Every tourist in Italy hears, at one time or another, about a hike through the Cinque Terre. These are five small fishing villages, close to the border between Liguria and Tuscany, which amaze the whole world with their colorful buildings installed on a relief almost sheer above the Mediterranean. Small problem: victims of their success, they become so crowded with tourists in season that it becomes difficult to move around in their streets! So I recommend three tips to make the most of your trip to the Cinque Terre:
- Favor the shoulder seasons: in April-May or October, the climate is mild and the crowds are much smaller.
- Take the train: Don't even try to go by car. The very convenient train line starts from La Spezia and serves all the villages. Plus you have magnificent views of the sea (when the train briefly comes out of the many tunnels).
- Hiking in the Cinque Terre: that's the subject of this article! As soon as you leave the villages, there is almost no one on the trails, even though the view is magnificent. It must be said that it is quite steep...
Due to a certain lack of maintenance (but also because it passes along the edge of a cliff), the “official” path connecting the villages has collapsed in many places, becoming impassable. Never mind: even prettier alternatives are possible, you just need to have good legs! The hike I describe here starts from the village of Riomaggiore, the first one coming from La Spezia. It is very flexible, because each village has its own train station: it is thus possible to finish your itinerary in any of them.
From Riomaggiore to Manarola: first stage of the Cinque Terre hike
When you get off the train, you can take the tunnel to visit the village in the early morning. It will probably be less crowded than the rest of the day, so take advantage of it. It is possible to swim on the beach on the far left of the village.
When you feel ready to attack, head to the back of the village and take a staircase that starts steeply uphill. The idea is to leave as early as possible: this is the hottest part of the route, well exposed to the South, and from the end of April it can start to get hot. But the landscape that unfolds in the middle of the vineyards is superb.
After this tough climb, we arrive at a viewpoint where the entire coast of the Cinque Terre can be seen, up to Monterosso, the end point of the hike.
You can then go back down the path (less steep on this side) to the village of Manarola. Once again, you can take the time to visit the village and why not a quick swim before tackling the rest. Personally, I find that Manarola is the most beautiful of the villages, so be sure to enjoy all the views you can get while walking through the streets (the one towards the cemetery is worth a look).
From Manarola to Corniglia
The cliff edge path is also closed, so you will have to climb from Manarola to a small village that is not part of the Cinque Terre, but is as pretty as anything: Volastra. The path once again passes through the vineyards, climbing quite steeply.
Just after Volastra there is a magical place where I recommend stopping. It is a kind of bar in the middle of the vineyards, which sells locally produced wine which honestly isn't bad. Okay, the price is high, but enjoying a glass of wine with such a view is something you won't forget.
The trail then continues along the slopes of the terraced vineyards, sheer above the sea. This is my favourite part of the Cinque Terre hike. The trail is easy, so you can indulge in the contemplation of this superb landscape at your leisure. Finally, you enter the woods and arrive on a gentler descent to the village of Corniglia. Unlike the others, it is not directly on the seafront but higher up. You absolutely have to go to the very end of the village, where the view from the small square is sensational.
From Corniglia to Vernazza
We then finally continue along the “official” path connecting the Cinque Terre. It is supposed to be paid, which could be justified if they used this money to maintain the path, but in view of the above I doubt it very much. In my opinion it is more a case of robbing tourists. In any case, the two times I went there, there was no one at the little booth to charge: another advantage of only going there in the off-season.
The path is quieter and generally remains on the hillside. There are fewer superb viewpoints, but you pass through a pretty forest and can admire beautiful properties along the way. Finally we arrive at Vernazza, where (for once) a well-deserved swim awaits us.
From Vernazza to Monterosso: last stage of the hike in Cinque Terre
Finally, it is also possible to continue to the last of the Cinque Terre villages, Monterosso. I have not done this part but it should also follow the “official” path. If you have done it, feel free to describe it in the comments!
If you like hiking and you are in the area, why not take a trip to the Apuan Alps? This is an extremely wild part of the Apennines, which I love. Take a look for example at my hiking around Monte Matanna !
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