The Cinque Terre continued

Amongst the olive groves and vineyards the path twists and turns, dips and dives from one village to the next. Starting at Riomaggiore ( the southern most of the five ) the Via Dell Amore – coastal path is wide, well worn and an easy 30 minute walk high above the shore to the next village of Manarola. The path from Manarola to the third village of Corniglia is still well defined, but narrows and is natural rather than well paved like the previous stretch. You wind your way high above the ocean, then drop down into the bay before climbing the 380 odd steps up into Corniglia. There stop a while, catch your breath, indulge in the local cuisine and treat youself to a local frozen yoghurt ice cream drizzled- well earned after all those steps and to die for.

The next stretch to Vernazza, approx. 2 hours or so takes you up and down steps, in and out of vineyards, between olive groves and along narrow pathways near cliff edges. All the while breathing in the balmy Mediterranean air, soaking up the still warm September sunshine ( this was the time of year that we did the walk, a great time to do it as it is not too hot and the path is not too crowded ) and marvelling at the scenery. The superlatives roll off your tongue, and every corner becomes a photo stop.

The vineyards, olive trees, terrain, boats bobbing in the bays, washing lines strung between the houses above the narrow streets, pastel coloured houses clinging to each other jam packed in a cove and tumbling precipitously down cliff faces. It really is exactly as the advertising and travel brochures portray it to be. No need to touch up the photos here.

Stop a while in Vernazza, have a swim in the bay and cool off after your exertions, relax after your walk, maybe get ready for the next stretch. This is on to Montorosso and is similar to the stretch into Vernazza, narrow paths, winding up and down, in and out and around the hillside, amongst the olive groves and vineyards, it will take a couple of hours or so depending on how many times you stop to admire the views, take photos, and soak in the spectacular scenery. A myriad of narrow stone steps brings you down off the hill into Montorosso, the last of the five villages in the walk. Montorosso has a welcoming sheltered bay, ideal to finish your walk and relax with a dip in the warm Mediterranean Sea.

The Cinque Terre is definitely well worth the walk. It can be done in one day, but to really appreciate and enjoy it, we did the walk over three days.We stayed in La Spezia rather than in the villages themselves, got a 3 day pass for the park which includes the train fare and caught one of the very regular trains that go through the area each day. A moderate amount of fitness is needed but not necessary and doing the walk in September meant we missed the searing summer heat and the bulk of the crowds. It is a popular walk and the track can get very busy and be very crowded. The Cinque Terre really does live up to all its hype and billing and is definitely WELL WORTH THE WALK.