The Cinque Terre coastal walk

The Cinque Terre coastal walk is stunning. The path takes you up and down along the rugged coastline and to each of the five villages along the way, each with their own character. I had planned to do the walk over two days, but after making it from the southern most village of Riomaggiore to Vernazza, where I am staying, I decided to tackle the last (and hardest) stretch north to Monterosso on the same day. It took me about five hours, including photo stops and a coffee break, to cover the 9km. Pretty happy with that effort!

While the walk is lovely, don’t expect to be alone. I came across a couple of hundreds fellow walkers, mainly Americans and Germans (does Rick Steve have a German equivalent?!). The southern stretch of the walk is the easiest, with a wide, paved track, but this gradually becomes harder as you head north, the path becomes narrower and steeper, with hundreds of steps. There was a time when the path was the only way to travel between the villages. Nowadays the train covers the same distance in less than 20 minutes! But then the train doesn’t have to scarper up the cliffs, it goes straight through tunnels.

From Cinque Terre

The scariest section was between Vernazza and Monterosso, with lots of very narrow sections dropping steeply down one side. Unfortunately I encountered a very large student group in this area, having to wait for about 50 students to pass before being able to continue. The advantage of setting off early is that it was relatively quiet along the track and at the first couple of villages, but by the time I reached Vernazza, the place was packed with tourists. Many arrive by boat or train from nearby Portofino. The stretch of track between Vernazza and Monterosso was also the busiest (possibly because it was the afternoon), and tempered the experience to a degree. When I arrived in Monterosso, the largest of the towns, I couldn’t believe the number of school groups I found. Hundreds of students, almost all German (not sure why the Cinque Terre is such a destination for German students?). They left en masse on a ferry not long after I arrived.

From Cinque Terre

Now I am back at my room, sitting on the balcony listening to the waves crashing below and contemplating dinner. Oh, and I am sipping some of the local white wine. This is what they mean when they say Italians enjoy La Dolce Vita! Just what I needed after my jam-packed schedules in Venice, Florence and Rome.