Allora! Biking and hiking in Italy (part three, Cinque Terre)
Monday, June 26, 2023 at 01:37PM
Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre
Our hotel host met us at the train station in Vernazza late in the afternoon. After a rather long day of train riding, we were tired and happy to be escorted to our apartment so we could rest for hiking the next two days. We found our apartment (recommended by Rick Steves) to be a comfortable place with large windows overlooking the town’s main square and swimming beach. (And only up a 40 step climb from street level.) A long set of recommendations and advice from Christian, the apartment owner, a nice meal at one of the restaurants on the plaza, then an early beditime. Oh, restaurants in the region don’t open until seven.
View from our Vernazza apartment
My sense of Cinque Terre before actually spending time there was that it was a somewhat remote area, visited primarily by hikers. I could not have been more mistaken. As or more crowded than Venice, the small streets and alleys were again mobbed with tourists. Yes, the picturesque towns were indeed beautiful with their snug, brightly colored, multi-story houses climbing steep hillsides. The coast and beaches were lovely. The hiking paths, scenic. As my son informed me after seeing our photos, Disney's animated film Luca is set near here.
Vernazza from the trail to Montorosso
But I was amazed by these five small towns’ popularity with beach goers. And those tourists, I guess, who did not find enough fridge magnets in Venice that they needed to look for them here, a World Heritage Site on the Ligurian Sea. Early mornings and evenings were less busy, and other than having to wait a bit for one’s turn to get a gelato, the crush wasn't much of a bother.
Stone steps. Lots and lots of stone steps.
We had two full days in Cinque Terre, and as avid hikers, we decided to make the most of them. On the first day we hiked from our base in Vernazza north to the next village of Monterosso. Heck, an easy two miles each way, according to the guide book. We left early, planning to eat breakfast in Monterosso. We purchased our Cinque Terre cards that were required to use the trails, but also covered train and bus fares as well as entrance to public toilets (of which, I swear, there are only about three in the entire country).
Stone bridge and terraces
As it turned out, our easy four mile hike turned into a rather challenging seven mile hike. The villages are set along the coast but the trail wanders up high on the coastal hills, never remaining flat for more than a few hundred steps at a time. Most of the hike was either challenging stone step climbing or knee stressing stepping down. And the steps we climbed up on the way to Monterosso, we got to climb down on the way back to Vernazza.
Groves of lemons, grapes, and other fruits
The trails, landscape, and views, however, were worth the effort. Long ago terraced, the trails were stone with stone retaining walls and stone bridges over small creeks. The ocean views were incredible. And of course the views of the villages were iconic. Groves of fruit trees and small farmsteads still abound in this national park.
Much of Cinque Terre is still farmed - as it has been for thousands of years
I found Monterosso less charming. Lots of beach goers and more modern, we walked the street along the coast to the far northern end where the remains of the statue of a giant guards the entrance to a private enclave. After a light breakfast, we headed back, knowing the challenge we faced. A shower, a nap, and a takeout meal in the apartment ended the day.
The sea is nearly always visible from the costal trails
We still hiked on the second day, starting after an early breakfast. While a more modest hike, the path from Vernazza south to Corniglia was still three miles of ups and downs. Again, great views. Happily, Corniglia is the only village of the five that does not sit at sea level, but clings to hills above the coast. After a midmorning coffee stop, we set off to find the train station.
The Giant looks over the beach in Monterosso
The train station was on the coast, so we found ourselves on the 395 steps needed to reach it. Thankfully going down. There are regular trains that run through each of the towns so we used those to reach Manarola and Riomaggiore, the two southernmost towns of the Cinque Terre. (GoogleMaps, BTW, is great for figuring out public transit.) The coastal trails between these towns have been closed for years due to landslides. Manarola and Riomaggiore were again, quite pretty, and we enjoyed our short stays in them, but by midafternoon we were back on the train headed to Vernazza.
Vernazza from the trail to Corniglia
Our final full day in Italy was spent on trains crossing the country back to Venice. Rather uneventful. We had a hotel room close to the airport and got a 4am shuttle in order to catch our 6am flight to Minneapolis via Amsterdam. Despite long check-in lines and some rather short connection times, our travels went smoothly. No mis-bookings of hotel rooms. Good weather. No serious injuries or illness. The travel gods were smiling. It was a good trip.
Oh, I did lose one sock and a waterbottle. I guess it wasn't perfect.
Street view of Vernazza
More photos from the trip can be found here:
