Monterosso al Mare · Cinque Terre
Ghibli is one of the last working fishing boats in Monterosso. She fishes in spring and autumn; in summer, to help protect the fish stocks, Captain Benedetto — forty years at sea — takes guests out along the Cinque Terre instead. Swim stops. Cold drinks. No crowds. All prices include fees.
No prepayment · Free cancellation up to 24 h before · Life jackets on board
Choose your passage
Every journey is a one day trip — small, personal and open to the weather. Pick the shape of the day; the skipper confirms the details.
Duration2 hours
A two-hour private boat tour of all five Cinque Terre villages aboard a real Ligurian fishing boat — Vernazza's harbour, Corniglia's vineyard cliffs, Manarola's stacked colours and Riomaggiore's ravine, all seen from the water. A swim and snorkel stop along the way when the sea is calm, with masks and cold drinks on board — up to six guests, departing Monterosso at ten each morning.
From€400whole boat · fees included
Duration3 hours
A private three-hour tour tracing the full Cinque Terre coastline aboard a real Ligurian fishing boat, with close to an hour set aside for swimming and snorkeling in sheltered coves. Captain Benedetto, forty years at sea out of Monterosso, times the two o'clock departure for the warmest water and the softest afternoon light. Snorkel masks and life jackets are provided for every guest — private for up to six, from €550, departing Molo dei Pescatori.
From€550whole boat · fees included
Duration2 hours 30 minutes
The most affordable way aboard Ghibli — a shared, golden-hour sailing from Monterosso with swim and snorkel stops in two sheltered coves and wine poured on deck as the light turns. Two and a half hours, up to seventeen guests, one hundred euros per person. Masks and life jackets aboard, no prepayment, free cancellation up to twenty-four hours before departure.
From€100per guest · fees included
Durationabout 5 hours
Ghibli's longest and most complete day at sea — a private boat tour from Monterosso covering the whole Cinque Terre coast and Portovenere's Gulf of Poets, with a swim and snorkel stop at Byron's Grotto, a pass through Palmaria's Blue Grotto, and real time ashore walking Portovenere's old town and Doria castle. Up to six guests, about five hours, Captain Benedetto at the helm.
From€850whole boat · fees included
The sea today
Along the route
The Cinque Terre — and Portovenere beyond them — as you meet them from the water.
The largest of the Cinque Terre — and the only one with a true beach.
The natural harbour — many call it the most beautiful of the Cinque Terre.
The quiet one — high on the cliff, among the vineyards.
Perhaps the oldest — and the most photographed.
Where the day ends — the easternmost village.
The sixth stop — the Church of San Pietro on the rock, and the open sea beyond Cinque Terre.
Guest log
“This was a great way to see Cinque Terre. Our captain was terrific — personable, patient and informative. A local with many insights.”
“Great experience! Stopped at multiple spots to swim. Perfect water, a lot of fish — ideal for snorkelling. Also served wine and focaccia. Highly recommend!”
“The entire experience was simple and straightforward with great communication before and during the tour.”
From the quay
Ghibli is a working fishing boat from Monterosso. In summer we leave the nets and take you along the Cinque Terre coast — the Cinque Terre from the water, the quiet coves, and the stories of a captain with over forty years at sea.
Read more: Welcome aboard GhibliThere isn't a wrong hour to be on the water off Monterosso, but the four tours read differently depending on when Ghibli leaves Molo dei Pescatori.
Read more: Best time of day for a Cinque Terre boat tour from MonterossoPacking for a few hours on Ghibli is simpler than most guests expect, mostly because the boat already carries the things people worry about forgetting.
Read more: What to bring on a private boat tour from MonterossoPortovenere sits just past the edge of the Cinque Terre proper, at the mouth of the Gulf of Poets, and reaching it by boat from Monterosso is the only way to take in both the five villages and this older, stranger corner of the coast in a…
Read more: Monterosso to Portovenere by boat: a day in the Gulf of PoetsGhibli fishes. Not as a story told to guests, not as a detail on a laminated card handed round before departure — in spring and autumn, when the tour season quiets, the boat goes back out for the reason it was built: to fish this stretch…
Read more: Why Ghibli is a working fishing boat, not a tourist boatThe Cinque Terre is better known for its trail than its water, but the coastline underneath the villages holds its own — clear water, rock rather than sand, and coves that are only reachable by boat, which keeps them quieter than anything…
Read more: Where to snorkel in the Cinque Terre: the best coves along the coastThe boat
A working fisherman's boat, a local captain, and the Cinque Terre seen from the water.
Ghibli is a working Ligurian fishing boat, not a tourist launch — Captain Benedetto has fished this stretch of the Cinque Terre coast for forty years and now runs it out of Molo dei Pescatori in Monterosso al Mare. Four private and shared boat tours follow the water he has always known: past Vernazza's harbour, Corniglia's vineyard cliffs, Manarola's stacked houses, and Riomaggiore's ravine, with snorkel masks and life jackets aboard on every departure. Inside the Marine Protected Area the engine drops to five knots near shore, so the boat runs slow and quiet past the villages and stops to swim and snorkel wherever the sea is calmest that day.
Meet the captain
The living atlas
The Cinque Terre from the water, then the long turn to Portovenere: terraces, harbours, and the Church of San Pietro on the rock.
The wake begins atMolo dei Pescatori, Monterosso al Mare
Before you board
Private tours take up to 6 guests and shared departures up to 17 — so it's best to book ahead, especially in peak season.
No need to pay in advance — book in a moment, then settle with your skipper at the pier before departure.
Cancellation is free of charge up to 24 hours before departure. Within 24 hours, the booking is binding.
If sea conditions aren't safe, the trip is called off and you rebook or cancel free of charge — the skipper decides no later than 4 hours before departure, based on the marine forecast and harbour conditions.
At Molo dei Pescatori, Monterosso al Mare.
Aim to be at Molo dei Pescatori, Monterosso al Mare about 10–15 minutes before your departure time.
Yes — life jackets for every guest are on board, as required for the trip.
Yes — the tour includes time to swim in clear water, so bring your swimwear and a towel.
Comfortable clothes and shoes you don't mind getting a little wet, plus a hat and sunglasses for the sun.
Your own sun cream is a good idea — the glare off the water is strong even on a mild day.
Choose your passage
2 hours
From €400
3 hours
From €550
2 hours 30 minutes
From €100
about 5 hours
From €850
Your coast, your pace
Book now — no prepayment. If the sea has other plans, you rebook or cancel free of charge.
DepartureMolo dei Pescatori, Monterosso al Mare
