Does it matter which way to wak the CT?

The stretch to Monterosso is one of the hardest. My husband did it the 1st day from Monterrosso and took the train back. We then took the ferry to Vernazza the second day and did the rest of the walk. I really think it doesn't matter which direction you walk. Be sure to take the boat ride. The view looking up at the CT is beautiful. We took it round trip past all the towns and then got off on the return trip for my husband to start day 2 of his hike.

We started in Monterosso and went south. Finished the entire trail in about 4.5 hours...with stops for lunch and ice cream.

If you are in reasonable shape, this trail is not that hard. The steepest walk is from Monterosso to Vernazza, then it's not so bad.

We also walked north from Monterosso to Levanto...this is often an overlooked hike...but it was fun. Part of it is on old Roman Road! We started early, had lunch in Levanto and took the train back.

In the reality of things it doesn't matter which town you start hiking from. It's not that long of a walk either direction.

As prior poster said, the Monterosso-Vernazza leg is the most difficult, but not horrible if you're in ok shape and take your time (enjoy the views!). If it's a weekend, the trails will be crowded from 10 a.m. - dusk, so get out early if you want a bit of peace. Keep in mind that if it's raining, the trail can be very slippery, especially on the Monterosso-Vernazza-Corniglia legs.

Regardless, make sure you buy the proper trail pass -they sell them by the day (approx 3 euro) but also have multi-day passes. If you're out really early, the checkpoints are sometimes closed, but don't risk it, they do check.

Although it doesn't really matter, you will find lot's more people going north from Riomaggiore than south from Monterosso or Vernazza. At least we did. We went from Vernazza to Corniglia (south) for our first hike and we found ourselves making way for lots of hikers going north. Watch out for the Germans. They're the ones speed walking with hiking poles and hiking boots :).

We did Vernazza to Monterosso in about an hour and 30 minutes. It was a little steep getting out of Vernazza, but the views were well worth it. Definitely go on a weekday, or early on a weekend. It gets a little hairy trying to squeeze by people, as the trails are very narrow in places!

A great way to end the hike: hit the beach in Monterosso and take a refreshing dip. Ahhhhh!

Eli, you won't have any problems. Sounds like you are in better shape than most. We saw many of the young Americans hiking in flip-flops if you can believe that. The first two trails North out of Riomaggiore are almost flat (the first one is). The last two are a bit steeper. You'll be just fine.

It doesn't matter which direction you go. It is fabulous. Each segment and each town is different. And mixing some hiking, with the train and boat rides is really fun.

One small point. Perhaps the best, classic photo op is looking down into Vernazza from the direction of Corniglia. If you follow your intended plan, be sure to look back as you go from Vernazza toward Corniglia!

In the 10 days we had in Italy, I enjoyed our 2 days in CT the most! Ciao.

It really doesn't matter.

We started South from Vernazza. When we got to the end, we took a train all the way North, then took the trail South back to Vernazza.

Did you all use hiking boots???

We walk 3 miles every day and work out in the gym in between, so I am hoping we're in good shape. I did have knee surgery 4 years ago (torn meniscus) and am wondering if the hikes/walks might be a bit much?