Hiking the Cinque Terra

When the opportunity to have a week’s holiday in Europe between work commitments arose, I turned to my trusted confidant, ChatGPT, for some advice.  I asked for a place less than a 3-hour flight from London that has lots of hiking and a beach or lake to swim in.  One of those options was the Cinque Terre in Italy, and with the promise of pasta, sunshine and primo views, I was sold.

But it is supposed to be a holiday, so rather than spend my time doing small sections of the 19km hike day by day, I spent most of my time relaxing, and then on my final day, hiked the full 19km in one fell swoop.

Here are some highlights from my day out on the trails, and why this very relaxed style of hiking could be worth considering for your next ‘adventure’ holiday!

What & Where is the Cinque Terre?

The Cinque Terre is a scenic coastal region in northwest Italy, located in the Liguria region along the Italian Riviera.  Cinque Terre translates to ‘Five Lands’, referring to the five fishing villages it connects.  The villages, from east to west, are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare.  The oldest village is Manarola, which dates back to around 1261, making it slightly older than its neighbour Riomaggiore, which was founded in 1251.  From the 15th to 17th centuries, the villages faced frequent pirate attacks, which plundered and burnt villages.  To defend themselves, villagers built lookouts and used fire signals to warn villages, which helped shape the local defensive architecture.

Historically, these villages were isolated and accessible mainly by mule trails, rail, or boat, with the villagers shaping the steep landscape by building stone terraces for agriculture over the centuries.  The area is now protected as the Cinque Terre National Park, Italy’s smallest but most densely populated national park, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognised for its unique cultural landscape.

Hike, eat, hike, repeat.

Being peak season, all of the villages were buzzing with tourists and locals, with an abundance of food and drink options.  This makes for a delightful food journey, with the goal of stopping in each village for a delicious Italian snack.  Throughout the day, multiple coffees were had, as well as pistachio tiramisu, cannelloni, and, of course, gelato.  But once you escaped the villages and were on the steep, worn stone paths, the crowds thinned. You had space to soak up the beautiful blue of the ocean, vibrant greens of the grape vines, and wheeze your way up the never-ending stairs.

As much as I love wild places, places that have been shaped by humans over 700 years can be equally awe-inspiring.  The sheer amount of work and clever engineering it takes to not only terrace steep cliff sides, but also construct long train tunnels, precarious walkways, and beautiful, colourful, towering houses, is remarkable.  The landscape is so lived in, with nature taking over the terraces, and everything looking pleasingly messy and wild.  Plus, the trails are no walk in the park – they are often technical, formed from local stone, with rugged edges and usually very steep steps.  If you lived along the Cinque Terre, I suspect you’d be pretty bloody fit!

Getting there & permits

To get to the Cinque Terre, you can fly to Genoa or Pisa and take the local train to any of the villages.  I stayed in Monterosso, as it has the biggest beach, and I was on holiday, after all!  To hike the Cinque Terre, you’ll need a Walking Permit, which costs approximately 7.50 Euros per person per day and can be purchased at train stations.  The recently opened ‘Lovers Lane’ section between Riomaggiore and Manarola required an additional permit, which is also 7 euros.  I wish I’d brought mine in advance, rather than at the station, as the lines are super long and slow!