Cinque Terre has been hands down one of the most beautiful places I’ve visited. I say that having visited during a gloomy, overcast week in March and it was still incredibly beautiful. Just think how I’d feel if I went during a sunny summer day! If this destination is on your travel bucket list, I highly suggest hiking during your time in this region.
The area of Cinque Terre is located in the north west section of Italy. Translated, Cinque Terre means “Five Lands.” As the name implies, the area is split into 5 little towns. Starting from the most southern town you’ve got Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monteresso. Each town is worth exploring and there’s two ways to get to them. Either take the train between towns (very easy!) or take the adventurous route and hike from town to town.
If you’re intrigued by the hike, this post is for you. I recently hiked 4 out of the 5 towns (the fifth town, Riomaggiore is unfortunately not accessible by foot and isn’t expected to be open again until 2021 at the earliest). I’m sharing everything major that I learned from our long day hiking town to town.
5 Travel Tips for Hiking Cinque Terre
Don’t Waste Your Time Researching Routes
Before our trip to Cinque Terre I spent hours reading blogs and travel guides to figure out which hikes would be best for us. Turns out that all that research is a complete waste of time. The open and closed trails change often, as much as daily, due to weather and trail construction.
Instead of spending a ton of time reading up on potential routes, simply wait until you are on-site. There is an information desk in each town and they will show you which routes are open, which are closed and impossible to take, and those that might be “closed” but are doable. Some trails have been closed for years due to mudslides and other trails may be closed the day you’re there because of a little rain.
During our trip only one trail between the towns was truly closed and impossible to take (Riomaggiore to Manarola). Another trail (Manarola to Corniglia) was made much longer due to construction detours, and the other two trails we were told were technically closed but to use our own judgement. We did the “technically closed” trails and there were plenty of people and it was very safe. Use your own judgement based on the weather conditions during your stay.
Start Early During Busy Season
Summer is the peak season for Cinque Terre. If you’re visiting in the main tourist months (think May-September), you’ll want to start your hike early to both avoid the major crowds and the hottest sun.
If you’re traveling during less popular times, you can take a more leisurely approach. We visited during mid-March and while the weather wasn’t ideal, it did make for a quieter and cooler hike than those traveling during peak times will experience.
You Can Break Up the Hike
You can do the entire hike in one day, but there’s really no need to squeeze it all in if you’ve got a long stay in Cinque Terre. There’s a train in each town that can take you back to your starting point. The next day you can hop back on the train to the town you left off in.
If you plan to split up your hike, be sure to check the weather. We went during a particaully rainy weekend and thus made the decision to do the entire hike in one day as we didn’t want to risk missing any of it due to future rainy weather. It’s possible to do in one day, expect it to take around 8 hours including all your breaks (more on that below).
Be Prepared
I read online that the hike is pretty easy and hiking shoes are not required. I’m here to tell that I disagree! I’m active and am not super new to hiking, yet I found the trails to be pretty tough terrain. Nothing crazy, but hiking boots would have been nice for more stability. I did it in sneakers and it was totally fine. If that’s all you’ve got, you’ll be okay. But if you have room for hiking boots it won’t hurt to have them.
Aside from proper footwear, bring a backpack of essentials like bottled water, snacks, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, band-aids and Neosporin (better safe than sorry!). This isn’t the sort of hike you need intense hiking equipment for and you certainly don’t need to backpack and camp out during your stay. But it’s always best to be prepared during active adventures. OH and lastly, be prepared for lots of stairs…soooo many stairs.
Don’t Rush the Experience
The hike is a pretty lengthy experience and you may want to get through it quickly, but the real charm is in making frequent stops along the way. During your hike you’ll hit up to 5 towns and they are all unique and beautiful. It’s 100% worth stopping at least briefly to explore each town.
I recommend making each stop a food stop. As you’re hiking you’re going to get hungry! Plus you’re in Italy and the food is insane, so why wouldn’t you eat in five towns in one day? Here’s what I recommend in the four that you can visit via the trails, starting south and heading north:
Manarola: Grab a quick breakfast and coffee before you hit the trail
Corniglia: Cool down with fresh gelato from Alberto Gelateria. This region of Italy is the birth place of pesto. If you’re feeling adventurous order the basil gelato. Promise it’s good!
Vernazza: Time for your lunch break! Vernazza has a bunch of restaurants to choose from. As mentioned above, you should get something with pesto. All the pesto pastas and pizzas are delish. If you need a pick-me-up before you continue on, sip an espresso by the water before jumping back onto the trail.
Monterroso: Celebrate your completed hike with a couple of glasses of vino by the beach. This region is known for their crisp white wines. Typically when you order wine in this region you’ll be served complimentary snacks to go along with it. Can’t say no to that!
*If you want to say you visited all 5 towns, take the train to Riomaggiore to explore.
Vernazza, one of the most breathtaking of the towns.
My parents did the first part of the hike with us. Major props to them.
Aren’t they cute?
Along the trail from Manarola to Corneglia.
As you’ll see in these pictures, the terrain changes often.
Ocean views welcoming you into the final town, Monterosso.
Cheers to that!
This post might make it seem like it’s complicated to hike Cinque Terre due to the frequent closures and path changes, but it’s really not. The people in each town and at the information desks will be happy to point you in the right direction to ensure you’re visiting the proper trails.
I hope that one day you have the opportunity to visit Cinque Terre. If you do, please let me know how the hike and all the pesto-eating goes!
(pin this and save it for your next trip!)
