12 Top Tips for Hiking in Cinque Terre

After years of admiring postcard-style photos of rainbow coloured cliffside towns, I finally decided that 2015 would be the year I tick Cinque Terre off my ever-growing travel bucket list.

Cinque Terre (translates as five lands) comprises of five wee towns of varying sizes in the Liguria region of Italy. Each town is quirky and charming in it’s own right and is connected to the next by a super-scenic and highly popular blue trail along the coast. Hiking is the chosen method of exploration for many people who visit this famous slice of coastline each year, and I was one of them. Here are my top tips for anyone considering hiking this amazing route.

1. Do it – even if you’re not a hiker. 

I’m quite strongly of the opinion that hiking is the best way to appreciate the beauty of Cinque Terre. While the train obviously requires minimal exertion and is far quicker, it is incredibly busy. It’s just not the same pouring out into each town with a mass of people.

The trails bring you into the towns from above, offering those classic aerial views you’ve previously admired on Google images. If you’re not a hiker, I’d urge you to make an exception in this instance.

As a chubby, unfit Scottish lassie, I am by no means a seasoned hiker. Admittedly, the trails were challenging in parts, but the unlimited supply of coastal views and the picture-perfect prize at the finishing line was absolutely worth it.

2. Dress and pack sensibly.

This is where common sense prevails, but is often lacking. I witnessed some very sweaty and sunburnt souls, and a stereotypical looking blonde in a pink maxi dress and flip flops who was complaining about her sore feet. Turns out strenuous hiking isn’t such a glamorous affair!

While there are some shaded parts amidst the foliage, many sections are completely exposed to the relentless glare of the sun, so sunscreen really is a must, as are proper hiking boots or training shoes with good grip at the very least. 

The weather isn’t disimilar to Scotland in its indecisiveness. The sky teased signs of an impending downpour, only to revert back to intense sunshine. I’ve read that the coast gets a lot of rain around April/May so carry a light rain jacket, just in case.

If like me you intend to stay out for the day, I would also pack a change of t-shirt and some deoderant. It is inevitable that you will sweat from your head-shoulders-knees-and-toes. And bum.

3. Be an early bird. 

It’s best to start the trails early in the morning, to avoid both the crowds and the midday heat. My walk from Vernazza – Corniglia was just after lunchtime and the heat was pretty uncomfortable (note this was the beginning of May!).

The trains are also considerably quieter in the morning which means you can grab a seat and relax in preparation for the hike.

4. Buy water before you get to the trail.

On my first hike, I stupidly walked through Monterosso from the train station without buying water, thinking that the check-point at the start of the trail would sell it. Well, it didn’t.

I clearly lived to tell the tale, but this was a very dumb move from me nevertheless. I did make up for it by drinking 2 litres when I got to Vernazza and made sure I was suitably equipped for the remaining hikes.

You must must must stay hydrated.

 5. Buy a Cinque Terre Pass.

Costing €7.50 per day, the proceeds from this pass are used to maintain the trails which are stomped all over by so many tourists each year. The pass includes access to all of the trails, and free-wifi at each of the train stations – just in case you can’t wait to share an envy-inducing photo of the walk on social media.

Passes can be purchased in any of the stations in Cinque Terre, or at the check points at the start of each trail. You can buy the pass in conjuction with unlimited train travel for €12.50 per day (this includes trains anywhere between Levanto – La Spezia), but you’d really need to take 3+ trains in a day to get your money’s worth. I didn’t bother.

6. Pick up a train timetable. 

Grab a printed timetable from the station at the town you’re staying in, or from any of the stations in Cinque Terre. This will help you plan your journey after the hike, or can be used as back up if a trail is closed or you’re too tired to do more than one section of the hike in one day.

I wouldn’t advise just turning up to a station – you could have a long wait on a busy platform until the next train. I found the timetable incredibly useful and referred to it multiple times a day.

7. Start in Monterosso and hike south towards Riomaggiore. 

Before my trip I read multiple conflicting opinions on which direction to hike. Yes, starting in Monterosso involves much more of an initial incline, but walking in this direction means you are walking INTO the front facing views of the towns, rather than walking in from behind.

Starting in the opposite direction could also lure you into a false sense of effortlessness, with the first walk from Riomaggiore to Manarola being very short and flat. The other way is more difficult but you are rewarded with maximum-impact views of the towns.

The walk into Vernazza, for example, is heart-stoppingly beautiful. You wouldn’t want to be looking over your shoulder with your back to it would you?

8. A trail being ‘closed’, doesn’t always mean it’s actually closed. 

I was told at the Tourist Information on my first day that the all of the coastal trails apart from Monterosso – Vernazza were closed due to the effects of bad weather; I was gutted.

When I got to Vernazza I went into the Tourist Information to enquire about the alternative inland trails between the towns and was told that while the coastal trails were not ‘officially’ open, you could still walk them.

Needing no more encouragement than that, I set off on my second hike for the day from Vernazza – Corniglia. I saw no difference in the terrain from my previous hike, apart from a single giant puddle which was easily dodged.

The trails being ‘officially’ closed also means that the check points aren’t open. I tried to purchase a pass on my second day for the walk from Corniglia – Manarola but was told I didn’t have to. Bonus!

I should’ve listened to my own advice when I got to Manarola and was told I couldn’t continue on to Riomaggiore. To be honest, I was thankful for the break (see the next tip) and it’s apparently only a 20 minute walk so I didn’t feel like I’d missed out too much.

9. Don’t be fooled by the view of Manarola from Corniglia. 

Arriving in Corniglia on day one after a total of 13km from Monterosso – Vernazza – Corniglia, I could see Manarola straight along the coast in the distance. ‘This will be the easy walk’, I thought to myself. I was wrong.

The following morning, I took the train to Cornliglia and enjoyed a pre-hike cappucino and cake at the adorable Terra Rossa cafe. I asked the owner where the trail started for Manarola and she kindly pointed me in the right direction, “you first go up to Volastra, then down to Manarola”. I didn’t realise then how far UP she meant.

Volastra sits 600m above sea level, as high up on the hillside as the eye can see. It involved a hefty incline (8.8km so ‘Map my Walk’ told me) and what seemed like an endless amount of steps. On the plus side, the views were unreal.

From Volastra, it was a further 3.5km decline to Manarola. I was quite literally on my last legs when I got there; when I stood still my legs trembled so much I looked like I was attempting an Elvis dance!

I was soon too distracted my Manarola’s beauty to notice my clicking knees and sore muscles.

10. Don’t visit during high season.

I travelled to Cinque Terre at the beginning of May and was surprised by how busy and how hot it was. The towns were buzzing with people all day and the trains/stations were very congested unless travelling early in the morning or late in the evening.

I personally wouldn’t enjoy the experience if the towns or trails were any more congested than they were when I visited. The peak summer heat wouldn’t be compatible with my pale Scottishness or my tolerance to heat, especially when there are huge hills involved.

I’ve heard that the weather is hit or miss in April, so I would say early May is perfect and I assume late September would be much the same.

11. Take your time. 

Approach the hikes as the Italians do life – at a relaxed pace. There were sections of the trail which require you to form a single file; this didn’t concern me at all as I certainly didn’t fancy tackling some of the steep steps at any speed! Some of the paths are very narrow with uneven terrain, and there are a LOT of steps so be careful at all times.

Aside from safety, the surroundings are stunning, beckoning you to pause every so often to truly appreciate the views and capture a few images. Photo opportunities and slow walkers in front were the perfect excuse for me to reduce my pace, and my heart rate.

You’ll weave through vineyards and lush greenery, with distant views of candy-coloured towns. The hills plunge downwards towards little secluded beaches and clusters of rock, met by a tye dye  blend of aqua and dark blue water.

Why rush such a wonderful experience? 

12. Take a boat between the towns.

Yes, I did say that hiking is the best way to explore Cinque Terre, but I would also highly recommend taking the boat between the towns after you’ve done the walks. Not only does this give you another perspective of the gorgeous towns, but it allows you to appreciate the distance you’ve covered as you look onto the coast from the sea.

I took the boat from Monterosso to the town of Portovenere (south of Riomaggiore) and felt rather chuffed with myself as I saw the distance between the towns, and the hill to Volastra which I torturously climbed on my way to Manarola.

If nothing else, the distance I covered over the two days eased my conscience when I tucked into carb-tastic Italian food and amazing gelato. Happy days!

Planning a trip to Cinque Terre:

• I flew from Edinburgh to Pisa with Ryanair (you can fly to Genoa too).
• Cinque Terre is reached by train from Pisa Centrale and takes around 1.5 hours.
• I stayed for four nights – two days hiking between the five towns and two days exploring towns outside of Cinque Terre.
• I stayed in Deiva Marina (it was the most economical!) but would stay in Levanto or Monterosso if I returned.