Cinque Terre hiking conditions

liz,

I'm assuming your description of "the lower route" is referring to the popular Sentiero Azzurro trails? Unfortunately it won't be able to hike the entire route, as the Corniglia > Manarola > Riomaggiore segments have been closed for several years, and will remain closed this year. Your only options will be to use one of the higher trails to cover those segments, or use the frequent local trains.

This website provides information on the various hiking paths - http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php .

One other point to note is that the trails may close suddenly as a result of local weather conditions. It should be nice in June so hopefully you'll have a nice hike. Also you'll need to purchase a Park Pass to hike any segments of the S.A. trails. You can easily buy those when you arrive there.

I just spent a few days in the Cinque Terre. (I had been before and hiked Riomaggiore all the way to Monterrosso via the lower trails when they were still open.) This time I hiked from Levanto to Monterosso and from Manarola to Corniglia via Volastra - a steep hike up (up, and up!) and down. The latter hike was the most difficult, but if you are strong hikers, you will have no problem with it at all. The views are breathtaking - probably the best views of any Cinque Terre hike I have ever done. Wow! It may be easier to start in Corniglia and end in Manarola - it's steeper on the Manarola side, but I find it easier to climb up than step down, so I started in Manarola. I took my time and did the second hike in about 3.5 hours. You could probably do it in 3 or even less if you don't stop.

Both trails had their share of hikers but nothing as bad as the lower trails, which tend to have groups. (I didn't see any groups on these trails.)

I hiked today and on the main trail, only Monterosso to Varenna is currently open. It was crowded on a Wednesday morning, as were the trains. You'll need to plan carefully and know what you're doing.

This time I hiked from....Manarola to Corniglia via Volastra - a steep
hike up (up, and up!) and down. The latter hike was the most
difficult, but if you are strong hikers, you will have no problem with
it at all. The views are breathtaking - probably the best views of any
Cinque Terre hike I have ever done.

The hike that Andrew describes is a popular workaround to the long-closed segment of the lower SVA2 Corniglia>Manarola route. I've not had the pleasure (lucky Andrew!) but it's supposed to be a real honey if you are fit enough to take it on. It's longer and more strenuous than the lower segment would be if it were open but reviews of the scenery are always glowing!

Here's another description that includes the trail numbers:
https://followingthearrows.com/2014/09/26/corniglia-to-manarola-via-volastra-6km-route-587-586-506/

I also hiked (different day) from Levanto to Monterosso one afternoon. This hike should take about 2-4 hours depending on how fast you hike. (I hike pretty fast but also stop often for photos.) It's slightly harder than hiking the lower trails between Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso, but it's much easier than the Manarola-Volastra-Corngila hike. The views from the Levanto to Monterosso hike are also pretty good in parts; you can see all five villages (well, barely Riomaggiore) at several viewpoints in one section. But it's not quite as fun as the Corniglia-Vernazza-Monterosso hikes. On the upside, no park hiking pass is required to hike between Levanto and Monterosso (nor is one required for Manarola-Volastra-Corniglia). And, it didn't seem as crowded as the main trails probably were.