Destinations, Italy, Travel

Hiking the Cinque Terre, Part One: Monterosso to Vernazza

A Downward View of Vernazza

When Michael and I were planning a recent trip to Italy, I had one stipulation: “We have to stay in one of the Cinque Terre towns.”

“What’s that?” Michael asked.

I couldn’t respond with words; I figured photos would do it better justice, so I pulled up images online.

“Wow, okay, let’s go,” he said.

The secret has been out for years now, and it seems that the five towns along the Italian Riviera have more tourists sleeping in them than locals each evening. We only had one night available on our itinerary, but we still had plenty of time to soak in the rugged Italian coastline, deep azure water, and glowing sunshine. The five towns are connected by sentieri (hiking trails), as well as a waterbus and train route for quick transit, so it didn’t quite matter which one we stayed in as we could access all of them reasonably quickly. Each town has its own personality, and we went with charming Manarola with not cars in the streets, but boats. Manarola provided a balance of amenities (a small market, a few restaurants) and quiet.


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After checking in to our Airbnb, realizing we didn’t pack hiking clothes and managing to assemble reasonably appropriate attire out of our carry-on bags (leggings from Girlfriend Collective, Airism tank from Uniqlo, and white leather Converse sneakers for me), we set out on an ambitious hike from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza (3.5 km), and then Vernazza onto Corniglia (4 km). However, when we went to purchase our Cinque Terre Card (you must show the card upon request while hiking certain trails; we purchased the two-day option with unlimited local train rides for € 29 now € 33 each) we were advised to stick to just one trail for the rest of the evening to avoid being out after nightfall. We were also informed that several trails along the Sentiero Azzurro, the coastal Blue Trail, were closed (map of closures as of summer 2017; update for 2022: here is the most up-to-date information). We quickly restructured our plans and hopped on the next train toward Monterosso, the northernmost town.

A photo of a map showing a closure along the Cinque Terre hike

Beachgoers on the shore in Monterosso
The beach in Monterosso looked incredible, but we had a hike to complete!

Once we exited the train in Monterosso, we saw signs pointing toward Vernazza and followed them from one to the next (some were very official looking, others were laminated signs swaying in the wind from tree branches). We figured we should eat a small snack before heading out, so we grabbed a focaccia from a stand to munch on and bought a large bottle of water. Eventually, we reached the head of the trail, which started with what seemed like an eternal amount of stairs. We climbed, climbed, and climbed. The trail would even out a little, and then you would turn a corner only to be greeted by more stairs. We climbed some more until we heard a voice coming from the bushes on our left, “Limonata, limoncello, due Euro.” Although we still had plenty of water left, and alcohol is probably a bad idea when you’re in the midst of physical activity, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to buy something from a man hiding in the bushes. We paid our € 4 for one of each item, downed them, declined to buy a large bottle, and set back on the trail, each step now a little easier.

A well-worn rock reads "Vernazza"
Honestly it’s amazing we found the trail
A large set of stairs at the start of the hike
Stairs… all the stairs
rickety stairs at the start of the hike
(sorry, Mom)

Alyssa buys limoncello from a man behind a fence

As it was later in the afternoon, the trail wasn’t terribly crowded, the weather was cooling down, and everyone we passed was in great spirits. We encountered a French family in full joie de vivre-mode, teasing and laughing together. We passed each other several times on the trail, even though we were heading in the same direction. We took their photo; they took ours. Later we saw them again, climbing on shoulders to reach cherries in the trees (which you’re probably not supposed to do, but…) and they gave us some, still warm from the day’s sunshine. The mood on the trail was light, warm, relaxed, and fun, and we felt like we could walk forever.

The view back on Monterosso
The view back on Monterosso

Alyssa and Michael sit on a foot bridge while hiking

A look down at the very blue sea below

We saw a compound of small (like, really small) homes which we discovered were for cats in the area. There were bags of food and a setup for water along with instructions, but the cats were nowhere to be found at that hour.

a sign that reads "could you please cuddle the cats"
The “homeless” cats with homes

We kept walking. There are signs posted along the trail with reference numbers in case of emergency; since they were increasing in number we had no idea of how far we still had to go. Although we could see Vernazza across the water, the distance couldn’t be relied on due to the winding of the coastline.

A sign giving emergency contact information
Helpful (for measuring distance) if you’re heading south-to-north

Finally, we reached it. The view was exactly how I’d read in The Everywhereist’s book All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft, though thankfully we weren’t sick along the hike! Vernazza was down below, pretty, petite, and shimmering down in the Ligurian Sea below.

A look down on Vernazza

A look down on Vernazza from the trail

A look down on Vernazza from the trail

We snapped a few photos, though we had to wait for another couple to finish first. We walked the last bit toward the town and rewarded ourselves with a granita before heading back to Manarola for the evening. The trains between towns run less frequently late in the evening (and restaurants close early-ish) so we set our own curfews to head back and get a well-deserved shower before dinner.

Michael walks in an alley in Vernazza

A cat in front of a gelato shop
this cat has good taste
The next morning, we headed out for the second part of our journey, which you can read about right here: Hiking the Cinque Terre Part Two: Vernazza to Corniglia.

Have you ever visited the Cinque Terre or any other Italian coastal towns? Which was your favorite (we are dying to go back and would love the excuse to do so!)?

2 Comments on “Hiking the Cinque Terre, Part One: Monterosso to Vernazza

  1. I’ve always wanted to visit Italy. So far I haven’t but eventually I will. Until I do, I am definitely loving it through your eyes and your photos. I absolutely enjoyed this post and the beautiful views. Stunning.

    Kia | Kiasalter.com

    1. Thank you for your sweet comment! Italy is incredible; so worth the time, money, and effort it takes to get there. I hope you get to visit one day soon!

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