Liguria Trail - Stage 4

Trekking in the Cinque Terre can truly be a priceless experience and I was lucky enough to experience it like this, but for this very reason, I would like to give you some suggestions to make the most of this adventure. The main advice is to possibly avoid planning this trail on holidays, especially in the medium and high season, because the undisputed beauty of these places is attracting crowds of visitors and the area is moving towards "overtourism". Another tip is to travel by train, purchasing a single ticket "Cinque terre trekking card" which includes not only the use of transport but also access to some sections of the path located in the park area for a fee. Coming back to us, we took the regional train, La Spezia-Levanto, early in the morning and after ten minutes we got off at the first stop, Riomaggiore, the first town of the Cinque Terre. The train stop is located in an inlet to the west of the village and therefore I advise you to go over the spur to enjoy the view of the wonderful village which has ancient origins (7th century). We start off straight away, climbing up a stairway made of boulders that cuts across the slope at the maximum gradient. On the sides of this "vertical trail", there are various accesses to the individual terraces, supported by ancient and sometimes artificial dry stone walls covered with every species of flowering tree species. The rises of the steps, which sometimes exceed 50 cm, make you think of the enormous efforts that these inhabitants had to endure to cultivate every available corner on these slopes but also of the love for their land, which they have valorized and not exploited. Once you cross the first ridge, a breathtaking panorama opens up with the entire view of the rugged coast of the Cinque Terre and apparently, not too far away, you can see our destination, Monterosso. You descend steeply towards the valley where trekking poles are very useful to lighten the work on the knee joints. Descending among the olive trees, wonderful views open up showing a small village with pastel-colored houses lying like moss on a rock, we are in Manarola. Crossing paved streets, vaults and stairways you arrive right at the port, where the fishermen's boats moor; the other ancient activity of the inhabitants of these lands. At zero altitude, we start uphill again along easier stairways, more well-kept than the first, to reach the hilltop hamlet of Volastra. From here, at around 300 m above sea level, a path starts that runs parallel to the terraces and the view of the sea and the coast is enchanting. The sea air mixed with the scents of the essences of the Mediterranean scrub create a perfect climate and you feel that you could never breathe better than this. You pass through Porciana and continue walking on a beautiful path that allows for a good pace; downstream the slope overlooking the sea is very unstable and discharges a lot of material. Corniglia, the third stop and the only village that is not in contact with the sea, can be reached by going down a very long flight of steps that descend rapidly, winding along a ridge that starts from Monte Marvede. From Corniglia you enter the paid paths of the Cinque Terre National Park; They are well maintained and maintained trails but also the most crowded. Here you can meet processions of tourists who greet you in every type of existing language, which is nice from a cultural point of view, but which forces you to stop in some areas, "passing places", perhaps waiting for a collective "selfie" to finish . The stretch towards Vernazza is however wonderful and among the vegetation there are continuous glimpses both towards the east and towards the west that are truly incredible. Vernazza is enchanting; the streets that lead to the port seem like colorful ravines full of life and everything is beautifully messy, if you stop to look there are so many details that you can miss. From the port, which I would simply define as a perfect place, we set off again for the last stage towards Monterosso. The path is still paid and it is still a crowded stretch and from here you start to return the greeting, no longer verbally but with the slightest nod of the head: experience teaches. The purple color of some tourists on the climb tells you that soon there will be the last hard descent, certainly still with steps. And now you have reached Monterosso, the fifth land, you run to the beach, quickly take off your socks and shoes, and dive up to your knees: it is the last gift of this wonderful land. You take the train back to La Spezia and looking out the window into the darkness of the numerous tunnels, you see a thousand images that show the splendid and fragile balance between man and nature that has existed in these lands for centuries.

My own rating: 6 / 7⭐ Note: The section from Manarola <> Riomaggiore ("Via dell'Amore") is still closed and I skipped the path into Manarola to save a few meters in altitude. An early start guarantees a parking space in Monterosso and free access to the two sections where you have to pay (Monterosso <> Vernazza <> Corniglia) if you pass the path(s) before they open (around 9 a.m.). Basically, the path is very varied and offers fantastic views of picturesque (crowded!) villages and nature. I actually find the constant very steep (!) ups and downs annoying, especially since some of the "steps" are far too high and not knee-friendly... I liked the village of Vernazza the best.

We accidentally skipped the "path of love" between Manarola and Rio Maggiore.

The path is completely overcrowded and progresses slowly, as some think you can walk with flip-flops, sandals or low shoes, then there are those who are unsafe and don't walk away from the rocks and shout stop from afar to let you through. A nice route, but definitely not like this again

Today's tour plan was different. The destination was Monte Grosso. But then I turned off too early on the climb. Anyway, I made the best of it, since turning back wasn't an option for me.

I should have planned the tour in advance with Komoot 🙄 ... then we would have known beforehand what was "in store" for us 😬 But at least we were prepared for the weather, unlike three quarters of the other Cinque Terre hikers who hiked through the mud in the pouring rain wearing nothing but a T-shirt 😂 The Cinque Terre is and remains a dream in terms of scenery, but like everywhere else, mass tourism has taken on traits that are almost unbearable. If Vernazza is so crowded in the rain, what is it like when the weather is nice 😳 By the way, we liked the last stage best - it was the most strenuous because of the difference in altitude, but you hardly meet any hikers there 👍 And the view is fantastic 🤩🥰 In Manarola we were surprised to find that the famous Via dell' Amore (which runs above the sea) to Riomaggiore is closed. We didn't feel like climbing up again and so we left it at Manarola 😊

Pleasure hike for the senses and work for the legs. 😍 Magnificent views and many, many, many steps. The reward a swim in the sea 🙂

After the train 🚆 reliably brought us to Liguria 🇮🇹 yesterday 👍, we want to explore the magnificent coastal landscape around the Cinque Terre over the next few days. 🥾 The Cinque Terre consists of the five towns of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, which were once only accessible by sea or via small mule tracks in the coastal mountains. These mule tracks are now beautiful hiking trails in a mountainous landscape with stunning views of the villages and the sea. 🤩 Today 🌞 we explored the coastal landscape from Monterosso to Riomaggiore, mainly on the Sentiero Verde Azzurro (SVA). This is the only hiking trail we've encountered so far that requires an entrance fee and where your shoes are checked for suitability at checkpoints. 🤣 There are lots of steep ups and downs, and the paths also include many bumpy stairs. The views are often breathtakingly beautiful, and the villages are picture-perfect. Today was a wonderful first tour in Liguria! 🤗