Cinque Terre hike- where to start and end?

Michelle,

Some answers for your questions....

1.) I'd suggest starting the hike in Monterosso (the most northerly village). You can easily take the train from whichever location you're staying. The first leg of the hike from Monterosso to Vernazza is the most challenging, so IMO it's better to get that out of the way when you're well rested. The next leg from Vernazza to Corniglia is almost as difficult.

2.) You should be able to easily hike all of the trails from Monterosso to Riomaggiore in about 5-6 hours. The last section from Manarola to Riomaggiore (the famous via dell'Amore) is mostly paved so it's extremely easy. There's a Bar part way along where you can stop for a "cool one" while admiring the ocean view.

I'm also a solo traveller, but I used a Mar-Mar Rooms in Riomaggiore on my last trip there. The "official" CT Hostel is in Manarola, and it seems to be clean and well run, however they have a strict lockout in the afternoon and that's a problem for me.

3.) I can't recall whether my last visit was 2 or 3 nights? It's not all "couples having dinner" from what I saw. If you're interested in shops, you might want to stay in Monterosso as it's the largest of the villages and has the best beach as well as the largest selection of Hotels, restaurants and other "tourist facilities".

I typically use my time in the CT to do absolutely nothing! It's a place to relax and recover from strenuous travels in other areas. I'd suggest stayinng for 3 days and perhaps take a day trip to Portofino or some other nearby spot. There are some villages above the CT that can be accessed by hiking trails also.

Note that to hike the trails, a permit is required (there WILL be people checking). You might want to have a look at the Italy Guidebook to get some ideas on activities in that area.

Happy travels!

If the question was can you walk from one end to the other and then back to the starting point, the answer is yes, easily.

Michelle, I am an older traveler (mid 60's) and in 2008 I hiked 4 of the 5 villages. There was a train strike for part of the day so we took the 8 am train to Riomaggore and hiked to Vernazza. Most of us chose to train it home that day from there, but a few did hike on to the 5th town.
The hardest part for me was all the steps up to Corniglia, but I know there is an option rather than walking to get to town.

Use a combination of hiking and train and doing all 5 villages in one day will not be difficult at all.

There is also a boat that makes regular trips between the villages, except for one -- Corniglia I think. The boats dont' run if the seas are too high though. We ran into a train strike. A train ran once in a while. The strikes are announced in advance though. I agree with staying in Monterosso. I think the hikes are easier north to south. Be prepared to be awestruck. We stayed 2 days and 3 nights and wished we had made it 4 days. Just a wonderful little part of the world.

I would also suggest to start the hike from Monterosso and work your way towards Riomaggiore. That way you start out with the more strenous parts and end with the easiest one. That is a good strategy especially if you're there on a hot day. We hiked the trails at the end of June in 95 F with little shade around. And the brise from the sea that the locals promised us was nowhere to be felt.

You can do the entire hike in one day but pacing yourself will give you a much more enjoyable experience. It doesn't really matter where you stop as the train station will be easy to access and take you back to any other town within minutes.