Tuscany: Cinque Terre
Posted by Sam Harrison on June 12, 2014 at 20:13.
cinque terre coast italy pisa tuscany
View all my photos from Tuscany on Flickr
At the start of May I spent two weeks based in Pisa. I was there for a week-long conference - the "International Conference on Quantum Dots" - but I thought it would be a shame to miss out on the opportunity to explore the area whilst I was out there. I'll split the trip over a few posts, and instead of ordering them chronologically I'll split them up into different areas that I visited; hopefully that'll be more useful to any passing visitors.
My first few nights of the trip were spent in the Hostel Pisa, which is a recently-renovated youth hostel a five minute walk away from the station. I was very impressed with the place; check out my Trip Advisor review of the place for more details.
The day after I flew in, I caught the train up the coast to the Cinque Terre, a spectacular section of coastline 100km or so north of Pisa in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the same name. "Cinque Terre" literally translated means "Five Lands", referring to the five coastal villages that make up the main part of the region. Each one is precariously perched on or nestled away in the steep-sided coastline that drops right down to the sea. Habitations and vineyards are built upon impressive terraces etched into the hillside, whilst a few small roads zig-zag their way between the villages. A trainline runs along the coast, connecting the five villages and forming the best way to get around the region.
A number of hiking trails wind their way along the coastline and through the hills. Finding information on them is a bit hit-and-miss, more because of too much information and too many all-too-often out-of-date websites. The official Cinque Terre website seems to be the most up-to-date, but only if you view the Italian version! Due to flash floods back in 2012, many of the footpaths are now officially closed (this map shows what is officially open and closed), however, as I discovered, being officially "closed" doesn't mean they're unwalkable on in the slightest.
A warning: If you walk the "open" section from Monterosso to Vernazza, you will be made to buy a "Cinque Terre card" for €7. The only part of any hiking trail you need this card for is this 2km section of trail number 2, and so it's a bit of a rip-off to say the least. You do get bus transport and free wifi at train stations thrown in with the card as well though.
Things became a bit quieter from Vernazza (the "do not enter this path is closed" signs must have deterred a few) and the path worked its way along the coastline in a similar fashion. The trees became a bit less dense, offering better views but less shelter from the sun.
I stopped to have my lunch in Corniglia, the only of the five villages set back away from the coastline in a commanding position on a hill top overlooking the sea. From there, I left the main trail and worked my way steeply up the hillside on trail 587, before joining 586 to traverse through near-vertical-vineyards to Volastra. This terraced traverse was undoubtedly the most enjoyable and picturesque part of the day; I think the pictures say it all!
It was nowhere near as sunny as my first visit, and cloud shrouded the hills I was bound for. Fortunately that meant it was somewhat cooler, making running bearable. A steep drag up from Riomaggiore on trail number 501 to Selle la Croce brought me out onto the main trail, which wound its way along the ridgeline, under tree cover for the most part. The clouds didn't really obscure the view; the trees did that instead. It was still pleasant running through the woods and I enjoyed having the route to myself, bar a group of 15 mountain bikers who I had to dive off the path for.
The descent into Monterosso was a little knee-bashing; the first section was on tarmac and then the rest was on paving and cobbles. I'd been taking my time and was pleased to find that the run still only took 2 hours 30 minutes.
View all my photos from Tuscany on Flickr
At the start of May I spent two weeks based in Pisa. I was there for a week-long conference - the "International Conference on Quantum Dots" - but I thought it would be a shame to miss out on the opportunity to explore the area whilst I was out there. I'll split the trip over a few posts, and instead of ordering them chronologically I'll split them up into different areas that I visited; hopefully that'll be more useful to any passing visitors.
My first few nights of the trip were spent in the Hostel Pisa, which is a recently-renovated youth hostel a five minute walk away from the station. I was very impressed with the place; check out my Trip Advisor review of the place for more details.
The day after I flew in, I caught the train up the coast to the Cinque Terre, a spectacular section of coastline 100km or so north of Pisa in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the same name. "Cinque Terre" literally translated means "Five Lands", referring to the five coastal villages that make up the main part of the region. Each one is precariously perched on or nestled away in the steep-sided coastline that drops right down to the sea. Habitations and vineyards are built upon impressive terraces etched into the hillside, whilst a few small roads zig-zag their way between the villages. A trainline runs along the coast, connecting the five villages and forming the best way to get around the region.
A number of hiking trails wind their way along the coastline and through the hills. Finding information on them is a bit hit-and-miss, more because of too much information and too many all-too-often out-of-date websites. The official Cinque Terre website seems to be the most up-to-date, but only if you view the Italian version! Due to flash floods back in 2012, many of the footpaths are now officially closed (this map shows what is officially open and closed), however, as I discovered, being officially "closed" doesn't mean they're unwalkable on in the slightest.
A note on hiking trail 2 Correct as of May 2014
The most popular trail, which follows the coast from Monterosso to Riomaggiore, is only officially open from Monterosso to Vernazza. However, I walked the section from Vernazza to Corniglia and discovered it is completely passable; there aren't any sign of landslides. Many other people were doing the same. Although I didn't walk the rest of the trail from Corniglia to Riomaggiore, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same. This blog post gives a good idea of what's open and not (importantly, the section from Riomaggiore to Manorola sounds as though it's open).A warning: If you walk the "open" section from Monterosso to Vernazza, you will be made to buy a "Cinque Terre card" for €7. The only part of any hiking trail you need this card for is this 2km section of trail number 2, and so it's a bit of a rip-off to say the least. You do get bus transport and free wifi at train stations thrown in with the card as well though.
Monterosso to Manarola walk
The first part of hiking trail number 2 (see the box above) first works its way steeply up into the forested hillside above Monterosso, with ample view points to take in the breathtaking views right the way down the coast. The trees were actually quite welcome as it was already far too hot, despite only being 10am. The descent into Vernazza offered some of the best views, including some great aerial shots of Vernazza itself. Being the only officially open part of the trail, it was by far the most touristy and unfortunately this did detract from the experience a little; that and having to pay €7 for the privilege of walking a couple of kilometres.
Looking down the coastline from Monterosso
Vernezza from the sentier 2.
Great views of Vernazza, one of the towns most severely damaged by the 2011 flash floods.
Things became a bit quieter from Vernazza (the "do not enter this path is closed" signs must have deterred a few) and the path worked its way along the coastline in a similar fashion. The trees became a bit less dense, offering better views but less shelter from the sun.
I stopped to have my lunch in Corniglia, the only of the five villages set back away from the coastline in a commanding position on a hill top overlooking the sea. From there, I left the main trail and worked my way steeply up the hillside on trail 587, before joining 586 to traverse through near-vertical-vineyards to Volastra. This terraced traverse was undoubtedly the most enjoyable and picturesque part of the day; I think the pictures say it all!
Corniglia on the climb up trail 587.
Manarolla from the impressive terraced vineyards.
Terraced vineyards.
Walking along the terraces.
Running the hill-top hiking trail 1
My second visit to the Cinque Terre was after the conference, and this time I wanted to try something completely different. Instead of sticking to the main coastal area, I headed up into the hills that form the backdrop to the villages to follow the trail 1 that runs along this ridgeline from Portovenere to Levanto. I didn't actually do the full 40km, but instead did the main section from Riomaggiore to Monterosso, totalling around 20km with 1000m of ascent.It was nowhere near as sunny as my first visit, and cloud shrouded the hills I was bound for. Fortunately that meant it was somewhat cooler, making running bearable. A steep drag up from Riomaggiore on trail number 501 to Selle la Croce brought me out onto the main trail, which wound its way along the ridgeline, under tree cover for the most part. The clouds didn't really obscure the view; the trees did that instead. It was still pleasant running through the woods and I enjoyed having the route to myself, bar a group of 15 mountain bikers who I had to dive off the path for.
A cloudy hiking trail number 1 leading its way through the wooded ridgeline.
The descent into Monterosso was a little knee-bashing; the first section was on tarmac and then the rest was on paving and cobbles. I'd been taking my time and was pleased to find that the run still only took 2 hours 30 minutes.
Summary
The Cinque Terre is definitely a region worth visiting. It is naturally spectacular and the little villages that populate the area are quaint and free from modern developments. There are numerous hiking trails and if you pick them selectively than you can avoid a lot of the crowds. The crowds are the real downside though, and like a lot of Italian tourist destinations, they do detract quite a lot from the experience.View all my photos from Tuscany on Flickr