Must do in Italy: the Cinque Terre hike | 2 day hike

The Cinque Terre hike in Italy is an absolute must-do! Walking through this beautiful nature reserve or National Park in Italy was high on the wish list a few years ago. During our roadtrip in 2015 we visited a number of villages of Cinque Terre, but fair is fair. We were a bit disappointed. It was very touristy and very hot. So it's high time for a rematch! And how. We did the 2 day Cinque Terre hike with our Italian friend Matteo. We are happy to take you on this fantastic trip.

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Cinque Terre hike | Day 1

The Cinque Terre hike is popular among tourists. Cinque Terre is best known for the 5 small, colorful, picturesque villages built against the rocks. In addition, they are also surrounded by beautiful clear blue sea.

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The perfect combination for a beautiful walk and it is therefore logical that it is such a tourist attraction. But, because of Corona and because we are already in the autumn, it will be a lot quieter and so we take our chance now.

Monterosso al mare | Start Cinque Terre hike

Our walk starts in Monterosso al mare. We arrive already at 9 am by train from Asti, which meant that we had to get out of bed at 5 am! Our little eyes quickly grow at the beautiful face that we immediately have when we walk out of the station. The sun shines beautifully on the sea, the rocks reflect in the water and the temperature is wonderful. We are excited! After having drunk our espresso standing at the bar like real Italians, our hike starts. 

Vernazza | Lunch by the sea

The first walk between Monterosso al mare and Vernazza goes well for us. There are some parts in which we have to climb quite a bit, but we are continuously rewarded with beautiful views, so we are not complaining. What a beautiful weather it is! After about 1,5 hours we arrive in Vernazza. This village is everything you expect from Cinque Terre. Cute, colourful, a cute beach full of boats… We walk through the center, get a focaccia and eat our lunch on the rocks with a view over the clear blue sea. We need to pinch ourselves. Who is experiencing this on a weekday Tuesday in September?

Corniglia | 3rd village of Cinque Terre

After lunch we walk further to Corniglia. This village is located right on top of the rocks and that is a beautiful sight. The village itself is quite small and as far as we are concerned not very special, so after walking around a bit we saw it here pretty quickly and we decide to continue walking. We still have a long walk to go. From here we go into the mountains. The 'regular' path is unfortunately closed from here. 

Manarola | Time for a cool down

And yes, then you have already completed half a day of walking and then it really starts. A steep climb ensures that we end up pretty broken at the top of the mountain. Fortunately there is a bar with fresh orange and lemon juice. This provides pleasant cooling and a boost. It only gets better from there. We walk through the beautiful vineyards and again have breathtaking views over the water, the rocks and the next village Manarola is already in front of us. 

Riomaggiore | By train

Because the 'regular' hiking route to Riomaggiore is also closed there and we don't feel like another huge climb, we decide to do the last part by train. For €4 we buy a ticket and in less than 2 minutes we are in the last village of today: Riomaggiore. We walk directly to the famous viewpoint that you often see in the photos. And it's worth it! The sun sets, the sky turns orange. With our well-deserved beer we enjoy a beautiful end to this day. Of course not after we had eaten some delicious pasta and fresh fish! 

Cinque Terre hike | Day 2

After a good night's sleep in Riomaggiore we get up early again and score a nice breakfast. But we don't have much time to relax, because we still have a whole day of hiking to go. The weather is beautiful again, so we are looking forward to it! From the village we immediately have to walk up a steep road and stairs. So the walk starts well. We definitely feel our calves after yesterday. 

Portovenere | Breathtaking view

But, we don't have much time to complain. Because after about an hour of walking we arrive at a beautiful church and also a viewpoint. What a pleasure this is! From there the road continues high along the coast and we walk again between the vineyards. Every now and then the trees give way to a view of the beautiful blue sea. 

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End of the walk | Swimming!

The rest of the day the walk is really beautiful. It is a variation of walking along narrow paths, high on the mountain with a view of the sea, right through the woods and past colorful villages. As far as we're concerned, the highlight was a huge open area that suddenly appeared where we already got a view of Portovenere. What immense rocks! 

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The last kilometers towards Portovenere were tough, that we were not alone confirmed the sign we encountered: 'fuck stairs'. But because we saw people swimming in the wonderful sea water, we still accelerated our pace. We are certainly ready for that! After walking around in this atmospheric fishing village, we quickly found the place to be on the rocks. We changed our hiking clothes for swimwear and went for a swim. We couldn't ask for a better ending!

More about the Cinque Terre hike and other adventures from Reisstel.nl?

Are you curious about more adventures? stay wereldreizigers.nl follow for a weekly update! Do you still want to go on holiday to Cinque Terre in the autumn of 2020? Read our blog here about Cinque Terre. A complete travel guide containing all the practical things you need to know for a wonderful holiday to Cinque Terre. From alternative walking routes to the tastiest places to eat and the best overnight stays. For more inspiration, follow also our Instagram!