Cinque Terre Walking

Hi tedderrick -
Your stamina level won't be a problem but unfortunately the CT trails are lousy for bad knees: they are largely quite steep, and some involve a lot of steps. There is an easy, paved section (Via dell'Amore) between Riomaggiore and Manarola that is currently closed with no firm re-opening date but it's possible that it might be by next fall: no promises.

The "Save Vernazza" website has a couple of suggestions for easier hikes so take a look. The trail numbers may be a bit confusing when matched to the current CT map so ask if you need help sorting it out.

http://savevernazza.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/trailmap_new.pdf

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/Esentieri-outdoor.php

Some of the villages also involve some steep-ish inclines/declines and steps but the towns are small so if you just take your time, I think you'll be just fine. Monterosso has the largest amount of relatively flat ground. You don't have to take a loooong stairway up to Corniglia: there's a little bus that zips up and down the hill. It's timed to be at the station for arriving trains, and the departure schedule is posted in the village.

Within each village there are some steep steps and some alleys/walkways can be steep, but it shouldn't be too big of a problem if you take them slow. You can easily get from village to village via the train (or ferry!) if you don't want to walk along the hiking trails.

ted,

There's an extensive network of trails in that area, but the ones most visitors focus on are the Sentiero Azzurro trails which provide great views of the ocean (those are the ones shown in Rick's videos). There are four segments of those and at the present time, two of them remain closed. I'm also somewhat "older" and I can manage them but have to do it at my own speed.

Here's a brief summary of the four segments.....

• Monterosso to Vernazza - this is the most challenging section, as it involves quite an uphill climb at the Monterosso end. Best to start from Monterosso as I find that going uphill is easier on my knees than going downhill. Once at the elevation of the trail, it's more-or-less an easy stroll, but there are some narrow parts.
• Vernazza to Corniglia - this is slightly easier than the previous section, but still quite manageable. When you arrive at Corniglia, you'll either have to go down the 382 steps to the station, or take the small Shuttle Van. The steps are not difficult, as they have a "low rise" as I recall.
• Corniglia to Manarola - this segment has been closed for a number of years due to a huge slide which obstructs a significant part. You can bypass this by taking trails that go higher up in the hills, but those are a more robust hike. I haven't seen any definite news on when this will be re-opened.
• Manarola to Riomaggiore - this is the famous Via dell' Amore and its been closed since Sept. 2012 when a severe rock slide injured four Australian tourists. It's expected to open again in April 2017, but of course that date is subject to change. This is by far the easiest section, as it's mostly paved and level, although there are stairs at either end to reach the level of the trail. There's a small bar close to the Manarola end which is a great place to have a "cool one" and admire the views (hopefully that will re-open also).

There are great views of both the towns and the surrounding scenery from the trails. Note that a Park Pass is required to hike those trails, and you can obtain that at the small wooden booths at the start of each segment.

We have been to the Cinque Terre several times. We are 63 and 72, FYI. We only hiked Trail #2 once. It was awful, a conga line of people and that was in October. Since then we have hiked all over on trails OTHER THAN the #2. Take the bus up from Manarola to Volastra and hike to Corneglia, returning by train. There is a shuttle in Corneglia to take you down to the station and avoid the 400 stairs. Or hike up from Riomaggiore to the Santuario Madonna di Montenero. Take it slow and you will do fine. No steps, just a steady incline with fabulous views. Walk around Porto Venere for a day. Even the hike from Monterosso to Levanto is doable, though long, and preferable to the #2. This is an excellent reference.

Our goal is not to walk the 4-5 miles between the villages, or make it to the top edge trails to see the ocean from the "1000 foot level" (or whatever). We certainly would like to walk a good bit; but not mountain trek with hiking poles, boots, and backpacks.

If we are going to be there for 3-4 days, I assume we could pretty leisurely take the train between towns, or the ocean ferry.

Does the train connect everything about mid way up the hillside, or along the coastline? Do you stop in the middle of the towns or walk up 100 feet or down 300 feet (or whatever). Also, I see some towns have shuttle bus from the train to town center.

And finally, how much time really is needed to see the five villages. Is 3-4 nights about right or is it really too much time? I see there are several "day trips" to the Cinque Terre which are maybe too short a time, but will 3-4 days be too much time?

Thanks for any other suggestions. Ted

ted,

You don't need hiking poles, high top hiking boots or whatever to hike the Sentiero Azzurro trails. I've seen some of the younger kids doing the trail with flip-flops, although I wouldn't recommend that. I just use a sturdy outdoor shoe and that works well for me.

Yes, you can easily take the train between each of the towns. They're frequent, but be sure to check the schedules as not all trains stop in all the towns. You can also use the boats (weather permitting) but they don't stop in Corniglia. The only town that has a shuttle bus is Corniglia. The stations in the other towns are right in the main part of each town. Here's a brief description....

• Monterosso is relatively flat so all that's necessary is to walk down some stairs from the station platforms. THIS shows the station exit onto the street (it's not always that crowded). Monterosso also has the best beaches which are easily accessible by a few stairs. You can see the street leading from the "new town" to the "old town" on the centre right of the photo, and THIS photo shows the main street near the station at night, with the restaurant patios on the left side.
• Same for Vernazza. You'll need to walk down a stairway to reach the main street. Downhill to the harbour and uphill to the other part of town (slight incline).
• In Corniglia you can take the Shuttle Van up to the town (small charge for that).
• In Manarola you'll have to walk through a short tunnel that parallels the tracks to get from the station to the main street of the town.
  
• Same in Riomaggiore. Depending on which track you arrive on, you may have to navigate a few stairs from the transfer tunnels between platforms.

A time frame of 3-4 nights would be perfect. Four nights will provide three full days, and you could use the time to take some day trips to Porto Venere, Portofino, Levanto or wherever. You'll have to decide which of the five towns to stay in, and everyone here has their own preferences on that (I always stay in Monterosso).

Thanks, Ken for this and your previous advice. Ted

I'm 55 and I've hiked the entire series of villages. Personally, I would add this comment to those above: the trails are no steeper than some of the alleys in each of the villages!! There are some steep alleys! I certainly didn't find it any steeper than an easy walk here in Ireland.

One morning when we started out it was pretty chilly - but by noon it was sunny and we needed sunscreen and hats. Since there isn't any place to change along the way (other than someone's house!) be prepared to layer your clothes! (I was there in May).

We also "winged it" and didn't have any place to sleep lined up. We had no problem sitting in the squares and seeing other tourists being greeted by their hosts. Upon approaching a host they each said "I'll come back when I check these people in" and a relaxing coffee break later, the hosts came back to accommodate us!

We also discovered AFTER we hiked it that one trail was closed. "Closed??" we asked? Yes, there were signs saying it was closed. But unfortunately for them, the signs were only posted opposite the direction we were walking so we never saw them. Possibly that was intentional by the locals but I don't know. The trail didn't seem any worse than another. I will add that I wore hiking shoes and was glad to have them. Incredibly I saw some women in fancy sandals - I don't know how they did it!!

One day we took a boat trip to a neighboring village and hiked back, doing that section twice. If you get tired, maybe a boat ride instead of one section walking - the boat ride was wonderful. I highly recommend it!

You'll love staying over. The cafe's on the hillsides are small, quite, have great seafood. At night they are almost empty as the day tourists have all cleared out.

Enjoy!

Susan
American living in Waterville, Ireland