I was very saddened after looking at the pictures and videos of the floods in the cinque terre region. I was planning a 17 day driving trip to Provence and Italy. I was planning to spend a day in the cinque terre reqion doing small hike(s). Do you think that is a feasible option given the current situation? If yes, what should be the best town to stay in - given we will have a car with us. Thanks!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Ashutosh, Visiting the Cinque Terre in December is probably not the best idea, as many of the tourist facilities close for the season in November and don't re-open until the spring. It will be very quiet in that area in December and many of the residents will probably be getting ready for the holidays. Regarding hikes, some of the trails may be open, but that's not an ideal time of year to be hiking in that area as the weather could be miserable. Cheers!
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
719 posts
I agree with Ken. However, if you still want to head that way, the first 3 towns were relatively unaffected by the floods, and Monterosso's new town survived pretty well intact. Vernazza was virtually destroyed, but will have over a year of rebuilding by then. I've no idea what damage the trails sustained during the storms, but I imagine that they are a lower priority than the towns and homes.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
It's still important to remember that all of the Cinque Terre villages will be closed for the season at that time of year, including those that weren't affected by the flooding. While there may be a few places still operating, lodgings and restaurants will be very "limited". Cheers!
Posted by
OP
Mumbai, Maharashtr, India
5 posts
Ken and Darren - thank you for your responses. I just wanted to do a bit of hiking on the trails. Not planning to stay in any of the villages. My plan is to stay at either Lucca or La Spezia and then depending on the weather decide to do the hike (or not!) for one day. I think that these two trails should be open - Riomaggiore to Manarola and Manarola to Corniglia (or the other way round). If I stay in Lucca and have a car, what is the most convenient and quickest way to get to the hiking trails - train or car and in either case which town should be take the car/train to? Also, any suggestions for which village to start the hike from. Thanks again!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Ashutosh, The trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola (aka the "Via dell'Amore") is currently open, but of course this can change depending on the weather. The trail from Manarola to Corniglia has been closed for many months due to extensive storm damage, and will remain closed until further notice. I'd suggest staying in La Spezia, as it's only about 8 or 9 minutes from there to Riomaggiore by train. Cheers!