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The villages of Cinque Terre

This is one place, or more accurately, national park which needs very little introduction. The famous five Ligurian villages – Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore (from north to south) – interspersed along the rocky coastline of the Riviera di Levante have been written up and photographed by many, and here I am, with my meager personal contribution about these overly-revered villages.

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

F and I had rented quite possibly the smallest AirBnB room in Vernazza (cosier than Parisian budget hotel rooms, if it is at all possible), at the street level, so we could not open the wooden shutter without everyone looking in while we enjoyed the privilege of hearing every conversation in passing. It was conveniently located for us to explore the area but you can also see why it was tough for us to air the enchanting “eau de pied” when our hiking boots were off!

It also goes without saying that heading to Cinque Terre at the height of summer means bumping into large crowd of visitors. Many operators run day tours by way of guide-led visits, using hop-on, hop-off train/boat services to get from one village to another. As a result, the local trains were often packed like sardines and running late as large crowds of people get on-and-off the wagons. The key to avoiding them, it seems, is to go on the walking trails. It was what we had intended to do anyway.

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

We started our hike early in the morning, taking the train to Monterosso scheduled at 7.32am. An earlier train would be at 5.57am and that was just, well, too early. We had bought a one-day Cinque Terre Treno Multiservizi pass, meaning we have the permit to walk the coastal path and we could use the trains running anywhere between Levanto and La Spezia. (Note: park only pass is €7.50/14.50 for 1/2 day(s) respectively, and Treno Multiservizi pass is €12/23 for 1/2 day(s) respectively)

Monterosso is the largest of the five villages, and the first thing that greeted us upon our arrival was a nice seafront promenade. This leads on to organized beaches filled with loungers sheltered by colourful umbrellas. The beaches would undoubtedly be filled to the brim later in the day, the bars nearby bustling to cater to locals and visitors alike, but we didn’t stay around too long to witness it. We quickly followed the indicator for the coastal Sentiero Azzurro (trail no 2).

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

We marvelled at the beautiful panorama before our eyes. The protruding cliffs, villages in the yonder, lush walking trails, hillside vineyards, crystal blue sea… We huffed and we puffed when we walked uphill, but effortlessly trotted downhill. And up, and down, we went. Plenty of photography breaks of course, much to F’s dismay, for he preferred I stopped a little less frequently.

There weren’t many other people on the trail at that time of the day. Between Monterosso and Vernazza, we didn’t even see a dozen or so other walkers. It was just so pleasant to be at one with nature, although occasional darting lizard trying to cross from one side of the path to another did manage to surprise me. You would too if it happened to maneuver over your feet! The only thing I didn’t like seeing were the lovelocks. Gosh, they are these horrible thing that just wouldn’t go away. Even simple barriers between the trails and the cliffs were not spared.

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

As we got in to Vernazza, we made a quick stop at il forno to get more of the pastries which we’ve picked up the very same morning, on our way to the train station. Walking had us feeling a hunger pang but it was not even 10am yet. Down by the port, everything remained sleepy although there were already a few large towels laid out by owners who wanted the best spot to sunbathe. Above the village, a train pulled in and the crowd began to descend…

We continued south but upward, arriving to a viewpoint in which Monterosso seems so small in the distance. The ruins of an old castle and its tower oversaw the small port of the village, while tucked away among the rocky cliff is a small pebbly cove where bathers of Vernazza would go to. Its access is not immediately obvious if you’re walking along the main street for it, too, is slightly hidden.

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

It did become noticeably busy on the trail between Vernazza and Corniglia. Couples, families, solo joggers, young and old; we initially greeted everyone whom we passed but it soon became absurd to say hello or ciao every couple of minutes. I think the others may be thinking the same, for most of them couldn’t be bothered to return the courtesy at all. Above, the sun was shining brighter, and the morning mist was slowly clearing away.

Spotting Corniglia was not difficult. It sat on a hilltop rather than by the seafront, with quaint but bright little streets, and steps that lead down to the beach. We took our lunch break within the heart of the village, at the terrace of a small cafe with a mixed of local and foreign customers. We also visited the village church, had a couple of cones of gelati (including an amazing homegrown-basil ice cream!), followed the steps down to the beach just to come back up, as F lamented the lack of his snorkelling gear…

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

We were not able to proceed along the Sentiero Azzurro towards Manarola and Riomaggiore, for the combined-4km path had been closed following extensive damages in a devastating storm about 3 years ago. F was also hankering to plunge into the crystal blue sea with his mask and scuba, so we took a quick train ride back to Vernazza in order to pick up the gears. It also meant we could changed out from our hiking boots, which were becoming uncomfortable in the afternoon heat, since we would be travelling by train and not by foot to the final two villages.

The village of Manarola itself was a blur to me, for we were focused on searching where the beach was in the vicinity. By following the route as it we were going to rejoin the hiking path, we came to a more secluded bay preferred by the locals. We spent a quiet couple of hours here; F happily navigating the waters while I stay on the dry land to read and keep an eye on our bags. Truth be told, I wasn’t confident enough to plunge into waters that immediately drop off into the depth.

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

We saved the southern-most village, Riomaggiore, for the evening. Content that we had had a good walk in the morning, a pleasant dip and rest in the afternoon, we strolled leisurely in Riomaggiore towards its small port, surrounded by multicoloured buildings in a deep-V formation. Sunbathers and swimmers were packing up to leave, as the sun began to make its slow descend from amongst the cloud, seemingly into the sea.

Rowers who rented boats slowly navigated their way back too, finding it awkward to direct unfamiliar vessel in uncharted territory, and finally waved for help to get back to solid ground. Two local men who had been out rod fishing brought in their haul, clearly satisfied with their efforts for the day. I couldn’t help but observed all these in fascination, while eating our takeaway dinner from the upper end of the village.

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre

When the night fell, it was silent all round. At least it was much calmer in both Vernazza and Riomaggiore; I believe the hubs of activities centered in Monterosso. Most day-trippers had left, leaving only visitors like us to catch the late train back to where we were staying. Shops remained open till late into the evening, but what we sought was another cone of artisanal gelati before calling it a day.

We wouldn’t mind hiking the trails all over again, but the passes were not particularly cheap. I’ve read somewhere that we could get away with not having a pass if we used other off-the-beaten-track paths (e.g. Corniglia-Manarola via Volastra), but I’m not entirely sure if that’s officially allowed. For anyone just village hopping using public transport, the passes were not required.

Practical tip: at the time of our visit (end of August 2014), the Sentiero Azzurro was accessible only between Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza and Corniglia. Both stretch run approximately 3.5km in distance each, which translates to about two hours walk of serpentine paths to complete a single stretch. The tourist information should be able to provide a free map with different trails along with indicators of distance and time required for walks.

Cinque Terre: full photoset on Flickr

All posts in this series:
Italy: Postcards: Centro Storico di Roma | Flickr Photoset
Italy: Postcards: 2-hours in Florence | Flickr Photoset
Italy: The walled city of Lucca | Flickr Photoset
Italy: Dining in Lu.C.C.A – L’Imbuto
Italy: Sunsets of Cinque Terre
Italy: The villages of Cinque Terre | Flickr Photoset
Italy: Postcards: Lost in Parma
Italy: Bologna: the city of a gazillion porticoes | Flickr Photoset
Italy: The Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca
Italy: Verona: a lot more than a Shakespearean drama | Flickr Photoset
Italy: Postcards: In search of Padua
Italy: A very picturesque Bassano del Grappa | Flickr Photoset



Category: 101 Goals, Europe, Italy, Travel

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8 scribbles & notes

  1. medca says:

    Beautiful weather, not too sunny, clear sea and yummy ice cream….awesome lil…very details photos ands description too…..those are apartments near the water eh? Very near indeed and colourful ;)

    • Lil says:

      Must be one of the longest posts I’ve written in a while. It is a region very worth visiting. You and Em have got to plan a long European holiday! ;)

  2. Jennifer says:

    love this! I went to Cinque Terre this past summer too (see below link)! it was hot when I went so it’s nice to see the villages in a different light!

    https://booksandbaguettes.squarespace.com/all/2014/7/21/the-five-villages-of-cinqueterre-italy

    • Lil says:

      Thanks Jennifer – it’s hard to imagine visiting when it’s hotter than when we were there! And no worry about the cats indeed – we saw a man who opened up his backpack near one rest area and started pulling out tons of goodies for the clowder of cats!

  3. sila says:

    all i can say is envyyyyy. i pun nak pergi! amazingly clear water, gorgeous views. what an awesome vacation you had lil :)

  4. Kasia Dietz says:

    Love reading about your adventures in this magical land! Glad you had a wonderful time. Did you dine at any of the spots I recommended? It must have been so filled with tourists, early spring and late summer are the best times to visit. Hope you will make it back again!

    • Lil says:

      We had a superb time, although we were not very organised timing wise to hit the eating spots at the right time. It was packed, packed, packed, and even the local trains were madness. Definitely should go back when it’s quieter. F and I are big fans of the area, and of Italy! :)

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