Hiking Itay’s Cinque Terre
Walk from Riomaggiore to Monterosso along the Ligurian Coast
Enjoy the charms of N. Italy. This hike along the Mediterranean coastline takes you through the quaint towns of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso.
The Cinque Terre is a national park made up of five small towns and natural areas that are under protection from development. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and walking from town to town is a popular attraction. Here’s a guide to hiking the Cinque Terre.
The hike
The most popular way to hike is to start from Riomaggiore and end at Monterosso. But you can go the opposite way - or if you don’t feel like such a long hike you can end early at any of the towns and just take the train back. The hike is 18 kilometers, or 11 miles, and usually takes about five hours, but can take longer depending of how fit of a hiker you are. The paths between towns are well paved but you should wear good solid hiking or sturdy walking shoes anyway if you want to make it the whole distance. The hike is steep at times and you should be in decent shape if you want to do the hike.
Riomaggiore to Manarola
The hike starts from the train station at Riomaggiore. The walk here is called the Via dell’Amore or Lovers’ Way, probably because of the beautiful view from the cliffs overlooking the ocean inspire people to declare their love for each other. This part of the hike is short and easy, about 30 minutes until you reach Manarola.
Manarola to Corniglia
The path here winds inland and is steep at some points and should take about an hour. There are olive trees in the interior which have orange netting underneath the branches to catch the ripe olives. Right before the center of Corniglia is a set of very steep steps. Corniglia is a good stopping off point for lunch. Try one of the seafood specialty places that have great views from their dining rooms.
Corniglia to Vernazza
The path is fairly level with a few up and downs before reaching Vernazza. Duration is about 1.5 hours.
Vernazza to Monterosso
This is the longest and most strenuous part of the hike and should take about two hours. There are many steep up and downs and sometimes water on the pathway makes it slippery. Potential landslides here also make the path difficult. At the end of the hike you’ll pass by the beach so take a dip in the ocean or eat a well deserved gelato before catching the train back.
Getting there
Travel by train from nearby large cities Milan or Florence, but can be accessed from anywhere in Italy by train. And in the Cinque Terre itself the La Spezia train line links all five Cinque Terre towns.
For more on this hike click here.
For more on the Cinque Terre visit their website here.
