Hiking Italy’s best trails is a beautiful way to see the country! But where are Italy’s best walking and hiking trails? Visit the beautiful five villages that make up Cinque Terre. On the mountainous coastline of the Italian Riviera, spend a few days hiking between towns in the morning and cooling off with a dip into the sea during the afternoon! The five villages that make up Cinque Terre are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore!
Whether you are experienced or not, hiking Italy’s four trails between the villages of Cinque Terre will offer you beautiful vistas of the green mountainsides and the blue sea below! Depending on which trail you take the hike can be more or less difficult. However, the trails are easy to follow and there are shaded resting points with breathtaking panoramic vistas!
When you are heading to the trails, you can purchase a Cinque Terre hiking pass. There are many verieties of passes such as the single person, student, senior citizen,
The Cinque Terre Trails.
Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza:
This is my favorite trail to take when I’m hiking Italy’s Cinque Terre trails! It is 3.6 km in length and take about 2 hours to finish depending on your pace! The path consists of both flat areas, inclines, and descents! Going in either direction you can stop in Vernazza or Monterosso del Mare for a cool down in the ocean after this hike! In addition to beautiful views of each village and the sea, pass by citrus and olive trees as well as grape vines and a couple small water falls!
Vernazza to Corniglia:
This trail is a little shorter, 3.45 km in length and will take about 1.5 hours depending on your pace! On this trail you can reach the unmarked/numbered beach of Guvano and enjoy a hike through olive groves and valleys! Cross over a bridge and pass the beautiful church of Saint Peter!
Corniglia to Manarola:
This trail is again very flat but a much longer trail! A hike here is about 2.9 km and will take about an hour depending on your pace! This trail again is very level but the end of it includes a hike up a few hundred stairs to reach the only mountain-top village in Cinque Terre! The hike up the stairs is also necessary if you are taking the train in-between towns!
Manarola to Riomaggiore:
This trail is known as the via dell’Amore or the Lover’s Trail! This trail is flat and takes about 25-30 mintues to complete! The trail offers beautiful vistas and a romantic atmosphere! If you are looking for a more difficult hike, climb over the few mountains that connect the two villages, this more challenging hike will include ascending and descending many stairs but will once again offer beautiful views!
Cinque Terre Trail Pass.
Before you begin your journey through the Cinque Terre trails, purchase a trail pass at one of the Trail Information Points located in each villages train station. Be sure to pick up a map of the trails while at the information point! The price for passes varies depending on one’s age or the size of the group that you are traveling with, you can find price points on the Cinque Terre Trail page.
Looking for more things to do in Cinque Terre, check out our post about 10 things to do in Cinque Terre! And remember, don’t just Visit Italy, Live It!
