How to Hike & Swim in Cinque Terre, Italy
Cinque Terre is a stretch of Italian coastline that includes five picturesque villages which are connected by walking paths. The villages listed from most northern to most southern: Monterosso al Mare (Monterosso), Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. During our trip we stayed in Monterosso al Mare and hiked from Monterosso to Vernazza.
This is a perfect mini itinerary if you are going to Rome and want to add on another area of Italy, especially if you like hiking! We took a train from Rome to Monterosso al Mare in under 4 hours.
Where to Stay in Cinque Terre, Italy:
I would definitely recommend the Hotel Albergo Degli Amici if you plan to stay in Monterosso, we really enjoyed the outdoor patio area that had ping-pong and looked over the village.
Hiking Between Towns:
As for the logistics of the hiking, you can hike between all five towns, but it gets to be a lot if you plan to stop and enjoy each town. It took us over 1.5 hours to hike from Monterosso to Vernazza, so we opted to stop at Vernazza to swim and eat instead.
If you plan to hike between March 17th – November 6th, make sure you buy a hiking pass or buy a train pass that includes hiking. If you go outside of this range the hiking is normally free because it is off-season.
Although we only hiked one leg of Cinque Terre, the views were incredible and there were some interesting things to explore along the way.
Before you go, make sure you check to see which colors the trail signs are so you don’t take a wrong turn! When we went the trail signs from Monterosso to Vernazza were red and white.
Once you get to Vernazza go for a swim and enjoy this bustling village!
Next time I hope to hike all five legs. Comment which leg is your favorite if you’ve done all five :). For more Italian travel ideas visit my Italy page.
Such a beautiful, magical area! And great info!