After reviewing only a few pictures off the internet, I knew my wife and I were headed to Cinque Terre at our first free moment. Cinque Terre, which is Italian for ‘five lands,’ is a group of 5 small towns connected by roughly 10 kilometers of hiking trails along the beautiful northwestern Italian coastline. This spectacular hike, with breathtaking views and rugged terrain, has definitely been the highlight of my trip here in Italy while studying abroad during the summer of 2007.
My wife and I arrived in the town of Manarola on the evening of Friday, June 22nd. Manarola is the second stop, from south to north, on the 5 town hiking path. All of the rooms in Riamaggiorre, the first town to the south, were full so we knew our 10km Saturday hike would be crowded. Our evening in Manarola was really delightful, especially after visiting a local pub where young Manarolans were playfully drinking and even dancing the ‘macaranea.’ We consumed a few beers to relax after the 4 hour trip from Bologna and then it was off to bed in preparation for our long day.
We got up early and made the quick, 1km southern hike to Riamaggiorre for breakfast. Saturday, June 23rd, turned out to be a perfect day for hiking and we enjoyed every minute of it. Riamaggiorre had a nice feel but very soon after breakfast the town began to fill with tourists ready to take on the Cinque Terre challenge.
The first and shortest leg (1km), from Riamaggiorre to Manarola was well paved and handled many curious tourists. The locals have aptly named it theVia Dell'Amore (roughly, "Lovers Walk") due to the picturesque scenery. The trail was nice but since it was the easiest path it held the most visitors and quickly became overpopulated with sightseers. My wife and I were quick to get to Manarola and proceed on to Corniglia.
Although the second leg (2km), from Manarola to Corniglia, began a somewhat tougher trail, the views were spectacular. Corniglia is a quaint coastal town similar to Manarola, with friendly people abound and more than willing to sell you gifts from there village. After a quick water break in Corniglia, it was on to Vernazza but not after making a ‘navigational’ error and completing the 20 minute stair climb twice due to missed signs. No worries, it was all good exercise (at least I can say that now!).
The third portion of the hike, from Corniglia to Vernazza, was a long (4km) and somewhat challenging hike because of narrow paths and steep inclines. Still, the trek was fantastic and several stops made for wonderful photo opportunities. Upon arriving in Vernazza, my wife and I enjoyed an amazing lunch of prosciutto and cantaloupe, spaghetti with mussels, and of course the all important calorie laden sausage and mushroom pizza. After a nice hour and a half break, it was back to the paths for the final leg of our hike.
The final segment of the Cinque Terre hike, from Vernazza to Monterosso (3km), was definitely the most challenging but the reward at the end of the trail was well worth it. A gorgeous beach awaited us in Monterosso, although we were too drained from the hike to actually enjoy any beach based activities.
After more than 4 hours of hiking, 5 liters of water, 3 bottles of Powerade, 3,000 calories of food, and 24 photographs, we completed our journey in the early afternoon in Monterosso. My wife and I enjoyed the cool breeze and beachfront view of the ocean while slamming some tasty Italian gelato.
All in all, it was a fantastic expedition. Our only regret was not having more time to spend in the towns along the way. We could have taken the train between the towns but felt that route removed the bodily challenge of hiking sentiero (footpath) #2 of Cinque Terre. Physically exhausted, we boarded an evening train in Monterosso and began the 4 hour train ride back to Bologna with great memories tucked away and our own photos to prove it. Cheers, Joe & Heather K. |
