Cinque Terre for 5 nights based in Riomaggiore

After u discover your hikes u could consider santa maragarita ligure for a stroll thru a beautiful seaside town.

Hi JennO,

Though many of the coastal trails may be closed, don't miss out on the hike from Volastra (a village above Manarola), to Corniglia. To save a bit of the uphill part of it, pick up bus tickets in Manarola and take the bus to Volastra. I believe the path starts on trail 6D (at the iron cross behind the church), then you will connect to 7A. Spectacular views on the ridge of the Ligurian sea as you hike thru grape vineyards and olive trees. It took about an hour and 20 minutes which includes endless stops to take pictures and just take in the beauty. I've heard the coastal trail between Riomaggiore and Manarola might be re-opened by next spring. When will you be visiting?

Thank you. Both suggestions sound great. We will be there between 31 August to 5 September.

In addition to the hike Darrell recommends, I like the one uphill from Vernazza to the Santuario Nostra Madonna Delle Grazie and also the one from Riomaggiore Santuario di Nostra Signora di Montenero. Neither is difficult, there is some shade, but go early before the heat really comes on (always good advice for summer hiking). A day spent wandering in Porto Venere is nice, too. You can get there by boat and it is a lovely cruise as well. If you are feeling particularly energetic, you can take the train to Santa Margherita Ligure and then hike to Portofino, have an expensive (but good!) lunch and take a boat back to SML.

Favorite places to eat: Trattoria da Billy in Manarola, Il Pirata in Vernazza (the two brothers are a hoot and Gianluca is a very good chef). Make reservations, by all means. We love the food in the Cinque Terre, especially the marinated acciughe. We also love that you can take a train to any of the towns just for a walk and dinner and still get back "home" conveniently after your meal.

In Vernazza, try and make reservations at Bellforte restaurant. It is an old lookout tower hanging off the point. We got to eat in the tower. Just were lucky, no reservations but sooooo worth the wait! If you meet Andreas, the "Italian Midget", you will love him! Our plans were to eat lunch and then hike back to Monterosso. 3 hours later we took the train!!!

For swimming, Monterosso has the best beach.

Jenn,

This website will provide information on the hiking paths in the Cinque Terre - http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php

A few thoughts on swimming......

• Riomaggiore - some swim in the small harbour, but there's a beach around the corner (can be seen from the area where the boats dock). I've never tried it but it looks a bit "rocky".
• Manarola - there's a small sheltered area off the rocks for swimmers.
• Corniglia - although the town is located high on a rocky bluff, there is a swimming area but you'll need to take a LOT of steps to get to it.
• Vernazza - has a nice enclosed harbour and you can swim off the small beach or walk around past the Church and swim off the rocks, which can be faintly seen in THIS photo (look directly opposite, at the base of the large vertical stone wall).
• Monterosso - absolutely has the best beaches in the area, complete with lounge chairs and umbrellas if you wish (for a small charge of course). There's a smaller beach on the "old town" and a larger beach in the "new town", which can be seen in THIS photo.

Regarding restaurants, I'm most familiar with those in Monterosso. If you want a few suggestions for there, I'll forward my usual list.

JennO, if you have an abundant appetite or more than two people, go to the Belvedere right near the coast by the entry to the Old Town of Monterosso for dinner, and have their "Amfora", which is a large clay urn of mixed seafood in a delicious liquid sauce. Down home restaurant, and this dish is delicious, and not so expensive if shared by three or four people.

Thank you to everyone for their answers. I am definitely looking forward to visiting the area. If anyone has any other ideas on eating out I would be happy to hear them. Or even market places to purchase produce. My husband doesn't eat seafood but I love it.

Thank you once again.

There are some really amazing hikes beside the hikes and walks between the main 5 towns. The hike from Corniglia to Manarola that heads into the hills and back down is amazing.

The best hike that I have done there in my two trips to the CT is Riomaggiore to Portovenere. It is a long hike that takes several hours but is really amazing. It starts going straight up. Once you get to the top, it has the most amazing views in the CT. You could stop here; picnic, and then head back down. The hike to Portovenere goes through small vineyards, a pine forest, and conveniently has a picnic area at about the half way mark. This is a real hike that will take if my memory is right, at least 5 hours plus stops for lunch (pack and carry) and pictures. Once you obtain attitude, it is fairly level (although not flat) until you descend to Portovenere. This is tough hike as compared to the other CT hikes and you have to be in decent shape, although compared to hikes in the Alps or Rockies it would not be considered hard. When you arrive in Portovenere, roam, have a drink and take a boat back.

Thank you Nick. 3- 4 hours is probably our maximum for hiking. However, I will give the first one you mentioned a go. Cheers