I am stopping at cinque terre for 1 day and will have car. What's the best place to park? Also, I'd like to walk the love path but is it still closed?
I'm staying in portofino night before and driving to a villa just outside cortona and really don't want to miss cinque terre. I just want to do a small piece so I can at left see it and know what I can come back to.
Posted by
Boulder, Colorado, USA
437 posts
There is a large parking lot by the beach in Monterossa-al-mare. It is a long winding and beautiful road to town.
The trail south from Monterossa is open but you cannot walk the full length because the last section is still closed. You can hike a segment and take the train back to the start.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16243 posts
Beside Monterosso, Riomaggiore also has a parking garage.
Another option is the parking structure at the La Spezia station.
Levanto and Bonassola, the two towns after Monterosso (in the direction of Genoa) also have parking.
A little further west, is the beautiful village of Moneglia, listed among the most beautiful villages in Italy. You can drive there by exiting the freeway at Sestri Levante. All of the above are linked by train and are only minutes apart. Not sure which direction you are coming from or where you are staying or whether you are going there on a day trip from somewhere else.
Posted by
Fort Lauderdale, FL
1246 posts
By "love path", I assume you mean Via Dell' Amore. Yes, it is still closed, except for a very short portion on the Manarola side. The cafe at the top is now deserted.
Posted by
Alexandria, VA
771 posts
Are you planning on seeing some of Cinque Terre on your way from Portofino to Cortona? That could be a long day. If so, I would use Google Maps to try to figure out different options for ease of access and time needed to get on and off the highways. In the north, Levanto has parking and is an easy train ride down to the towns. It might be a long drive down, then back the same road to Monterosso, to get back to the highway. As also mentioned, you could check out La Spezia, or Riomaggiore. I would plan this day pretty carefully so you don't spend more time than you want driving. The driving will probably take more time than you think.
Posted by
lexington, il
4105 posts
The drive from Portofino to Monterosso is about an hour. Monterosso to Cortona is
is another 3-3 1/2 hrs. For some reason this is less time than if you went to Riomaggori first.
I'm assuming it's because of access to the autostrada from Monterosso.