Hiking and a Day at the Beach in Cinque Terre, Italy

In the beautiful and yet rugged terrain of the five coastal towns that make up Cinque Terre, there is much to explore. The best way to explore is actually hiking between the 5 towns. The entire coastal area of the Cinque Terre is a National Park and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. So on our recent trip to the area, we decided we needed to really see the 5 towns so we set off on our hike.

The town pictured below is Vernazza the fourth town heading south to north. We took the train from Riomaggiore to Vernazza and set out on our hike heading back south. It was a beautiful clear day to explore.

After checking out the town of Vernazza a bit it was time to start the hike. We had to first hike out of town to gain access to the trail.

There are water faucets all over the five towns. Use them! The water is delicious and we were going to need it for the hike.

The hike starts with climbing the stairs. We wound our way up to the trail hiking through town up a series of stairs. Living here you would sure get your steps in every day, as there is no car traffic inside the town.

Making our way up from the beach looking back down into Vernazza.

A picturesque view of Vernazza and Monterosso, the fifth town, in the background. The round tower at the point in the background is the Doria Tower. This tower was used as a lookout point to protect the tiny village. It was built in the 15th century.

The boats out on the water are actually water taxis that run between the towns. They also run to La Spezia, Portofino and other locations along this part of the coast. There are essentially three ways to get between the towns, trains, hiking or a boat. Cars are not allowed in the towns themselves.

Along this hike there were spots where there were stairs, and more stairs. Taking the hike from north to south is definitely more challenging.

We made it!!! Not really. At about the halfway point between Vernazza and Corniglia, there was literally an oasis.

A shop that sold lemon slushies called Bar Il Gabbiano.

They had other items too but their big seller was this delicious refreshing slushy drink. There were crates and crates outside the small shop loaded with fresh lemons. In that moment it was the most wonderful refreshing drink I’d ever had!

Back to hiking. The town was in sight now. We could see Corniglia off in the distance but it was over a mile to still hike.

At last we reached the end! This was the sign at the end of the trail. Next we headed into town.

After all that hiking it was time for lunch. We stopped at a little cafe in Corniglia. After a lot of water we had a glass of wine with the specialty of the area, anchovies! They were in a lemon and light olive oil dressing. They were delicious, I promise! (and then we had a pizza!)

We hiked Vernazza to Corniglia, north to south. This was exceptionally difficult due to the 300 ft elevation gain. The total hike was a little over 2 miles. It was all dirt paths, some very narrow and a lot of stairs.

Unfortunately, the next two paths heading south were closed due to trail repairs, so we were not able to hike all the way back to Riomaggiore. These paths are expected to be closed through 2024.

(Map credit: Cinque Terre EU.com)

After a day of hiking we decided to spend a beach day at the fifth town of Monterosso. We took the train from Riomaggiore traveling through all five towns in less than 20 minutes. The best way to get around this part of Italy is to purchase the Cinque Terre Card. For a daily fee, you have unlimited use of the trains, hiking trails (that are open) and the small busses in some of the cities. They can be purchased at the local train stations.

We arrived early on a day in June before the tourist season really got going. There are private clubs and beaches associated with resorts, but there are also plenty of public beaches. If you’d like two chairs and an umbrella it does cost about 30 euros, which we thought was not too bad for the entire day.

The Monterosso Giant. This sculpture of Neptune hangs over the edge of the sea, seemingly to guard the land. It is made of iron and cement sculpted in the early 20th century.

Ahhhhh…..A beautiful calm day at the beach. The nice thing about these public beaches is that you can bring your own food and beverages. We bought a couple of beers and some waters from a little shop across the street. Then, when it was lunch time, we walked to a little cafe nearby and returned to our saved chairs.

Another look at the beautiful beach in Monterosso al Mare.

After a lot of hiking and walking it was great just to relax on the beach for a day.

The water was beautiful but a little chilly.

All too soon, it was time to get back on the train and head four towns south where our Airbnb was located. We loved our day at the beach in Monterosso al Mare.

Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre

This was the last night of our 3 night stay in Cinque Terre. We spent time in all five towns, enjoying the uniqueness of each one. It is so different than the beaches in Southern Italy in that it feels almost a little like stepping back in time. We found Cinque Terre to be so quaint, so welcoming and so incredibly picturesque. I am so glad we finally got to have an adventure in this part of Italy!

Come see our time spent in the other four towns in the post: HERE