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mini trip report: hiking in CT

We are nearly at the end of our vacation, and I wanted to thank every one on this forum for all the good advice, and give an update on the trails in the Cinque Terre. We spent 3 nights in Monterosso, and loved the relaxed vibe in the mornings and evenings. We took the train from Pisa (where we dropped off our rental car, stashed our bags at the train station and did the RS walk, had a lovely lunch and confirmed that the tower does lean). There was a no-change train from Pisa to Monterosso (but not the other CT towns). Our hotel (Souvenir, in old town) greeted us with cold beer or wine after the sweaty walk up the hill from the train station, and then we wandered around for a bit before dinner. The next morning we were on the trail by 9:30, hiking from Monterosso to Vernazza in ~1:45 minutes, and then from Vernazza to Corniglia in 1:20. The V-C portion was officially closed but the trail was absolutely fine (very up and down of course, but no obstructions or areas that seemed unsafe). It was stunningly beautiful, and at one point my husband declared this was his favorite experience in all our trips to Europe. After some delicious focaccia in Corniglia, we tried the next section of the trail to Manarola, but found it impassible. There is a 20 - 30 foot chasm on the flat section a little outside Corniglia (past the "beach" access) that has collapsed. It would have been possible to climb up on a stone wall and walk/inch yourself across to the other side, or climb over the wall onto private property and cross that way, but we opted not to do that, though we had heard other travelers discuss making the hike in the other direction. So we backtracked to Corniglia, took the train to Manarola and the boat back to Monterosso. It was a lovely day. We hiked in sneakers which were all you need. I saw people in sandals and flipflops, but I would not recommend that.

BTW, our best meal of the trip so far was at La Cantina di Miky in the new town in Monterosso.

Posted by
91 posts

Wow - just what I wanted to read! We will be almost duplicating what you just did in a few weeks.

I would love to hear details on the Pisa car rental return (we are dropping off at airport - Hertz). We plan to go to Pisa Centrale to drop bags and then go see the Leaning Tower. Any tips for all of that process?

I also wanted to see how you hiked on the trail that was officially closed? What parts were opened and closed? I am guessing people are just ignoring signs and going on trails anyway? We have our 3 sons with us so I don't plan to do anything risky (will obey posted signs) but I am interested to which parts are open now.

Thanks for any tips!
Cindy

Posted by
32173 posts

Rachel,

Thanks for the report. I believe the Vernazza - Corniglia segment of the trail is "officially" supposed to re-open on 11 July, but it sounds like it's somewhat accessible now. As you found out, it's not advisable to try the Corniglia - Manarola section due to the large slide, and travellers that do so are putting themselves at risk. There are other trails that go higher in the hills for those that want to hike that segment.

I definitely agree - Cantina di Miky is wonderful!

Posted by
15679 posts

Very good decision not to attempt that closed sectionsbetween Corniglia - Manarola! It has been shut for some years now because of that landslide, and it would have been a dangerous stretch to mess around with. We'd done the Vernazza-Corniglia leg a few years ago when the trail was 'supposed' to be closed, and it was sort of a mess although most of it was do-able with some caution. Glad to hear that they've finally almost gotten it back together.

And I'm tickled that Cantina di Miky is still delighting new trippers: great place!

Seahunt, you can see which trails are open and closed on the park map:

http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/sentieri_parco.asp?id_lingue=1

The famous "Blue" trail route are the 4 segments marked SVA (ex. n 2) but as you can see, there are many other trails as well so NO shortage of choices! A section marked open today can just as quickly close tomorrow after a heavy storm or unexpected rockfall so best to check conditions when you arrive.

The "Save Vernazza" website is noting the Vernazza-Corniglia section as open: not sure that's 'official' but they seem to think so. :O)

http://savevernazza.com/traveladvisortrailupdates/

Posted by
8 posts

Thanks for posting this, Rachel! We'll be there in a week, staying in Monterosso for two nights, then taking the train from there to Pisa to get our rental car. This has been so helpful!
Pat

Posted by
146 posts

Thank you for the information Rachel! I will be heading to CT from Florence on July 21st and plan to make that same stop in Pisa before heading to Monterosso - Hotel Villa Steno (great to know about the direct train!). I had hoped to do as much of "the hike" as possible but it sounds like the first two segments from Monterosso might be the only possibility. I'm an avid runner and am in good shape but I'll be hiking solo and I'm not about to take any chances climbing walls to complete the hike! If I feel like I want to do more, I may check out the other hikes.

Thanks also for the information on La Cantina di Miky!

Posted by
28 posts

Seahunt,

We dropped at a different Hertz location and the clerk was nice enough to call a cab. 10 minutes to the station, bought our train tickets at one of the automated machines, and then just followed the signs to the bag drop off. It couldn't have been easier. We did the Rick Steves walk (in one of his books) through Pisa, then walked back to the station . If we had been pressed for time could have taken a cab back. Check the train schedules on Rome2Rio before you go, because not all are direct - most require a change in La Spezia. I'm sure you can use the official website, but R2R is really easy.

I did not appreciate any difference in trail quality between the Monterosso-Vernazza section and the Vernazza-Corniglia section, and there was not a sign at the trailhead that indicated it was closed. But the booth was not staffed, so we could have hiked it for free (of course, we had already purchased a pass on the first section). The Corniglia to Manarola was clearly marked as closed.

Have a wonderful trip.

Posted by
40 posts

Hey Rachel

I'm intending to hike at CT for a day. I will be taking a train from Florence, to (which train stop should I go?), and start hiking. I have a few questions:

1) do you need a map to hike from one place to another?

2) is the route clear and easy to hike?

Thank you for your help in advance!
Merlvin

Posted by
28 posts

Merlvin,

The seaside routes we took were clearly marked. You don't need a map, but when you pay your trail fee, they will give you one. It looks something like this. http://www.parconazionale5terre.it/sentieri_parco.asp?id_lingue=2 I didn't take any inland routes, but from talking with other travelers, it sounds like they are also well marked. "Easy" is in the legs of the hiker - there is a lot of up and down, and some rough terrain, but I never needed to use my hands for balance. My 16 year old son practically ran on the trails; my husband and I went at a more sedate pace. My calf muscles were sore the next day, and I generally think I'm in pretty good shape for an over 50 year old.

It's about a 3 hour train from Florence, and my advice on where to start would depend on your other goals for your day trip. Check out the Rome2Rio.com website to get a sense of the train schedules. Each of the 5 towns has it's own station, and Monterosso has the best connections. The only way to get to the CT before 10 am is to leave Florence at 4:30 am, and that would leave you with a 30 - 45 minute layovers in Pisa and LaSpezia with total travel time of 4h. If you started that early, you could hike Monterosso to Vernazza to Corniglia on the seaside paths, and then Corniglia to Manarola on the inland paths, with 5-7 hours of total walking, depending on your pace. If you were less ambitious, arrive a bit later and do just Monterosso to Corniglia or even Vernazza. The boat ride was lovely, but you can't catch a boat from Corniglia, so don't end there if that is a priority.

Hope that helps.

Posted by
146 posts

Hi Rachel - I have a quick question about the Monterosso to Vernazza/Vernazza to Corniglia trails. I am a 50's female and in good shape (I run 5-6 miles per day and bike some). I will be traveling solo to CT (staying in for three nights in Monterosso starting on July 21) and plan to hike the trails by myself. It sounds like the hike is well traveled but do you think that there is any danger in tackling these first two legs of the hike by myself? I plan to take my time and enjoy the scenery. I am not particularly worried but I just want to make sure that going it alone is a good idea. Thank you for all of the good information!

Posted by
243 posts

Rachel,

Glad to hear you had a great time in the CT as it is truly a great hiking experience.

I did want to respond to Sue from Michigan: I hiked the CT twice (last year was the most recent time). I do not think that you should have any concerns hiking this trail by yourself. The trail was very well travelled. I do want to suggest the hike from Corniglia to Manarola that goes up into the hills and back down. I would rate this slightly harder than the Vernazza to Corniglia or Monterrossa to Vernazza. I hiked this last summer with a group of runners (late 40's and 50's) and there was no talk whatsoever that it was too difficult. You can take the train back to your village or take the ferry. This was a real "back door" experience as you go through a tiny village that does not see the foot traffic that goes through the 5 famous towns. This was also fairly well travelled and you should not be concerned about safety either from the technical aspects of the trail or hiking solo.

Posted by
7737 posts

Do be careful on that trail. A friend of mine was hiking there last week and fell 100 feet and had to be hospitalized and is now going to be flown back to the US. Unfortunately I don't have the details of where on the trail this happened (and I don't want to bother her), but do be careful.

Posted by
32173 posts

Sue,

I'm in my 60's and have hiked the trails solo on a number of occasions. I take them at my own pace and stop for photos and visits with other travellers. The climb from Monterosso is steep and there are some narrow sections, but you shouldn't have any trouble. You won't be alone for long as there could be a "traffic jam" there in July (peak tourist season). The trails are marked by small signs, so you shouldn't get lost. If in doubt, just follow the herd.

Be sure you have good shoes, take a hat and LOTS of water. If you have any left over once you reach Vernazza, you can leave some for the stray cats that live up there.

Posted by
146 posts

Thanks for the information. I plan to go slow and be extra careful. Like I mentioned, I am not really worried about being in good enough shape to do the hike but friends and family members seem to be concerned about my safety since I'll be by myself. Hopefully, the real narrow spots are not too bad. :-)