Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore, five small villages along the Mediterranean are probably the most photographed motifs in Liguria.
Between these villages there are nice hiking trails with wonderful views and that’s what we’re going to do – hike between the villages.
We arrive in Pisa after only a couple of hours by direct flight and easily make our way into the center of Pisa because we definitely want to see the Leaning Tower, and leaning it really does. Cool to see it live. We have a good lunch before heading to the train station and to our destination Cinque Terre in northwestern Italy.
Our train takes us north for about 2 hours through very beautiful scenery.
Our accommodation, a larger apartment, is just north of the Cinque Terre in the village of Moneglia and here it feels very welcoming and pleasant. We quickly get to know the baker and the pizza lady and several other villagers.
Moneglia is a really nice town and a perfect excursion destination located by the sea with a long lovely sandy beach just south of the town of Sestri Levante and north of the Cinque Terre.
The city’s history stretches back to around the 12th century, which you can certainly notice when you see the ruins of the old tower.
There are also several other interesting historical buildings in the city, including the church of Santa Croce and the old Franciscan monastery of the same name.
One of the evenings we experienced a church procession where the whole village went out of their houses to participate.
Early on day one, we go down to the first small village of Riomaggiore and begin a short walk along the sea. This small hiking trail to Manarola is also called the “Path of Love” it is short, about 1.5 km and very easy and suitable for everyone. Unfortunately, a landslide occurred here after our trip and this trail is now closed.
Early on day one, we go down to the first small village of Riomaggiore and begin a short walk along the sea.
We pass through Manarola, a very beautiful picturesque little village and make our way towards the next stage, a moderate hike towards the village of Corniglia. First, we have a rather difficult climb up towards the village of Volastra, approx. 350 m above sea level.
Here we rest for a while and have a good ice cream in the shade of the cypresses by the Madonna della Salute church.
Then follows the fantastic stretch that leads along very narrow paths along thousand-year-old winter ass. Stunning views of Corniglia, Manarola and the Mediterranean Sea and perhaps the most beautiful hiking trail in the entire area.
We take many breaks as it is very hot and the distance feels long. It takes about 2 hours to walk between these villages.
After many steps down to Corniglia, which is about 100 meters above sea level, it is time for a much-needed break, dinner and a glass of wine.
We are satisfied with the day and take the train to our own little village, Moneglia.
Day two we take the train again to the next adventure and start today from Corneglia towards Vernazza.
To hike the two most famous trails between the villages of Monterosso – Vernazza and Vernazza – Corniglia, you need a special ticket: a Cinque Terre Card.
It is a stunningly beautiful and dramatic landscape. Along the sides of the mountains, people have grown grapes, olives and vegetables on small terraces, separated from each other by small stone walls.
The villages are small and inaccessible and as recently as a hundred years ago the only possibility to get here was by boat or via the ancient donkey paths.
Today there are good train connections between all the villages of the Cinque Terre.
We start in Corniglia and hike high up again. This hike takes about 2.5 hours and feels quite demanding, especially considering the heat. How lucky that we still chose the month of September, we say to each other, how hot is it during the summer months?
The small fishing village of Vernazza is perhaps the most picturesque of the Cinque Terre villages and is rated as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
Medieval houses, staircases and cozy alleys characterize Vernazza, which is also enriched with ancient remains such as the Doria castle, the watchtower and parts of the old ring wall.
Down by the small harbor is the characteristic piazza surrounded by painted house facades and restaurants serving the catch of the day. Here we eat a good lunch.
Then it’s time for the next stage Vernazza to Monterosso and medium difficulty hiking in about two hours. We follow the path through the lovely landscape past vineyards and lemon trees and can’t get enough of the sea and the surroundings.
Finally, we reach our final hiking destination, Monterosso.
Monterosso is the largest village in the Cinque Terre and can be reached by car, boat and train. Tourism has developed the most here and there are also several three-star hotels here.
Monterosso is surrounded by hills with olive and wine groves. A long fine sandy beach and clear water invite you to swim. From here there are boats to the other villages in the Cinque Terre, as well as to Levanto, Portovenere and Portofino.
Monterosso consists of a new and an old district, the new part is called Fegina. The old part is well-kept and cozy with its narrow alleys and small pleasant shops. The characteristic restaurants offer the opportunity to taste typical Ligurian dishes together with the famous wine of the Cinque Terre and of course we did.
It has been great days here and I can highly recommend this type of holiday experience.
The entire Cinque Terre is a national park and marine reserve and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997.
Video of Cinque Terre
You can see what to expect on your hike around the magnificent Cinque Terre thanks to this movie by Perfect Little Planet.
Along the journey, explore Vernazza, Corniglia, and Manarola as well as the sections of the trek from Monterosso to Riomaggiore.
