Whether it’s a 10 minute walk to a viewpoint of the village or an all-day trek along the hills, you’ve got to try hiking in the Cinque Terre. We opted for a couple of different walks, with some challenging parts, but I loved the stunning vistas we were rewarded with. Don’t forget to check out the top tips at the end for all my practical info on hiking the Cinque Terre!
Monterosso al Mare – Vernazza – Corniglia
At the time of hiking and time of writing (January 2019) the most well-known hiking trails along the coastline, also known as the Sentiero Azzurro, were closed around Manarola, meaning it wasn’t possible to hike right through the five villages on these trails. Because of this, we decided to take the ferry all the way to Monterosso and then hike back towards Manarola from there. It was fun to see the trails from the sea – and a lot less squished than the busy train!
The first part of the trail around Monterosso is gentle, although you can climb up to the monastery for a view over both bays.
Once you get out of Monterosso, the serious climbing begins – and so do the beautiful views. I loved how the path meandered from the coast, past little vineyards, and mini-villages. The panoramas were amazing!
Up time!
Looking along the coast to Vernazza
That Vernazza view – every bit as gorgeous in person as I’d hoped!
Although it clouded over a little when we reached Vernazza, it didn’t deter Joe from a swim to cool off from the hiking! We visited in early-May and it was still beautifully warm during the day, particularly when hiking the hills. The trails weren’t too busy at this time of year and we were only slowed by groups in front of us a few times – I can imagine it’s a whole different story in July / August and I think the Sentiero Azzurro wouldn’t be quite as fun then.
Pretty Corniglia perched on the hill
The last bit of steep – the stairs down to the train station!
Manarola – Corniglia – Vernazza
For the second hike, it was time to head for the (real) hills. The higher trails involve a steeper climb out of the villages, but from what I saw they’re peaceful and also have epic views. Plus if you’re staying in beautiful Manarola like we were, they’re the main way out of there on your own two feet!
Yeah I wasn’t kidding about the steep start. This one is a leg-buster for sure! Lots of stone steps and then a steady incline up a ridge to reach the hills high above Manarola.
But when you finally make it – the reward is stunning.
Very high above Corniglia wondering exactly how this descent is going to work!
I see the way (down)!
Essential fuel
My top tips for hiking the Cinque Terre
Tickets: you have to buy a pass to hike the trails (other than the little paths close to the main towns). You can get these in all the villages, at train stations, or just buy online. The Parco Cinque Terre website has a bunch of great information to help you plan too, including which trails are open as it varies.
My best tip would be to work out your plan for the day or days and then you’ll know whether you just want a hiking pass, or a hike and train pass. The latter is useful if you’re going to be hopping on and off a lot, but if you’ll only use the train once or twice a day, it was cheaper for us just to get the hiking pass and buy the train tickets when we needed them.
Getting around: to work out the trails, I found the Cinque Terre app a little clunky but good for seeing the fine detail of all the paths. On the Sentiero Azzurro you’ll be fine, but if you tackle the higher trails it can occasionally be a little confusing for which way to go, so a map of some kind is very helpful.
Aside from your own two feet, there is the train which runs from La Spezia, which links between the rest of the train networks (including Pisa, where we flew into). The train stops at all five villages, and each station is close to the centre of town except in Corniglia, where a steep flight of steps will take you up to the town.
There’s also the ferry, which was busy when we caught it, but pretty easy – we just bought tickets at a little shed by the dock. They weren’t super frequent so make sure you check timetables if you want this option.
Start earlier in the day, if you can: even in May, it was baking along the tops of the hills. There’s some shade, but you’ll still benefit from starting earlier and taking your time – or blasting through and rewarding yourself with gelato and a snooze at the end
How long does it take? I think a level of base fitness would be helpful if you’re planning on hiking between the villages, but there are bits you can do outside all the villages if you don’t want to tackle the stairs and hills. It’s about 3.5km between Monterosso and Vernazza, and 4km between Vernazza and Corniglia, and everyone’s times will vary depending on how you feel about hills and how many photographs you take along the way!
Dress appropriately: it might be my “always be prepared” Kiwi mentality or my love of comfy lycra, but we made sure to wear sports gear for hiking. Not only was it great for the heat, but those hills and stairs are serious stuff, and I wouldn’t have wanted to attempt them in sandals or jeans.
Fuel yourself! Luckily, there’s no shortage of great eats in the Cinque Terre – check out my guide to my favourites here!
Have you hiked in the Cinque Terre? Do you have any more great tips to add?
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