Hiking the Cinque Terre

Our hike of the Cinque Terre started at Monterosso. After taking the ferry ride we paused for a few hours to sample the Ligurian Sea.
The two largest beaches with beach clubs providing chaise lounges and umbrellas for those wishing to rent cover much of the area. But, there is a small area where you can just put your towel on the beach and hop in for a quick swim. We chose the beach in front of the historic town. To reach the “Fegina” (resort beach) you walk through the tunnel right next to the dock. There are a changing/rest rooms right near the dock where, for 1€, you can change in or out of your suit. The salt water felt good on our feet. Jeff and I ventured in a swim, while Nancy watched from the shore.








Bob was off checking out the town and getting us water for the hike.





The sun was already fairly high when we started our hike. The first part is the most rigorous, and we stared almost immediately hiking up hill.

Beautiful vistas provided those much need pauses to take pictures.

Some of us loved just looking out to sea.

Others relished the multitude of wild flowers. And Bob, of course, scouted out the berry bushes.

It took us about two hours to reach Vernazza, the second town in the Cinque Terra chain.
In Vernazza, we stopped for a light lunch and something cool to drink. While there we ran into an older couple from New Zealand who had traveled on the ferry with us. They had gotten off at Riomaggiore and were taking the train between towns and then would take the ferry back to La Spezia. We made a group of six for lunch, resting our legs and swapping stories.
Time became an issue, and the trail between Vernazza and Corniglia was almost as rigorous as the first part of the trail. We opted for the train.
Getting off the train in Corniglia you either take a shuttle bus up to the town, or “Lardarina” (a staircase of 33 flights with 377 stairs) ….or you keep hiking. We chose to keep hiking. The smallest of the Cinque Terra towns Corniglia sits high on a bluff. It was once a Roman village and its surrounding hill a full of vineyards which date back to that time. Corniglia is also home to the Ligurian Gothic church of San Pietro which I hope to visit on my next trip.
After Corniglia there is less climbing among the vineyard and more hiking along the sea coast.


This path to Manarola is designated “Difficoltà lieve” (Low Difficulty). It stays fairly level until just before Manarola where you gradually ascend to a point above the town giving hikers a spectacular entrance. Manarola is colourful historic village where the houses seem to come out of the rocks of the long, narrow marina. Things to see there include the gothic 1338 “Church of San Lorenzo” and the Oratory of “Santissima Annuziata.”
The last part of the trail is called La Via dell'Amore and is categorized as “Difficoltà nessuna” (Not difficult). This is a walk everyone should try who comes to the Cinque Terra. Our 80 year old friends from New Zealand did. Paved and essentially flat this one kilometer “Lovers Walk” from Manarola to Riomaggiore was a perfect way to end our hike.