One of the many
reasons people visit Cinque Terre is to enjoy exploring the tiny villages that
cling to the seaside cliffs in the area. Walking the coastal trail that
links the five villages rewards with spectacular views of the
Mediterranean.
To walk the
entire coastal trail you have to start either at Monterosso al Mare or
Riomaggiore, the farthest south of the five villages that make up the Cinque
Terre region. From Riomaggiore train station we wandered through town, enjoying
the views into Riomaggiore and over the sea. It doesn’t take long to get into the
centre and suddenly there are shops, cafes and restaurants on each side of the
street leading down to the ocean.
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| Riomaggiore shops, Cinque Terre, Italy |
We started the
coastal walk here on the Via del’ Amore, one of the easier parts of the coastal
trail, that links Riomaggiore with it’s smaller neighbour Manarola. A covered
area containing a graffiti wall leads to the Via del’ Amore which is a wide
flat boulevard with cliff face on the right and the Mediterranean on the left.
Halfway along there is a small café where you can stop and take in the view or
people-watch. Read more about the Via del' Amore here.
Lovers, and other
walkers, emerge from the Via del’ Amore into Manarola. The town is far more compact
than Riomaggiore and you are quickly in the centre that is built around the
harbour, and surrounded by people, cafes and boats. Manarola has one of the
best swimming spots in Cinque Terre. It is a small deep corner of the harbour
naturally formed by large rocks that can be jumped off. As you continue to walk
the coastal trail the view back to Manarola is wonderful. You can see the
swimming spot, harbour and cafes.
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| Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy |
The path climbs a
little as you continue around the corner and the walk becomes a little more
challenging here where it is narrower and the ground uneven. After coming
around the headland the path straightens again and you come parallel to the
road and railway. In front of you however, is the monstrous cliff that
Corniglia perches on top of.
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| Corniglia, Cinque Terre, Italy |
The climb to
Corniglia features 365 steps fondly referred to as one for each day of the
year. These steps zigzag up the cliff in 33 different flights of steps. 33
flights of stairs is a challenge to most holidaymakers.
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| Congratulations sign, Corniglia, Cinque Terre, Italy |
Once you reach
the top and walk into the centre of Corniglia you pass several small signs that
say ‘Congratulations, you made it up all the steps to Corniglia!’ “Damn
straight” you think as you pass them. “Now where can I get a drink?” The climb
is definitely worth it; Corniglia has a nice position high above the sea, with
fantastic views.
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| Countryside path from Corniglia to Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy |
Leaving Corniglia
the path becomes a bit of a confusing countryside trail through trees and
fields for a while with quick glimpses back towards Corniglia rewarding those
who remember to look behind them. The walk descends into Vernazza with
spectacular views over the village, especially if you arrive ahead of sunset.
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| View over Vernazza at sunset, Cinque Terre, Italy |
Finding the way
out of Vernazza to continue the walk is the first challenge of possibly the
hardest part of the Cinque Terre coastal walk. The path here is very steep and
gets narrow too. Fantastic views over Vernazza are offered though.
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| Boats at the waterfront in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, Italy |
The entire walk
is estimated to take about four hours. We made a long, slow day of it, starting
early in the morning and walking at our own (fairly slow) pace indulging in
lots of stops for photos and we also had a nice lunch in Manarola, as well as
drinks in Riomaggiore and Corniglia.
Have you walked
the coastal trail in Cinque Terre? What were your favourite bits?
