Hiking the Cinque Terre

by Heather Martin, VPG Editor

My husband and I recently had the opportunity to take a hiking tour of the Italian Riviera, specifically the Cinque Terre region in northwestern Italy. The Cinque Terre area comprises five villages situated between La Spezia and Genoa. While Italy might be best known for the arts, these towns contain little in the way of classic artistry, but they do boast some of the most stunning scenery I've ever seen.

As an avid hiker, I had been counting down the days until this trip since midway through 2024. I had never been to Italy and didn't know what to expect. I imagined the cobbled streets and majestic architecture that I had seen in pictures of Rome, Venice, and the like. And although the region did not have what I expected, Cinque Terre will always have a place in my heart.

The villages are set in coves on the Ligurian Sea. The colorful buildings seem built into the very mountains that surround them. Four of the villages, Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore, are by the sea and the train stations. The fifth, Corgniglia, where we stayed, is up from the train station. You can take a bus that runs every hour to the village, or you can climb the famous Steps of Corniglia, 382 brick steps and 33 flights from the sea to the village square. However, the view of the Mediterranean and the village itself were so beautiful it was worth every exhausting step at night.

The hikes take you between the villages, over, through or around the surrounding mountains. I hike regularly in the spectacular but rugged Teton Mountains in Wyoming, so I felt we were more than prepared for “simple” hikes between villages. While stunning views edged nearly every step of the hikes, there were more than a few times that we couldn't even look up. The trails were sometimes on the very edge of the mountain, including one very memorable stretch between Corniglia and Riomaggiore where the grape vines rudely intruded onto the path, causing our bodies to lean precariously toward the mountain. At the same time, our feet stepped carefully on the thin dirt path.

Also making the hikes unique and difficult were the stairs along the way. It might have started as a way to help the hikers, but the rough and unevenly spaced steps sometimes made things more treacherous, especially in the ever-present spring rain. However, I can now proudly say that I have walked from Monterosso to Riomaggiore along the Ligurian Sea. I've climbed the steps, I've conquered the heights, and I've eaten some life-changing pasta and pizza.

Don't even get me started on the daily gelato runs and the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno in Genoa, Italy. Those are stories for another day.