Cinque Terre Monterosso 3 nights, hiking + snorkeling?

Hi Alice - We will be traveling about a month after you, will you give us an idea of what you ended up doing for your time there?

Thank you!!

Hi Alice

Have stayed in Vernazza for a week a few years ago. Loved it all = the hike from Vernazza to Monterosso is spectacular and very vigorous (I am 64 but referree high school soccer and stay active yet it was a good challenge - make sure you have plenty of water!)

Don't know about the snorkeling in this area but my kids (all out of college at time) rented kayaks from Vernazza and had a fabulous day doing that.

Do the whole hike if you have time - take the train to first city and hike back - first two legs are easy hikes - into Vernazza from Corniglia is vigorous and as I said Vernazza back to Monterosso was very vigorous. Did I say bring water lol!

Steve

alice,

A few thoughts regarding your questions (listed in the same order).....

• Yes, you can do a ferry and hike combo, but you won't be able to access all the towns that way. You can hike from Monterosso to Vernazza to Corniglia, but after that you'll have to travel by train to Manarola and Riomaggiore. You could certainly do that and then take the Ferry back from Riomaggiore to Monterosso (the Ferry doesn't stop in Corniglia). Note that the boats don't run if the weather is bad.
• You could go snorkeling in any of the villages, but probably not much sea life along the beaches in Monterosso (the beaches there are best for swimming). There are probably better opportunities for snorkeling in Manarola or Riomaggiore. I've never tried to rent diving gear in that area, but suggest that you ask the staff at your hotel as they should have information.
• I don't recall any high cliffs suitable for jumping in that area, but you try the small harbour in Vernazza, as there are some rocks on the far side of the harbour where people jump into the water. Manarola also has somewhat of a rocky location at the bottom of town where people swim. The area where the ferry docks in Riomaggiore also has a rocky area for swimming.
• The trail from Monterosso to Vernazza is the most challenging, as it has quite a climb at the Monterosso end. Keep in mind that you'll need to purchase a Park Pass for each member of your group (there WILL be people checking for those). You could certainly have lunch or go for a swim when you arrive in Vernazza. Be sure to pack lots of water for the hike.
• Yes, you could certainly have dinner in one of the towns and then take the local train back to Monterosso. Check the rail schedules when you arrive in the C.T. so that you have some idea what times the trains will be running. Not all of the trains stop in every town, so it's important to do some homework so that you have a clear idea what your options are. There are large charts in the stations, or you can use the Trenitalia website for information.

The last daily evening train that makes all the stops appears to be the one that leaves Riomaggiore at 23:18 and gets to Monterosso at 23:34.

Thank you everyone for the info.

Since I have 3 nights Monterosso, I want to break up the 5 towns hikes and do them on different mornings. If weather permits, I plan to do Monterosso to Vernazza the first morning since it's the hardest and most scenic. But then I don't know how to tackle the rest with hike/train/ferry combo.
From here: http://savevernazza.com/traveladvisortrailupdates/
I see that the Riomaggiore – Manarola - Corniglia trails are closed. So I'm a bit lost.

Ideal day would be an easy trail with spectular view follow by lunch and swim. Any sugguestions?