Le Cinque Terre in Liguria sono costituite da cinque paesi: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglio, Vernazza e Monterosso. Ogni anno molte persone percorrono i vari sentieri che collegano i paesi. La scrittrice Diana Lucarino-Diekmann descrive le tre volte in cui ha camminato sulle piste. I sentieri attraversano sempreverdi, querce, ginepri e un rifugio per gatti. C’è anche un treno che collega i paesi. Lucarino-Diekmann suggerisce non solo di camminare sulle piste ma anche di prendere autobus gratuiti per chi non vuole o non può camminare tutte le piste, di usare i bagni gratuiti nelle stazioni del treno, di prendere un gelato, e di bere un Aperol sprit.
I have loved walking since my very first steps as a toddler and my trips to Italy now revolve around invigorating walks, mountain stair climbs and hikes on varying terrain where the unique landscape offers opportunities for easy to challenging hikes but always with incredible views.
Cinque Terre, a national park in Liguria in the northwest of Italy, consists of five famous villages known for the trails that connect them. The Sentiero Azzurro, or Blue Trail, which runs along the sea, is shorter and easier with spectacular views of the sea and villages. There are also longer and more circuitous hiking trails which are further up the mountainous terrain with a beauty of their own as they traverse olive groves and vineyards reaching the tops of the many hills.
A famous trail in Cinque Terre is the “Via dell’Amore” (“Path of Love”) which is the road connecting the town of Riomaggiore to Manarola. The Via dell’Amore had been closed since September 2012 after a landslide that injured four tourists. It is a vertical 2,950-foot panoramic route overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea in Liguria beginning at Riomaggiore, the southernmost city of Cinque Terre.
This one-way trail, one of the most iconic and “romantic” trails, reopened for tourists on August 9, 2024, after a long and arduous refurbishment. This trail was excavated through hard rock and winds along the face of the rock that hangs over the sea. It is a short and easy path and takes around 20 minutes. Its history dates to the beginning of the 20th century when a footpath was needed by railroad workers constructing the tunnel between these two villages. Legend holds that it became a meeting place for lovers from the two cities, hence the name, Via dell’Amore.
The Blue Trail from Manarola to Corniglio has also been closed due to a landslide in 2010. Heavy rain and more landslides have kept it closed until, we hope, May 2025. The first 950 feet beginning in Manarola is open and takes you to a spectacular panoramic viewing point, but no further. If you would like to take the higher path from Corniglia via Volastra and then on to Manarola, it will be mostly downhill but still takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. If you like steps like I do, begin this trail from Manarola but be prepared for 1,200 steps to reach Volastra, then it's downhill to Corniglio. Are you ready? If not, you can always catch a bus to Volastra and make your way down to Corniglio. I won’t tell!
The paths from Corniglio to Vernazza and Vernazza to Monterrosso are the only paths I have walked on the Cinque Terre. I have traversed these trails three times and each time the views were spectacular, whether inland walking through lemon groves and overhanging grapevines or overlooking the sea.
The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza is the longest of all the trails and is like a roller coaster of many ups, with the highest point in Cinque Terre, and downs, running through many vineyards and olive and lemon groves. This path has a medium difficulty level and takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes. I do not recommend this trail in the rain or right after due to mud and the possibility of slipping. Remember, no heels or open-toed sandals!
The trail from Vernazza to Monterrosso sul Mare is a popular trail, typically taking less than two hours, although it is the most tiring, with 500 steps on a paved ancient path and lots of slopes and rises. This unforgettable stroll takes you through evergreens, oaks, heather, junipers and even a cat refuge! The final reward at the end of your walk is the only real beach on the Cinque Terre. When I hiked it with a friend we wore our swimsuits under our hiking clothes and jumped in the water for a refreshing end to our hike. We took the train back to our B&B in Riomaggiore just in time to watch the sunset on our patio overlooking the sea while enjoying an aperol spritz.
Whether by boat, train, or walking from city to city, Cinque Terre is well worth a visit. You must buy a Cinque Terre card to hike the four shortest stretches between the villages. This card also gives you free bus rides and the use of public toilets at the train stations. I suggest buying the Cinque Terre ticket plus a train card in case you’ve had enough walking and want to stop for a gelato or spritz and some people-watching before you take the train back to your lodging.
Posthumously published for Diana Lucarino-Diekmann with minor editing by Joanna Lucarino
