Hiking the Cinque Terre - a 5 day plan
Cinque Terre is a string of 5 enchanting villages nestled into the rugged Ligurian coastline. They are within the Cinque Terre National Park and are on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 5 villages that make the Cinque Terre are: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corneglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare.
A visit to the Italian Riviera appears on many people’s bucket list and hiking the Cinque Terre is particularly popular. We also came to Italy with the intention of hiking the Cinque Terre‘s Sentiero Azzuro trail.
Day 1: Hiking the Cinque Terre: Vernazza- Corniglia
The only 2 coastal trails that were open in the summer of 2019 were between Monterosso, Vernazza, and Corneglia.
Because we had just arrived in Europe and were still jet lagged, we decided to hike the shorter trail. Based on what we’d read, it was going to be the section between Vernazza and Corniglia. The hike was going to take us about 90 minutes versus the 120 minutes between Vernazza and Monterosso.
Since we were in Cinque Terre in the middle of the summer, the temperatures were in the 90s. Therefore, we decided to wake up early to avoid the mid-day heat.
We started our hike around 7:15 in the morning stopping multiple times above Vernazza for gorgeous views of the town from above.
The trail is quite steep! You’re also climbing up out of Vernazza and actually for most of the trail. The path is mostly rocks and dirt and it’s particularly important to wear sturdy shoes. Even though we started early and most of the hike was actually in the shade, we sweated profusely. Honestly, I don’t know how people do it in the middle of the day.
The hike itself was beautiful. You have spectacular views of the water and the coastline. You can also see Corneglia in the distance. Throughout the trail, you can admire the work the early settlers of Cinque Terre did terracing the area to make it farmable.
We arrived in Corniglia after 90 minutes at about 8:45. It was a great feeling to walk into town knowing that we were done before most people even started. We sat down at a little coffee shop by the church of San Piedro and enjoyed a well deserved cappuccino. After resting for about half an hour, we explored the charming town. Eventually, we descended the 362 steps down to the train station and returned to Vernazza, our home base. We were glad we were staying in Vernazza for 5 days and could spread our hiking into multiple days.
Day 2: Hiking the Cinque Terre- Manarola
We were planning to hike between Vernazza and Monterosso today. However, because the temperature was already in the 80s early in the morning, we decided to put the hike off to another day and explore Manarola instead.
In order to do that, we had to take the train. We spent the morning in Vernazza and went to Manarola in the late afternoon.
We purchased our tickets at the ticket machine at the train station. The price for a single ticket is €4 and since we didn’t have a Cinque Terre day pass, the trip cost us €8 per person round trip. Because we bought our tickets in the machine, we were able to pay with our credit card. Surprisingly, they don’t take credit cards at the ticket window.
The train ride between Vernazza and Manarola took less than 10 minutes. The train was air- conditioned and wasn’t too crowded around 5 pm. Note that the trains go mostly through a tunnel, so there aren’t too many opportunities for pretty views.
Once in Manarola, we hiked up to the harbor for spectacular views of town.
We spent several hours exploring the lovely town and enjoyed dinner at the Il Porticiollo bar.
We returned to Vernazza around 9 pm and headed to the main piazza to admire the harbor nicely illuminated at dusk.
Day 3- Enjoying Vernazza
We actually didn’t visit any other towns today. It was simply too hot. We were planning to take the last boat to Riomaggiore but it was still over 90 degrees at 6 pm. Instead, we enjoyed short walks around Vernazza, mostly in the morning and late afternoon. We hiked to a lovely cemetery perched on a hill overlooking the town and admired the enchanting views of Vernazza. It was great to have a day of relaxation in a charming town where our only activities were a quick swim, a stroll, and a meal or two.
Day 4- Morning- Hiking the Cinque Terre: Vernazza- Monterosso
We knew today was going to be cooler, so we set off for Monterosso around 6:30 am. Again, there was nobody manning the entrance booth, so we couldn’t buy our tickets.
The trail started with a sharp assent and we climbed up uneven steps for a good while. The views of Vernazza were amazing. So much so that we stopped multiple times to take pictures and admire the scenery. Once we reached the high point, the rest of the hike was mostly level until the steep descent into Monterosso.
We truly loved this hike. You mostly hike through olive trees and most of the trail is actually in the shade. When you get closer to Monterosso, the landscape changes and you hike through the vineyards. You pass several creeks and little bridges along the way and the chirping birds are your constant companion.
The hike only took us 80 minutes. That’s less than the hike to Corniglia and way less than the expected 2 hours we read about. It’s possible that it’s a bit easier to hike north to Monterosso from Vernazza than vice versa. We walked into Monterosso when the church tower was striking 8 o’clock.
We made our way through the town square to Via Roma and sat down to enjoy a cappuccino and delicious Italian croissants.
After exploring the town for a while, I ended the day in Monterosso with a delightful and well- deserved swim in the Ligurian Sea. The beach here is fabulous and was still relatively empty around 10 am. Although most sections of the beach are private and require a fee, you can access the beach for free anywhere where there are no umbrellas. There were several places easily accessible and it felt great to cool down in the water after the morning hike.
The train station is 2 minutes away from the beach, so we jumped on the train around 11and were back in Vernazza 5 minutes later. It was a very satisfying morning.
Day 4- Afternoon: A boat ride: Vernazza- Riomaggiore
Because the trail between Manarola and Riomaggiore was closed, we decided to take the boat and see the towns from the water.
The price for the ferry between Vernazza and Riomaggiore was €11 -€2 less than the posted price. Perhaps the afternoon boats cost less. The ride took only 25 minutes and although I was concerned about the heat, if you face east (towards the towns) and stand on the lower level, you will be completely in the shade. There was a really nice breeze and the whole experience was very enjoyable.
I recommend hiking and visiting the towns prior to taking a boat. That way, you’ll have a good idea of the layout of the Cinque Terre villages and what you’re looking at.
The ferries don’t stop in Corniglia, so keep that in mind. They run every hour starting after 9am with the last boat being around 6pm.
Mind you, the boats stay a certain distance away from the shore and they pull into towns at an angle that does not always allow you to see the whole waterfront of the villages. Nevertheless, the views are great and I certainly recommend a boat ride.
Taking the ferry was actually the only way for us to get good views of Riomaggiore. The tiny little section of The Lover’s Lane trail that is still open, does not allow for great views of the town. You can see the town from the piazza near the church of John the Baptist but if you want to see the harbor, your best option is the ferry, a kayak or a private boat.
After exploring Riomaggiore and having a nice meal, we went back to Vernazza on a train.
We felt great having explored all of the Cinque Terre villages. Hiking the Cinque Terre where possible was a lot of fun and visiting other towns by train and boat was enjoyable as well.
I’d recommend spending more than just a day or 2 in the area. We were certainly glad we took 5 days to explore Cinque Terre. We stayed at a lovely air-conditioned Airbnb on a quiet street off Via Roma and were very comfortable.
Here are some quick suggestions on hiking the Cinque Terre.
