I'm probably going to go to Cinque Terra this coming weekend, but need advise on the best way to proceed. I had a hiking injury last year (subluxation of my left patella) so I need to go nice and steady. Any suggestions on walking routes, maybe using some busses or watercraft, and suggestions for where to overnight would be appreciated.
Posted by
Vicenza, Italy
319 posts
we went a couple years ago with my friend who was 6 months pregant. This is our 'easy' daytrip.
starting in Riomaggiore, we walked the Via Dell Amore to manarola. The route is 20 minutes and paved! We then stayed on the main hiking route and walked to the train station in Corniglia. Another easy walk, some hills but nothing too difficult. We took the train to Vernazza, Had lunch at the castle and looked around the town. Took a train to Monterosso. sat on the beach then caught a boat all the way back to Riomaggiore.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Dena,
Given your medical history with the knee injury, you might want to limit your hikes to the first two or three sections, from Riomaggiore to Manarola or Corniglia (if you feel really energetic). The final two sections (Corniglia-Vernazza and Vernazza-Monterosso) are a bit more challenging and steep. If the weather is rainy, you might want to avoid the more difficult parts, as they could be treacherous when wet.
It would help to know whether your knee injury is still problematic? I can offer a personal perspective on the situation, as I also suffered a knee injury (ruptured quadriceps tendon) prior to my trip to the C.T. I hiked all the trails and had no trouble at all with my knee (my feet were a different story, but that's been corrected now).
Note that to hike any of the trails, you'll need to obtain a C.T. Permit (available at train stations). This must be validated like a rail ticket, but don't validate until just before you use it. The DO have people at the trail entrances to check that hikers have the permit.
Regarding the boats, these tend to operate only in good weather so you may not have much luck with those at this time of the year. If you're going to do a lot of travelling in that area, the local trains are probably your best bet.
Regarding "Where to overnight", I'd suggest looking in Monterosso al Mare first, as it's the largest of the towns and has a greater variety of lodgings. Many facilities in the smaller villages are closed during the winter, so Monterosso would be the first place to try. Check Rick's book regarding the other villages, as there may be a few places that are still open?
Good luck and happy travels!
Posted by
Renton, WA, USA
39 posts
My wife and I were there in early October and broke up the coastal trail into three days. Do NOT rely on the "suggested" times for hiking that are posted various places, such as trail signage.
We stayed in Vernazza, at Pensione Sorriso. Superb breakfasts (thanks, Aldo!)! Very clean. Good location. Train noise from our unit, but bearable.
If you are able to climb stairs--both up AND down--you can do the hikes. If stairs are a problem, best to avoid Corniglia to Monterosso.
Vernazza to Monterosso is the toughest section, but we had people tell us that Vernazza-Monterosso was easier than the reverse. We did the former, and it took us over 3 hours, although I take a lot of pictures, and we weent slowly because the temp was in the low 80's (F).
A lot of that time, however, was spent waiting for other groups to pass by on the very narrow sections of the trail--we had several groups of students, one of which had 64 kids, that we had to step aside for. In fact, at times it seemed we were the ONLY hikers willing to move aside so others could pass. Some manners would be welcome. I would NOT want to be on this part of the trail sysetm in the rain. Steep and narrow.
We trained back to Vernazza. Next day trained to Corniglia. Take the shuttle up to town--it's free with your park pass. Corniglia to Vernazza is reputed to be easier than Vernazza to Corniglia. Not as rigorous as our first day, but we still exceeded the "suggested" time by about an hour. A lot of climbing, but overall gentler.
The third day we trained to Riomaggiore. Suggestion: do not bother with the Via del Amore (sp?) on a Sunday. Sheesh. Like a mall during the holidays!
Trail to Manarola gentle, mostly level, and paved, and from Manarola to Corniglia gentle undulating.
There is much to be enjoyed in the 5 towns by simply "training" amongst them. Trains go mostly through tunnels, though.