuinely support the activity — snow depth-friendly cold for skiing, 13–24°C and low rain risk for hiking, dark evenings at high latitude for aurora. A month with few strong use cases gets fewer tags rather than padded ones. |
| Star rating | Relative | Ranks the month against the other eleven months in the same city. Never a comparison between cities. |
Figures are long-run climate averages, not a forecast for a specific year. Where a month lacks sourced rainfall or humidity, the value is modelled from temperature range and rain frequency.
June is the best all-round month in Cinque Terre: 25°C highs, 42mm of precipitation and 15.3 hours of daylight, which suits reliable sunshine. The strongest three-month window is June to August.
December — 13°C highs, 130mm of precipitation over roughly 11 days and 8.7 hours of daylight. It is the cheapest and least crowded time to go, and it still works for hiking, cycling and low-angle light.
July is the driest month at 22mm over about 2 rain days, against 175mm in November. Across the year Cinque Terre records around 1200mm.
Yes, but the months are genuinely different trips. June suits reliable sunshine, while December suits hiking, cycling and low-angle light. Pick the month that matches what you want to do.
Daylight ranges from 8.7 hours in December to 15.3 hours in June, calculated from the city's latitude.