Early March 1 March
57°F
Typical afternoon high
32% historical wet-day frequency
Italy · Beach
Liguria & the Cinque Terre
in March.
Is March a good time?
Mild days.
More overnight stays than February.
March averages 60°F afternoons and 57°F seas, with about 7 rain days. Later March is typically warmer.
- Afternoons
- 60°F
- Sea
- 57°F
- Visitor demand
- 25%of August peak
Historical Liguria regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Cinque Terre, Genoa and Portofino; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
6.2/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#8 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather4.2/10Fair
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, busier than most of Europe this month
CostModeratefor Europe; Italy-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your March
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 60°F (16°C): light layers; nights around 45°F (7°C): a warm coat. About 12 hours of daylight. About 7 rain days in a typical March.
Can I swim in March?
The sea averages 57°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 12 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 06:40 and sets about 18:30 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 45°F (7°C); afternoons reach about 60°F (16°C). Expect rain on about 7 days in a typical March.
Typical afternoon
60°F (16°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Marches
Night low
45°F (7°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
57°F (14°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
11h 50m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late March?
Late March is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 57°F on the 1st, versus 64°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 32% to 23% between those dates.
Mid March 15 March
60°F
Typical afternoon high
23% historical wet-day frequency
Late March 31 March
64°F
Typical afternoon high
23% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Public holidays · 2027: 29 Mar Easter Monday.
Daily calendar & holiday datesMarch 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
March 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 157° | 257° | 357° | 457° | 558° | 658° | 758° |
| 859° | 959° | 1059° | 1159° | 1260° | 1360° | 1460° |
| 1560° | 1660° | 1761° | 1861° | 1961° | 2061° | 2161° |
| 2261° | 2362° | 2462° | 2562° | 2662° | 2763° | 2863° |
| 2963° | 3063° | 3164° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
Afternoons warm from about 57°F (14°C) in the first week to 63°F (17°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 22–32%. Local schools are out 25–30 March 2027.
Schools here are off 25–30 March 2027 (Easter holidays). Public holidays: 29 Mar Easter Monday. Elsewhere in March 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 27%, Spain 30%, France 10%, Netherlands 38%. (School holidays: official calendar, compiled by Bigfoot Wanders; other countries from OpenHolidays, ODbL.)
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Low season. March averages 25% of August's overnight stays per day. More overnight stays than February.
Overnight stays across Liguria do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, busier than most of Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
Well below usual. The regional index has no room-rate baseline in euros.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Italy as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 107 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
The hotel-season index is regional (ISTAT, NIC consumer price index for accommodation services (ECOICOP 112), by region); the country price level is national. Neither is a room quote.
Year-to-year variation
How much does March vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 55°F (13°C) and 64°F (18°C); in 11 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 60°F (16°C). Rain days ranged from 2 to 17; half the years had 5–11.
Rain days in each March
Rain days
7
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 15 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
9 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no March in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
10 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MarchHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 58°F | 11 |
| 2012 | 63°F | 5 |
| 2013 | 55°F | 17 |
| 2014 | 62°F | 7 |
| 2015 | 61°F | 8 |
| 2016 | 59°F | 7 |
| 2017 | 64°F | 6 |
| 2018 | 56°F | 15 |
| 2019 | 62°F | 4 |
| 2020 | 60°F | 6 |
| 2021 | 61°F | 2 |
| 2022 | 60°F | 4 |
| 2023 | 62°F | 6 |
| 2024 | 62°F | 14 |
| 2025 | 61°F | 11 |
Checked against official climate averages for Genova Sestri. How we check
Compare dates
February, March
or April?
| Typical conditions | Feb | Mar | Apr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 55°F | 60°F | 66°F |
| Sea | 57°F | 57°F | 60°F |
| Rain days | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Overnight demand | 20% | 25% | 43% |
February: Cooler afternoons than March. Less overnight demand. February guide →
April: Warmer afternoons and warmer sea than March. More overnight demand. April guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with March Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. March stays as your reference.
April to October have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than March, but more overnight stays.
Your comparison
March or February?
Overnight stays are 20% of the busiest month.
Historical regional hotel-price season: well below usual. There is no room-rate baseline in euros.
Read the February guide →| Typical conditions | March | February |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 60°F | 55°F |
| Nights | 45°F | 41°F |
| Sea | 57°F | 57°F |
| Rain days | 7 | 8 |
| Visitor season | Low season | Low season |
| Overall / 10 | 6.2 | 4.5 |
| Month rank | #8 | #11 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.1 | #12 | 53°F | 40°F | 58°F | 8 | 2.1 | Low season |
| February | 4.5 | #11 | 55°F | 41°F | 57°F | 8 | 2.5 | Low season |
| March | 6.2 | #8 | 60°F | 45°F | 57°F | 7 | 4.2 | Low season |
| April | 6.7 | #7 | 66°F | 50°F | 60°F | 6 | 6.0 | Moderate season |
| May | 6.9 | #6 | 71°F | 56°F | 64°F | 8 | 7.2 | Moderate season |
| June | 7.4 | #1 | 80°F | 64°F | 72°F | 5 | 9.1 | Busy season |
| July | 7.3 | #2 | 84°F | 68°F | 77°F | 4 | 9.9 | Peak season |
| August | 6.9 | #5 | 85°F | 68°F | 78°F | 5 | 9.7 | Peak season |
| September | 7.2 | #3 | 78°F | 63°F | 75°F | 6 | 9.0 | Busy season |
| October | 7.0 | #4 | 69°F | 56°F | 70°F | 10 | 6.6 | Moderate season |
| November | 5.7 | #9 | 60°F | 48°F | 65°F | 10 | 3.7 | Low season |
| December | 4.8 | #10 | 55°F | 42°F | 61°F | 8 | 2.8 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby places in March
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
PiedmontItaly · about 70 miles
Balanced Overall 7.3 · Good weather, 58°F (15°C) · Moderate season · Cost moderate
Milan, Lake Como & LombardyItaly · about 110 miles
Balanced Overall 7.5 · Very good weather, 59°F (15°C) · Moderate season · Cost moderate
French Riviera & ProvenceFrance · about 130 miles
Balanced Overall 6.6 · Good weather, 61°F (16°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Venice & the VenetoItaly · about 180 miles
Balanced Overall 6.2 · Fair weather, 59°F (15°C) · Low season · Cost moderate
Lyon & the French AlpsRhône-Alpes · France · about 180 miles
Balanced Overall 6.3 · Good weather, 58°F (14°C) · Moderate season · Cost pricey
Elsewhere in Europe
Better March weather than Liguria & the Cinque Terre
Liguria & the Cinque Terre's weather ranks 35 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Italy have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Liguria & the Cinque Terre.
Mallorca & the BalearicsSpain · about 440 miles
Good weather (6.5): 4°F warmer afternoons
Valencia & the Costa BlancaSpain · about 580 miles
Good weather (6.8): 7°F warmer afternoons, 3 fewer rain days, busier for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Maltaabout 650 miles
Very good weather (7.3): 4°F warmer afternoons, busier for its season (busy season), cheaper
MurciaSpain · about 680 miles
Very good weather (7.2): 8°F warmer afternoons, 2 fewer rain days, busier for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Western Greeceabout 780 miles
Good weather (5.3): 3°F warmer afternoons, 3 more rain days
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's low season, 25% of the busiest month and 45% below its average month. That means about 24,000 overnight visitors on a typical March night across the region, 64% of them from Italy itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 8,000 more: 33 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 56 |
| How our weather was checked | Official climate averages for Genova Sestri from the national weather service, every month: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.7°C), night lows within 2°F (1.0°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 16 |
| Busiest month here | August · 63 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 1.6% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 78th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 64% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 33 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 2.1% |
| Regional hotel-price season | Well below usual (−13% vs this region's average month). Historical index from ISTAT, NIC consumer price index for accommodation services (ECOICOP 112), by region; no euro room-rate baseline. |
| Population used | 1.5 million |
| Statistical region | ITC3 · Liguria |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national; the first figure is regional (ISTAT, NIC consumer price index for accommodation services (ECOICOP 112), by region). Full method · this region's data.