A Day in Cinque Terre, April 2024

After we have purchased the Cinque Terre Card with the train ride online, we headed to La Spezia Centrale Station. The platform of the next train to Cinque Terra was loaded with hundreds of tourists. Fortunately, the journey is short. If you do not have a seat, you won’t stand too long.  In around 13 minutes we arrived at Corniglia to start the charged hikingtrails to Vernazza and further to Monterosso al Mare.

 

Not like the other Cinque Terre villages locating at the coast, Corniglia stands proudly on a hill, 100 metres above the sea. One can wait for a shuttle bus to go up to the town centre.  At time, loads of tourist were squeezing at the tiny bus station waiting for the non-frequent and tiny bus. We walked! Instead of walking up almost 400 steps we walked along the street for vehicles as a warm up for the great hiking of the day. We saw a small path on the left side. But a driver passing us indicated that it’s not a short cut to the town atop.  It’s fine to walk up, not exhausted.  And we saw far more than just taking the bus upward, like snow mountains, vineyards on the hill sides, etc.

Prior to the arrival of the tourist mass by bus, Corniglia was still quiet and the local charm remained. At the edge of the town, a truck with daily necessity goods was waiting for its customers to get business.  Two churches have already opened the doors for tourists to appreciate the architecture and art. Shops and cafés were ready to welcome the tourists. We walked through the lanes and had beautiful views over the sea. 

The reasons to start from Corniglia for the Cinque Terre trekking are: 

1. Direction of the light. The sun shines all through the way to Monterosso al Mare. It is good for photography as the light falls on the villages.
2. The hiking trail from Monterosso al Mare is steep and one has to go up many staircases. We wished to enjoy the hike, not to challenge our fitness nor torture our bodies. Therefore, we walked towards Monterosso al Mare.

There are clear signs to take the hiking trail to Vernazza. The views are spectacular. Sometimes are nice gardens and vineyards, another times are blooming flowers and turquoise sea under the blue sky throughout. The path is not difficult. When you look back, you will see Corniglia in the dark (the sun’s position). From some perspectives, you may see it with the light. So beautiful!  Our hike to Vernazza including photo taking was about two hours.

 

When one is approaching Vernazza, blocks of buildings and the Doria tower of a ruin castle at the forefront show up as an elongated peninsular with the sea and rough coastline on the back. This sight appears at various websites to appeal to readers for a visit. We did not climb the tower as we were short of time and satisfied with the panoramic view from the hiking trail. Note: entrance fee of €1.5.

 

The main street in Vernazza was bustling, full of tourists holding an ice-cream, sandwiches, sitting at restaurants or cafes to enjoy lunch and folks moving around. Soon we headed to the historic centre filled with photogenic buildings, parked yachts and various cute artisanal stores. Nearby are the natural harbor and pebbled cove which get the sun around noon and the early afternoon.

Chiesadi Santa Margherita D’antiochia, a 14-century Ligurian-Gothic church stands splendidly on a small seafront promontory. Its unusual 40m-tall octagonal tower topped with a dome is eye-catching. Inside, it contains several 17th-century paintings. The views through the narrow-arched windows are outstanding.

 

When one ascends to the top of Vernazza, also the hiking trail to Monterosso al Mare, magical moments appear.  Gorgeous views of the town and harbor leave one with unforgettable memories. 

In around two hours’ time, Monterosso al Mare with the first beach shows up. The walk ahead is mostly down. Tourists from Monterosso a Mare exhausted with the never-ending up-street and upward staircases.

The Church of Saint John the Baptist is on the left side of the main road entering the older sector of Monterosso al Mare. The façade is made of alternating vestments of white marble and dark green serpentine and the main portal is surmounted by a fresco portraying Saint John baptising Christ and directly above this is an elegant rose window.

 

The town centre of Monterosso al Mare is dotted with pastel-coloured buildings. Residents spotted chatting at their balcony whilst tourists filled up the beach with clear water.  The beach is one of the best beaches in Cinque Terre. Already in April, it was full of sunbathers and a few swimmers. There is a second beach which one can access it by passing through a tunnel. It’s equally beautiful. Nearby is the railway station to navigate between the five villages of Cinque Terre. 

Our plan for the day was to visit all five villages. At time, the two free hiking paths between Corniglia and Manarola, between Manarola and Riomaggoire were closed.  We hop on the train to have a short visit of Manarola and Riomaggorie. Manarola is built on a high rock 70 metres above sea level. Though it is small, its calm aquamarine, pastel hued buildings tumbling from impossible heights and rugged vineyard cliffs, all weave together to create an inspiration for people to flock there.

The very best things to do in Manarola are the marvellous marina, several hikes, and a majestic viewpoint. The chilly temperature in April left the marina empty. At the evening time, we followed the narrow-fenced stone walkway from the harbour around the rocks for a few minutes. Along the way are breathtaking rough coastal lines, hilly vineyards and wild flowers. Then sat on a bench to admire the village dominated by pastel-coloured buildings over the cliff. They were extraordinarily beautiful under the evening light.

Apart from the viewpoints, other activities can be a visit to and / or short vineyard hikes. Chiesa di San Lorenzo is small medieval stone church and its opposing yellow clock tower overlook the village. For vineyard hikes, one can choose an easy or a more difficult one with steep inclines and declines leading to Corniglia (about 2.5 hours and at a higher altitude) .  The easy one is a 20-minute walk that crosses through the vineyards that circle Manarola. Both paths start near San Lorenzo church. 

With the train, in just two minutes, we arrived at our last destination of the day, Riomaggiore.  The town climbs up along the ridges overlooking the sea and it is characterized from the typical stone houses with colourful façades.  The sea separates the town into two parts. On the left side are buildings more of the orange hue. A red house on the right-side shines as the star of the building clusters. The rugged sea cliffs, the sea and sunbathers on rocks compose a stunning scene at the evening time. We were thrilled with a very beautiful day, so blessed! The day ended and we were awaiting Portovenere on the next day.