A two-day hiking plan in Cinque Terre

beth,

You could start by having a look at the Cinque Terre Park website, which shows all the trails. If you click on any of the trails in the list that start with the 500-series numbers, it will provide a more detailed description of the trail and the typical length of time to hike it.

Could you clarify your term "best transportation". Are you referring to "best transportation" to get to the towns, to reach the trails or other?

Thanks Ken. I'm just looking for ideas from any of you who have spent some time in the area and have some good working knowledge of the best trails to avoid crowds. I've done quite a bit of reading about the different options, both trails and transportation, and hoped to get first-hand recommendations.

Beth,

The hike from Vernazza to Corniglio and then to Manarola via Volastra is a great hike. The Vernazza to Corniglio hike is the standard hike but it is a great first leg with a decent amount of elevation gain. You can then proceed to up into the hills to the tiny town of Volastra and then back to the seaside town of Manarola. This makes a great day of hiking with stops in Vernazza, Corniglio, and Manarola. Volastra is not touristy, so you do not need to stop long.

An even better hike starts out the back street of Riomaggiore up and up. The ascent lasts for quite a while, but at the top you have the best views in the CT. This itself is a great on a clear day. But then you can proceed to Telegrapho and all the way to Portovenere. You are mostly hiking along a ridge, but do have inclines and declines. There is a descent across the bay from La Spezia and then down into Portovenere. You will not run into any tourists, at least no Americans, and only a few people here there. The trails are marked very well, we had a few times that we were a little unsure, but quickly found the next trail marker. This is an all day adventure. My wife and I started in late morning; we took a train to Riomaggiore, picked up some food for lunch, and got into Portovenere about 3 or 3:30. I would take the ferry back from Portovenere.

Thanks Nick! That is the kind of recommendation I was looking for. I've read about those two stretches of trails and they sound very appealing. I'll research further....

Nick gave you two of our favorites. We also hiked from Monterosso to Levanto, taking the train back. It was a very interesting hike and not overcrowded like trail #2. Quite a workout, though. The sanctuary trail up from Vernazza to the Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio is a nice climb with a great wooded park and beautiful vista. Good place for a picnic.

Thanks Laural....I always appreciate your recommendations!

I would second and third the recommendation for the Corniglia - Volastra - Manarola hike. I did it from Manarola to Corniglia and it was terrific. If i get there again I would do the Manarola - RioMaggiore hike, the steep one, not the one along the coast.

There are also many other hikes that look very inviting off into the mountain sanctuaries.

If you go on youtube and search for manarola - corniglia (or Cinque Terre trails, or any other combo) trails you will find some nice videos of the hikes.

For example Manarola - Corniglia

and more

Thanks JKC.....I appreciate your feedback!