Country: Italy
Outdoor activities : Trekking Monterosso al mare – Vernazza
Duration: five hours round trip
Difficulty: Easy
Sustainable tourism rating:

The Cinque Terre are five beautiful villages perched along the sea between La Spezia and Genoa. The train is the best way to visit these villages from La Spezia for example.

This natural park is a great spot for Sporttrotters . Indeed, it is possible to practice many sports: hiking , canoeing, cycling, mountain biking , swimming, snorkelling , diving and even surfing !

 

If you opt for the car, the easiest access is through the village of Levante which also offers one of the best lodging deals ( campsites, hotels … ) and is convenient to stay several days.

A bike path along the sea and through a tunnel between Levante and Bonna solla is perfect for a bike ride in search of good snorkelling spot.

To see the Cinque Terre , several solutions are available to you : train, canoeing, motor boating, and hiking . We chose the hiking trail (entry fee is about € 5) but the trail is splendid. Between Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza, there are about 2hrs 30mins walk and 300 m of elevation gain ( and also negative because the starting point is at the sea level and ends to the beach of Varenzza ).

The trail is well marked and there are many seaviews on the Cinque Terre. Do not forget your camera and remember to take water because there are no water points between the two villages. The villages are separated by about 2-3 hours walking but plan to spend some time to wander the streets of these villages.

The arrival in Vernazza is superb as it overlooks the village where time seems to have stopped. Unfortunatelly, as soon as you enter the center of the village you are overwhelmed by the flood of tourists who arrive and depart by boat.

One big advantage of taking a hike through the villages hike is the quietness. Indeed, there are relatively few people on the trail even in August .

We greatly recommend this hike to visit the Cinque Terre.
Pros :
Hiking along the coast with beautiful scenery
Opportunities to practice many activities (biking , canoeing, hiking, snorkelling … )
Cons:
Very touristy place (especially villages) and accommodation in Cinque Terre sometimes difficult to find