What's the difference between these two areas? Is one better suited toward hiking?
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
I've been to both and stayed in both. SM is a city; there is a trail to Portofino from there, or you can take a ferry. CT is an area of 5 or 7 towns (if you count the towns at either end); there are a number of trails, but not all are always open. In CT there is more a feeling of "getting away from it all." CT has a good beach in Monterosso.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32219 posts
steve,
The Cinque Terre is most definitely better for hiking. Even if some segments of the Sentiero Azzurro trails are closed, there's an extensive network of other trails as well. There's also a trail from Monterosso to Levanto and I believe from Monterosso to perhaps La Spezia. If you want hiking, you won't have any shortage of opportunities in that area!