During my summer semester in Rome, back in 2005, my friends and I took a number of weekend trips outside the city, exploring as much of Italy as possible. Predictably, we hit a lot of the big tourist spots - Florence, Venice, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri. We also visited some really cool small towns like Todi, in Umbria. Of all the side trips, though, my favorite by far was my amazing trip to Cinque Terre.
The Cinque Terre, or, in Italian, "Five Lands", is an absolutely breathtaking collection of five separate villages, perched along the stretch of Mediterranean coast sometimes known as the Italian Riviera. They are part of the Cinque Terre National Park, located near the city of La Spezia, in the Ligurian region of Italy (in the northwest corner of the country, approaching France).
The five villages of Cinque Terre - Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare - are connected by a local train and a ferry-like boat, but also by beautiful, winding hiking paths. The most famous of those hiking paths is the #2 "blue path," Sentiero Azzurro. It clings to the side of the vineyard-stepped cliffs, overlooking the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. Yeah, I know, I know - I sound like a cheesy romance novel - but that is really what it looks like there. It's unreal how gorgeous it is.
Each town is a bit different, and wonderful in its own way. If you get yourself to La Spezia the night before, you can see all five towns in one day, if you keep your visits in each pretty quick. That's what we did. But in retrospect, it did feel just a little rushed, and we didn't get to enjoy everything there was to see and do. If you can fit it in, I think Cinque Terre easily justifies a whole weekend.
Here's how to spend a perfect day (and a pre-night sleepover) - or a perfect weekend - in this little slice of Ligurian heaven.
One Perfect Day
Start your journey Friday afternoon/evening. Pack as light as you can. A backpack only is preferable. (If you are going for the one-day option, you are likely going to be wearing that backpack on your back the whole day, so keep that in mind). Pack shoes you can hike in, a bathing suit, and some clothes you can comfortably walk in, but wouldn't feel weird wearing at a casual restaurant. From Rome, Florence, Venice, or Bologna, take a train to nearby La Spezia. Stay overnight in La Spezia and rest up for your whirlwind day exploring the five towns!
Saturday morning, get up bright and early - you have a lot to see today! Grab some fruit or a pastry and throw it in your bag for later. Hop on the local train from La Spezia to Riomaggiore, the first (or furthest south) of the Cinque Terre towns. Trains are pretty cheap, and run several times an hour. A Cinque Terre card includes entrance to the park, and all train rides between the towns and its nearby connections - i.e. La Spezia in the south, and Levanto in the north. (More info on the card here).
The journey from La Spezia to Riomaggiore takes only about 10 minutes. Once you arrive in town, take a look around. Find a scenic perch and enjoy your breakfast.
There's not much to "do" in Riomaggiore, other than wander around the colorful streets, and soak it all in. But I highly recommend you do just that - it is a charming, unique place. Once you have your fill, start your trek to the second town, Manarola.
Of all the inter-town hiking paths, Riomaggiore to Manarola is the easiest stretch. This flat, wide path is called Via dell'Amore ("the way of love"). It's walled-in in certain places, built with huge stones, with views to the ocean (see featured picture, above). There are even some places where you can climb down onto the rocks for better, up-close ocean views.
In just a little while, you will arrive in the second town, Manarola. It's a bit bigger than Riomaggiore, and has a little more to explore.
Wander around, taking in the steep lanes, the locals' chaotic gardens, the town's tiny churches, and the colorful fishing boats.
After you have finished exploring Manarola, find the hiking path to the third town, Corniglia. Keep in mind, though, that unlike the other towns, Corniglia is not situated right along the coast. To reach Corniglia from the path, you have to go up, up, up . . . FAR up, a cliff. Using a long flight of almost 400 steps called the "Lardarina." There is supposedly a bus that takes you up to the top, too, but it wasn't running regularly when we were there. Definitely look into it, or ask around, in advance of setting out on the path to Corniglia. If you think you might have problems with the steps, you might want to take the boat or the train right on through from Manarola to the fourth town, Vernazza, skipping Corniglia.
Corniglia is probablly the easiest of the towns to cut out if you are running short on time. If you can make it, though, it is definitely worth seeing.
Of all the towns, Corniglia might be the least popular with tourists, but it's definitely not the least interesting. Corniglia is the oldest of the five towns, and local lore is that the town started off as a colony of freed slaves during Roman times. The town centers around via Fieschi - a street named for one of the families that ruled the town during the medieval era. The main square houses a charming gothic church with a rose marble window.
For photography fans, Corniglia's high, uphill perch means that it offers some of the greatest views in Cinque Terre. From a terrace off of Via Fieschi you can get some great views of the ocean. The views from the top of the Lardarina are pretty amazing as well, showing off layers and layers of the terraced vineyards the area is known for. Though my friends and I didn't have time to check them out when I went, Corniglia is also said to have some great beaches. If you are up for it, and have enough time, venture through an abandoned railway tunnel near the Lardarina to find the secluded (and often nude) Guvano beach, or try for Spiaggione beach instead.
When you are finished in Corniglia, head for town number 4, Vernazza. Depending on how much time you spent in Corniglia, you might want to take the train to get you there a little faster. When you arrive in Vernazza, head straight for the large tower overlooking the town. This tower, called Castello Doria, is the oldest surviving fortification in the Cinque Terre. Dating back to the early 11th century, it was used as a lookout, watching for Saracen (Ottoman) pirates who raided the local shores. It offers amazing views of the town as well as the surrounding vineyards and ocean scenery.
By this time, you will have worked up a good appetite. Find a restaurant and grab a late lunch. Pesto is a speciality in Liguria, and I highly recommend you try some while you are in Cinque Terre. It's unbelievable there. Fresh and fragrant and freakin' delicious! When we went, we had lunch at a tiny place located among the cliffs, on the way down from the tower. A friendly, animated, old man who spoke no English - and yet managed to make us feel amazingly welcome - made us the best pesto I have ever had, right there at the table. He ground up the leaves with a mortar and pestle, while singing for us. I still remember that meal. It was incredible.
Enjoy your lunch, but don't overdo it if you plan on hiking to the last town of Monterosso al Mare. This next part of the hike is a little rough, especially in the heat. I was 24 at the time, and in pretty good shape, and I remember finding it challenging. Again, if you want to avoid the hike, you can always opt for the train or the boat. You will miss out on some nice views, though, as the town of Vernazza grows smaller and smaller, and much further below you, in the distance.
When you arrive in the fifth town, Monterosso (al Mare), you will notice that it's a little different. Of all five towns, Monterosso is the most built-up. It is (in my view) the most touristy, the most resort-y. It has the biggest (though still not huge) beach, and a lot more stores than its smaller neighbors. Don't get me wrong, though, it is still beautiful. And it is still much less commercial than its Amalfi coast counterparts.
In Monterosso, you have a number of options. You can explore the shops - I personally enjoyed the art galleries (especially the black and white photography places with all the night-time boat scenes) and the gourmet stores - wander the colorful lanes, or lounge on the beach a bit, before grabbing dinner and taking the local train back to La Spezia. From La Spezia, take the inter-city train back to whatever city you came from. Arrive very late at night.
Viola! One perfect - but very long - day.
A Perfect Weekend
If this schedule seems too rushed for you (it felt a tad too fast-paced for us, and we skipped most of Corniglia) or if you have some more time to spare, you can modify the itinerary above, stretching it into a weekend trip. I think the area is well worth it. If I ever go back I plan to devote at least a whole weekend.
If you want to do that, you'll need to change just a few details from the itinerary above. You should still plan on getting to the area Friday night, but rather than starting in Riomaggiore on Saturday morning, I would recommend starting your Cinque Terre adventure in whichever town you plan to spend the night. That way, you can alleviate luggage-carrying issues. Vernazza likely has the most options in terms of accommodations so it is probably the easiest city to use as a home base.
Using Vernazza as a home base, on Saturday morning, hop on the boat to Riomaggiore. Hike from Riomaggiore to Manarola, from Manarola to Corniglia, and from Corniglia to Vernazza. Or do the trek backwards, ending in Riomaggiore, and taking the boat from Riomaggiore back to Vernazza. (Of course you can always further customize either option by training or boating certain segments instead of hiking, according to preference). End your day in Vernazza, enjoying one of the town's many delicious restaurants. The next day, wake up, leave your bags at your hotel, and hike the challenging path uphill to Monterosso. Reward yourself for your efforts by spending the rest of the day relaxing on the beach, and enjoying the tourist shops. Late in the afternoon, freshen up and enjoy a nice dinner before grabbing your bags and heading back to La Spezia. Connect from there to your final destination.
Note that if you want to spend even more time in Cinque Terre, or if you would prefer to explore the far-less-traveled secondary hiking paths, there are all sorts of different and unique itineraries you can do. (Check here for some more information on Cinque Terre's "Thematic Itineraries", or here for some information on the lesser known trails of the Cinque Terre). The next time I go back, I might check out some of these more unique activities. The vineyards and wine making tours in particular look amazing.
No matter what itinerary you chose, you are sure to enjoy Cinque Terre. The people are friendly, the views are spectacular, the food is delicious and the wine flows freely. What's not to love?
*Image Credit for starred pictures to BigStock Images, Wix Webdesign. All other photos taken by, and property of, Curious Borders.
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