Hiking in Cinque Terre, Italy
These five sleepy villages took our Instagram feeds by storm and I can bet that many of you are thinking ”How can I visit this place? ”
Fear not, the Blue Trainers have been there and can guide you on your perfect Cinque Terre Trip.
The Notes
Recommended stay -: 3 days (Perfect for that bank holiday weekend.)
Best time to travel - Early Spring or Late Summer / Early Autumn. The weather will be nice enough to hike and depending when you go, you will avoid the crowds. Whatever you so, avoid August. It's when the Italians are on holiday
Best Airport to fly into - Genoa - easy train service to La Spezia which you can make your base
Accomodation - Air BnB.
Portoverne
The Blue Trainers recommended Route
La Spezia > Portoverne > Monterosso [boat]
Our original plan was to take a boat from La Spezia to Portoverne and then another one to Riomaggiore where we were going to start the hike. However, Mother Nature had other plans up her sleeve, so we had to get the ferry service to Monterosso and start our walk from there. It ended up being my favourite way to start the hike. Be sure to wander around the streets of all the villages because they are all unique in their way. Do visit the church in Portovenere up on a hill. It reminded me of the church scene in Mama Mia.
Monterosso > Vernazza [walk]
Time to walk - 2 hours
A reasonably easy hike with a small gradient and amazing views of the sea and your destination. Vernazza will peak-a-boo you but stay focused till you get there. Remember the gelato
La Spezia > Manarola > [train]
I had pre-booked the Pesto Making Course, which I highly recommend. My friend met up with me later on, and then we took on the beast that was the next walk.
Manarola > Corniglia. [walk]
Time to walk [1 hour] but ….
Ok, I didn’t know this before I did this walk, but I’m beautiful, so I’ll tell you. On this path, there are 377 steps. You are going up. Be prepared. I thought there were a few, by the time I got to the top, I couldn’t take another step. And then to get to the village, well what goes up must come down. I highly advise taking the shuttle back up the hill. Unless of course, you want the challenge. Out of all the gelatos that I had during this trip, this was probably the most well deserved one.
Manarola > Riomaggiore [ walk]
Time to walk [40 min]
The most romantic one of them all. Riomaggiore to me was stunning especially the view we had to watch the sunset. Don’t miss it. Just don’t miss any sunsets, especially in Italy. We were unable to walk it due to the landslides, so we had to get the train but if you are lucky and can walk it - do it.
Tips for hiking
If possible, start in the morning. It’s not as hot (depending on when you travel) and you’ll be comfortable while you walk.
Carry water with you 💦 . I made the mistake of not taking some with me, and I had to wait to get to the next village before I could find something to drink. Only once did I see a cute lemonade stand.
Use the toilet before you set off.
Take breaks. One of the paths is uphill, and you’ll find yourself going upstairs, and that was probably the hardest walk of them all. Taking breaks was crucial for my survival
Wear appropriate footwear. You will be ok with trainers, and I highly advise against wearing flip flops or sandals.
Gelato is a “you made it” treat.
I hope you find my guide to hiking in Cinque Terre helpful. Do let me know in the comments below if you’ve taken this trip and what you would add based on your experiences.
Much love xx