The five villages that are part of the Cinque Terre territory are interesting places to visit not only for the beauty of the villages and the sea, but also for the extraordinary landscapes that surrounds them. They are part of the Cinque Terre National Park, a naturalistic site of extreme beauty, rich in trails and paths for expert trekkers and hikers. Also, some of them are suitable for everyone.
Let’s discover together the most beautiful ones, the different difficulty levels and why you should visit them.
Cinque Terre coastal and hiking trails
The so called Sentiero Azzurro or “Blue Trail” is the most popular coastal walking path of the Park. It is made up of four different trails and you can customize your walk by choosing to take all of them or just one. If you decide to have a walk along the whole Sentiero Azzurro, the estimated time is 6 hours. Difficulty level: medium.
It allows you to visit all the five villages of the Cinque Terre and this is the reason why many trekkers decide to divide the route into some stages, by alternating the walk with the visit to the urban centers.
Another famous path is the so called “Via dell’Amore” (Lover’s Lane). It connects Riomaggiore to Manarola and it is part of the Trail #2 as well as Sentiero Azzurro. It is the easiest section of the Trail #2, and it is suitable for everyone. It is 2 km long and it takes about 40 minutes to walk.
Why should you visit this path? Because it is a very romantic location: it is a perfect place for a declaration of love!
At least, we would like to suggest you a trail suitable for experts only. It is the path that connects Vernazza to Monterosso and it is also part of the Trail #2.
It is the longest one (about 3 km) and it takes 2 hours walk. It is recommended for experts only due to the large number of stairs and narrow passages. Sticks and trekking poles are recommended if you want to walk along this path.
Why should you have this experience? Because from here you will be able to see the most amazing panorama with a view on all the five villages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the trails free?
All the trails are free. You don’t have to pay anything if you want to visit the Park.
Are the trails always open?
During the winter season, some paths may be closed due to the adverse weather conditions. Therefore, we suggest you to visit the official website of the national park so that you can know all the details in advance.
How to reach the trails?
All the villages located on this stretch of the Ligurian Riviera are connected to each other thanks to a widespread railway network. Therefore, we suggest you to book an hotel in Levanto: it is the first, main town close to the five villages but it is not so expensive as the others. Moreover, it allows you to directly access the National Park and to reach all the 5 villages by foot, walking along the trails that suit the best with your needs.
If you need more information about the territory you can refer to our Cinque Terre map. It is a useful tool if you want to reach the most interesting trails from Levanto and discover the surrounding areas.
