Ciao, people of HIVE!
Today I want to tell you about a hike I took a couple of years ago to the Cinque Terre, the famous coastal area of northern Italy.
The Cinque Terre (Five Lands in English) is a charming corner of Liguria, made up of five spectacular villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. These towns are known for their colorful houses that seem to climb the cliffs overlooking the sea, creating a landscape that looks like something out of a postcard.
The narrow streets winding between the houses, the breathtaking views and the still-vibrant maritime traditions make this place truly unique.
Five Lands... minus one
The five villages to visit are all part of the Cinque Terre, but I couldn’t visit Manarola because the hiking trail that runs along the entire coast had been interrupted by a rockslide.
Due to this setback, I decided to visit Riomaggiore first, after arriving here by train, then I started my hike from the furthest village, Monterosso al Mare, to bypass the section blocked by the landslide.
Let’s begin!
Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore train station, located in a truly stunning spot.
Riomaggiore is truly charming, although quite touristy. From the upper part of the village, it’s easy to descend toward the small harbor, along a street lined with bars, traditional restaurants and small grocery stores that keep Ligurian traditions alive.
The harbor is the most famous part of the village, and also the most crowded.
Walking along the narrow seaside promenade heading east, you reach a small pebble beach. I lay down here to rest for a few minutes under the sun, then finally got back on my way toward the train station.
Monterosso al Mare
Monterosso al Mare, the westernmost of the Five Lands, has a large sandy beach, quite rare in this area.
I took a walk, enjoying the landscape and the view of the gulf, but there wasn’t much to do since it was lunchtime. I had hoped to snap a photo of the famous Statue of the Giant, but it was hidden behind restoration work.
The place is undoubtedly beautiful, but my visit wasn’t the most fortunate.
I’m not used to such touristy beaches, where everything is extremely organized and confined: I feel like it limits my freedom and space. Living in Sardinia, I’m spoiled with options for quieter, wilder beaches that remain peaceful even in high season.
At this point, a long hiking trail awaited me to reach the next village, Vernazza, which I was most excited to see.
To cultivate the land in this area, it was necessary to shape the hillside by creating "terraces," as is commonly done in other parts of the world.
Boat traffic in the small bay of Monterosso.
And here’s finally a glimpse of Vernazza emerging from the cliffs!
In Vernazza, I didn’t do much: I bought a piadina with pesto, an ingredient I deeply love and that’s typical of Liguria, and sat on the dock to update my travel journal and admire the sea, the people passing by and the boats returning to the harbor… that’s when I realized it was getting late. It was almost seven in the evening, and I still had to reach the last village.
Note: I was able to complete the hike in a single day only because I had to skip Manarola. To fully enjoy the Cinque Terre, I think the best option is to dedicate at least two full days to their exploration.
Leaving Vernazza, I enjoyed one of the most beautiful views of the entire day. I find it so… Italian!
After about 30 minutes, I spotted the last village, where I would stop for the night: Corniglia.
What makes this village unique is that it’s not directly connected to the sea, as it sits on a promontory about 100 meters above sea level. For this reason it's maybe less picturesque than the others, lacking a harbor and so on; however, admired from this point on the trail, it was as charming as the others, if not more so.
At the same time, due to its elevation, Corniglia is probably the hardest to reach among the Five Lands.
Getting there, tired as I was, required one last effort...
...and a little help from Mr. Moretti, just to keep up with tradition 😁
Unfortunately, I spent very little time outside in Corniglia. I had a delicious dinner, updated my travel journal, took a quick walk around the town and then went to rest.
The hike itself wasn’t exhausting, but it had been a long day, as I spent much of the morning getting to La Spezia and then taking the train to Riomaggiore.
I’ve decided I’ll return, especially to see Manarola.
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Have you ever been to the Cinque Terre or a similar place?
Feel free to share your experience, or any similar one, or an emotion that my article has stirred in your heart.
For now, as always, thank you for your time, your attention and your support!
See you soon on the road,