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The Cinque Terre
& Italian Riviera
www.rawtravel.com
Riomaggiore
The Cinque Terre ( lit. ‘the five lands’) offers some of the best walking in Italy and offers many delights
beyond the walking itself. It is a very rich and unforgettable travel experience that makes for a superb holiday.
The rugged coastline interspersed with the charming pastel coloured fishing villages is a delight for walkers
of all abilities. The coastal paths that hug the cliffs offer extraordinary panoramic views and have been recently
rebuilt offering wonderful and fairly easy walking between the villages. Heading inland there are superb hiking
trails that offer more challenging walks up amongst the terraced vineyards and forests that cling to the steep
hills sides and headlands. This is all supported by a train line that connects all five villages and a boat that also
connects them by sea. So it’s possible to do walks of varying duration each day.
"The Five Lands" is composed of five villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The
coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and are
also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Over the centuries, people have painstakingly built agricultural terraces on
the steep hillsides right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. The terraced cultivations are held in place by
11,000 kilometres of dry stone walling that put together are longer than the Great wall of China!
Walking amongst the vineyards overlooking the Cinque Terre villages is a unique experience and one made all
the better by the fantastic food and drink that can be enjoyed once you have finished your walk. A big part of
the charm of the area is the lack of corporate development - no advertising hoardings, McDonald’s or big hotel
chains here! A series of walking paths, trains and boats connect the five villages, and some are not accessible by
car.
Nearby the Cinque Terre are the towns of the Levanto Riviera and the Portfino Peninsula which offer a more
sophisticated contrast to the rustic charm of the villages. Here you can also find great walking and elegant
towns with many attractions and a rich history.
The Italian Riveria and Cinque Terre area is a very popular tourist destination in the summer months and the
villages ( though not the hill trails) can get very busy at theses times, so Spring and Autumn tend to be the most
favoured months for walkers. Each season has it’s own charms and people visit the Cinque Terre year round.
Via D’ell Amore ( Lover’s road)
The path of the Via D’ell Amore runs between Riomaggiore and Manarola and is the most famous of the walks in the Cinque Terre. The path clings to the coastal headlands and offers magnificent views between the two villages. It is a popular path so be prepared to share it with many others during the day.
The Via D’ell Amore was created after the Genoa - La Spezia railway line was modernised. It is originally led to a gunpowder deposit for blasting rock but after the work was completed it became a sort of lover’s lane. It is said that anyone who kisses at the end of the tunnel to Manrola will be in love forever!
The path was partly destroyed by landslides in 2011 and closed to the public while reconstruction work was undertaken. At the time of writing it is due to be reopened in October 2013.
The village of Vernazza
Map reproduced from & property of the Cinque Terre Consorzio Turistico: www.cinqueterre.it/
Map of the Cinque Terre
The village of Vernazza
Religion
Being Italy the influence of the church on local culture is very evident in the region. Five churches linked to their respective Villages by steep mule-tracks, real "Via Crucis" routes still used today by believers During annual festivals ‘The Way of the Sanctuaries’ is of great historic and naturalistic interest and you can see many small shrines along the path. There are some beautiful Churches in the towns with their distinctive black and white striated exteriors ( Levanto and Portovenere have two good examples.) There are many shrines visible in the fishing villages to protect fishermen and their boats.
One of the most famous buildings is the benedictine Monastery at San Fruttuoso which can only be reached on foot or by sea - it was built in a magnificent setting in a cove backed by thickly forested hillsides on the Portofino Peninsula. It was originally built by Greek monks in the 11th century and the burial place of Saint Fruttuoso from whom it takes it’s name. Following the monastic period it became a refuge for fishermen and pirates.
Notable for it’s Baroque splendour is the church of San Giacomo di Corte in Santa Margherita Ligure.
San Giacomo di Corte, Santa Marherita
San Fruttuoso
Part of the Sentiero Azul (‘blue path’) from Manarola to Corngilia
The main st. Riomaggiore
Trail Marker
The walking trails of the Cinque Terre
There are a variety of paths of various difficulty levels that connect the various villages of the Cinque Terre and the towns of Levanto and Portovenere which border each side.
The most famous are the coastal trails of the Sentiero Azul which goes from Riomaggiore to Monterosso. Some of this trail is fairly easy walking until Vernazza when it starts to climb and goes into the forested and terraced hills. It is a favourite for locals on their sunday outings. Generally spekaing you should allow for a full day to hike the Sentiero Azul. The Path can be quite narrow in sections and is not recommended for people who suffer from extreme vertigo.
Other trails connect the villages that lie above the coast and connect the Cinque Terre with Levanto and Portovenere. These trails tend to be longer steeper and more rugged. They are excellent and enjoyable hikes for competent walkers but you should be in reasonably good shape to tackle and complete these longer walks. The trails have fairly regular trail markers and when coupled with our detailed track notes and maps they are easy enough to navigate.
The beauty of hiking in this area is that you can choose how far you want to hike as each village is well served by the connecting rail stations so you can finish your walk early
A rebuilt section of the Sentiero Azul
Wonderful Italian food & drink!
The abundance of locally grown fresh ingredients makes the food of this region sensational. Exploring the many cafes and restaurants truly is a highlight of your experience and you’ll be sure to want to bring back some souvenirs of the many food and wine offerings when you leave. The region of Liguria is famous for many specialities such as the Pesto which tastes amazing when combined with freshly made pasta ( try the Trofie a pasta from Liguria) and the locally grown olive oils and fragrant basil. Be sure to taste the very popular Limoncino liquor made from locally grown lemons it is renowned as Italy’s best and very addictive as a delicious aperitif before your meal.
The local Schiachetra is a marvelous raisin wine made from placing different types of grapes to dry on wooden trellises in the vineyards above the Cinque Terre villages. Other local specialities include Farinata, a simple delicious savory pie made from Chickpeas or the Focaccia bread which is served fresh from the oven with many different toppings. Naturally there is an abundance of seafood on offer from the fishing ports - from Calamari to Mussels and the anchovies of the area which are renowned as being the very best quality and taste.
To finish off there are many fine gelato shops and the tiramisu and other deserts are excellent!
Cornigilia
The Camino de Santiago
Food of Liguria - Panettone
Tiramisu
Pesto is made locally & renowned
The Camino de Santiago
Self Guided walks
We provide you with daily detailed track notes for each day’s suggested walks that are easy to follow. Plus a package of maps and details on all the transport links and a Cinque Terre rail pass to use between the villages.
You can choose to follow our suggested walks each day or adapt to your own purposes. There is no timetable to follow you can decide what you’d like to do and when. You might choose to do shorter walks and just relax and spend more time in the stunning villages and towns. The choice is yours and whatever you do you’ll have an excellent holiday.
Our Hotels
Our base hotel for the Cinque Terre is a excellent family run small hotel centrally located in Levanto, so you are close to the town centre and the Railway station. Your hosts are every helpful and knowledgable about the Cinque Terre so they can help orientate you arrive. Rooms are modern and very comfortable each with it’s own balcony for sitting out and enjoying a drink at the end of the day.
We use Levanto as a base as it’s offers a wide variety of eating places, cultural activities, transport and a good beach. It’s a charming resort town that people really enjoy their stay in.
In Santa Margherita Ligure we use a 3* hotel located in the centre of town and convenient for exploring the town and nearby rail station access for connections through to Rapallo and Camogli. On our 8 day package you will split your time between Levanto and Santa Margherita Ligure.
The Camino de SantiagoSan Fruttuoso
Places of the Cinque Terre
& Italian Riviera
Cinque Terre & Italian Riviera
www.rawtravel.com
Vernazza
Manarola
The Camino de Santiago
Vernazza
Levanto
Walking trails of the Cinque Terre
The Camino de Santiago
Levanto
The Camino de Santiago
Portovenere
Portofino Peninsula
The Camino de Santiago
Camogli
The Camino de Santiago
Santa Marherita Ligure
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