Cinque terre is well known for its unique formation and incomparable beauty. The Cinque Terre National Park, which is part of UNESCO world heritage offers thousands of kilometres of breath taking trail walks and attracts millions of people from all over the world throughout the years.
There are quite a few different routes of various levels of difficulty and it is always advisable to go to various Tourist Information centre in Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore and La Spezia to pick up a route map before the actual hike.
You will need to pay for the entry in the beginning of the route before you enter the park trail. If you plan on hiking for more than 2 villages in a day, then it will be more economical to get a cinque terre card “Carta Cinque Terre ” which includes park entrance fee as well as unlimited train rides . ( you may decide to hike one way and take the train back to whatever village you are staying ) The cards come in one day, three days and seven days.
One day cinque terre card
One of the most scenic and easy hike is from Corniglia to Vernazza. Corniglia being the only town that could be reached by train has a magnificent view up the top of the hill. After you get off from the train station, you have the option of going up over 360 steps to the town or you can take the small bus service ( the fee is included in the park pass or 2 euro one way). As you get off the bus simply look for the painted sign for Vernazza and just follow accordingly.
sign in the beginning of the trail
glimpse of the ocean in the beginning of the trail
easy walkway in the beginning of the trail
steps going up
clear sign throughout the trail
One side of the road is a drop of several hundred feet but the road is wide enough for you to feel safe.
beautiful scenery on the way
looking down at the crystal water
looking back at Corniglia town
approaching Vernazza
walking down and into the town of Vernazza
The walk from Corniglia to Vernazza takes about 45 mins to 90 mins, depends on how fast you walk and how frequent you stop. I walked slowly, stopped frequently ( every 5 – 10 mins) and took pictures so it took me 90 mins to finish the hike. As you can see from the pictures, the hike is quite an easy one with very few steps to climb. But if you choose to go from Vernazza to Corniglia, then you will go up the hill and climb more stairs for first half of the hike.
As you approach Vernazza, there is a small restaurant with amazing view of the town of Vernazza and it will be a great place to stop for lunch or drinks.
I truly think that this hike is not to be missed and you will definitely enjoy this little exercise plus the beautiful view on the way.
