cinque terre trails closed--still worth it?

Zandy,

I suppose that depends on whether your primary focus is to hike only the Sentiero Azzurro trails. The Cinque Terre is a unique place (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and there's plenty to enjoy in that area besides the trails. Keep in mind that the S.A. segments from Monterosso to Vernazza and Vernazza to Corniglia are open, in addition to a short section of the Via dell' Amore from the Manarola end, so you will be able to hike some of them. If you're an avid hiker, there's an extensive network of other trails, so you'll be able to do as much hiking as you want.

In addition to hiking, you could explore the five towns, each of which has a somewhat unique "personality". It's very easy to get around closed S.A. trail segments using the local trains or you could take the boat which provides great views of the towns. Be sure to try Pesto when in that area, as that's where it was invented.

IMO, it's still worth a visit. However, for a visit next month you'll need to get cracking and get a hotel booked ASAP. It may already be too late.

The Cinque Terre is so much more than the trail #2. As Ken mentions there is a vast netowrk of trails you can hike without buying a Park Pass. Each town can take you 2 hours to explore -- see Rick Steves' excellent self-guiding walks for each town. Ride the boat to Porto Venere for a fun non-hiking trip, or take the train to Santa Margherita Ligure then get to Portofino by foot, bus or ferry. We've spent 16 nights there over the course of 4 trips and will not doubt go back later this year. There's always something we have not done.

I personally thought the whole place was rather boring and 2 nights was more than enough for us. Different strokes for different folks... Now, the Berner Oberland in Switzerland (Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren) those places will knock your socks off!

The views of the villages from the water are lovely. The ferry can be quite crowded, so arrive early, and position yourself on the side of the boat toward the villages (which will depend on which direction you are heading).

Two nights will give you a relaxing time, and also give you the opportunity to watch the sun come up over the quiet villages in the morning.

But, I just note you are considering going next month, so depending on overnight availability you may be doing a day trip? Hopefully you can find a room. Hotel Villa Steno is lovely, great staff/family run, and we enjoyed a wonderful balcony room on an RS Tour several years ago. If they are booked, maybe you could be put on a waitlist.

Enjoy Italy...one it's of the few countries to which we have returned and likely will again.

I agree with Tim... sort of. We stayed for 2.5 days, I would have been much happier w/1 or 1.5. Its worth seeing, for sure, but you can really experience the entire 5 in one day. By the second day, I was ready to move on. I am a very experienced hiker, and Trail 2, the parts that were open, were fun in the picturesque sense, but being from Colorado I didn't travel there to hike, ya know? So exploring the rest of the trails wasn't really of interest to me.. I do that here, I was on Vacation!

I would look at it this way, if you're really want to hike and want to travel to Italy just to hike (or make hiking apriority for part of your trip), spend a few days in CT. 2 days MAX. If you want a unique stop off that includes some really beautiful easy hiking, do 1 overnight, or even day trip it. Train up to Monterosso, hike down to Corniglia, stop off on the other 2 on your way out.

I'm not really sure why there's always such a strong sell for this location on this forum; overstaying in the CT was the only "regret" I had on my entire trip. I guess its just an ambiguous issue, it's like asking everyone in an entire room, "does this pizza taste good?"

To add to this thread, I'm planning on visiting CT in July for three nights and one of my main focuses was hiking the trails. But I'll be traveling there from Florence and plan to stop in Pisa so I probably won't settle in the CT (Monterosso) until the late afternoon/evening and then I will be there three nights and basically two full days before I head to Rome. I don't mind relaxing a bit if the trails are not all open but would it be better to do two nights in CT and plan a night somewhere else?

Sue,

"would it be better to do two nights in CT and plan a night somewhere else?"

In a word, NO. Changing hotels for one night is such a pain. I'd suggest spending all three nights in the C.T. Some of the trails are open, so you should be able to hike those. It would also be nice to have some time to explore the five towns or perhaps take a boat trip to Porto Venere.

Sue,

Trails will be open. #2 may not be open, and in fact the entire length of #2 probably won't be, but there are so many other trails in the Cinque Terre that you need not worry.

the higher trails require more climbing, but once at the top they are mostly level, till you start you descent. The high trail from Manarola, through Volastra to Corniglia is really nice.

I do think the Cinque Terre are worth a trip as the views of the sea are magnificent. I have been several times including before Rick Steves and cruise ships made it the over crowded place it is now.

I am in agreement that 1.5 - 2 days should be plenty, especially if you are not looking to do some of the longer hikes above the towns (not along the sea). I also think walking through each of the towns can be done as slowly or quickly as you want to. They sell very similar tourist souvenirs in each town and it is over commercialized ( at least in my opinion).

Thanks for the good advice. I'll probably take my time in Pisa along the way so I won't likely get there until late afternoon which really means only two full days (three nights) there. I'm sure that I can fill my time. As far as the #2 trail, it looks like the Monterosso to Vernazza section is open along with the Vernazza to Corniglia (the others are closed). I'd love to know of any other scenic trails that anyone has done - medium effort (I'm in good shape but would prefer something fun rather than super strenuous while on vacation).

We will be going to the CT in September for the fifth time. Spending four nights in Cornelia this time. We love swimming in the sea, hiking, taking the ferry, and visiting towns just outside of the CT. Sitting on a balcony or terrace with a glass of wine as the sun sets is amazing! A visit to the CT can be whatever you make of it.

We were in Monterosso for three nights, two weeks ago. Our first full day, a Monday, it rained and the Cinque Terre trails were closed. We walked around the Franciscan monastery, then took the train to Vernazza for lunch, then on to Manarola for gelato and sightseeing. The next day we hiked to Vernazza, only to meet a young Irish woman who had headed north on Monday and hiked to Levanto. She encountered sunny weather and gorgeous views. So as had been said before, there are many other options besides the well known trails between towns--and the weather may be different!

I really want to see CT and I think that I will stick to my plan of 3 nights there. I will likely have busy schedules in Venice, Florence, and Rome so even if there is some down time with the trails closed in CT, I am okay with it. Thanks to all for the good advice.