Trekking in the Cinque Terre

Trekking in Cinque Terre

Finally the long-awaited departure arrives for this little trip of ours in the Cinque Terre national park. So, here we are, all three of us (me, and two friends of mine) at the station ready to catch the train that will take us to Turin, from where we'll then take an interregional that without changes will take us directly to Monterosso. We arrive at Monterosso station about an hour late; along the way we made the usual stops, which we know well, offered by Trenitalia to allow passengers to admire the landscape along the route in all calm. The weather is nice though slightly hazy, the temperature is summery and we're dressed for late winter. We immediately go to inquire at the tourist office in the station about whether or not we need to pay for a ticket to walk the upper trails. We haven't in fact come to walk the famous coastal trail, but rather some stretches of the Alta Via.

The Alta Via is trail number 1 which connects Levanto to Porto Venere for a total of 36 km but which can also be walked in various sections, as indeed we will do. The clerk at the counter informs us that the ticket (5.40 € for one day) is only required if you walk the Sentiero Azzurro (the path along the sea), and points us to the starting point of the trail we've chosen. Today we'll walk a loop trail starting and ending in Monterosso; we'll climb to the sanctuary of the Madonna di Sovine, then reach, passing through the Gritta hill, Punta del Mesco, a very panoramic area, and then descend back to Monterosso. It's about 10 km of route for a walking time of about 4 hours. So after shedding a few layers and thus weighing down our backpacks, we set off through the village in search of our trail.

Leaving the station behind us, we head toward the center of the village, pass through the pedestrian tunnel and take the road climbing inland. The trail begins, with a stone staircase, near the roundabout at the top of this road. We thus take trail number 9 which will lead us, after an elevation gain of about 460 meters, to the sanctuary of the Madonna di Sovine, also reachable by car via the asphalt road that runs through the Cinque Terre park. As said, the trail immediately starts climbing with a steep staircase. At first we proceed immersed in the typical Mediterranean scrub (heather, broom, rosemary) which, as you climb, gradually gives way to woodland (olive trees, chestnuts, maritime pines).

The trail alternates stretches of steep climb with stretches where it climbs gently, thus reaching after about an hour of walking the sanctuary of the Madonna di Sovine, from which you can enjoy a beautiful view over the Gulf of Monterosso. The trail is at 465 meters of elevation; according to the map it would seem to be the highest point reached by our loop. It's noon so we decide to stop for lunch, also taking advantage of the fact that in the sanctuary square there's a fountain. The only one we'll encounter on this loop. There's also a bar and a restaurant but, luckily, there are very few people: there's plenty of silence and peace. At this point we take trail number 1, the Alta Via, marked by the red and white blazes typical of mountain trails, which up to the Gritta hill is downhill and coincides exactly with the asphalt road.

Even though not many cars pass, walking on asphalt is not at all enjoyable. We therefore quickly reach the Gritta hill (330 m) where we find another restaurant. At this point the trail proceeds again through woodland, climbing. We basically regain part of the elevation lost descending to the hill from the sanctuary. For a stretch, it's possible to see (where the vegetation isn't too dense) the gulf and the area of Levanto; we then pass Mount Rossigni and reach the vicinity of the Bagari hill, the last point from which you see the Gulf of Levanto. Once at the hill, we proceed, still on trail number 1, pass below the summit of Mount Vè and after a very panoramic stretch arrive at the junction of trail 1 with trail 10. This is perhaps the most beautiful stretch of the trail. You walk on a gentle slope and enjoy a beautiful view over the Gulf of Monterosso and all of the Cinque Terre.

As said, we leave trail 1 which continues towards Levanto and take trail 10 and in no time reach the Sella di San Antonio (314 m) where there are the ruins of the church of Sant'Antonio Abate. It's a very panoramic point and crowded due to the presence of a school group. Truly this is the only stretch in which we met people; for the rest of the whole day we enjoyed these trails in perfect solitude. We didn't cross a single person, and to think that on the train and at the station there were lots of people, some even equipped like real trekkers. But... who knows where they went!!! Finally, we descend, taking trail 10 which from Punta del Mesco takes us back to Monterosso. This trail too, as far as steepness goes, holds its own; there are even stone steps designed for Samson, they're so high.

Satisfied with the loop just completed, we relax on the beach; the water is cold but it's a relief all the same for our poor feet. For the overnight stay we chose a place in Corniglia, the locality from where tomorrow's trail will start, the one we'll take. Corniglia is the third village going south. It's 18:00 and we really want to go take a shower and get ready for the evening; we head to the station, buy the train ticket (1.20 €) and wait for the first train that takes us to Corniglia, and as was to be expected.. it travels about 10 minutes late! From the station, to reach the village of Corniglia which dominates the sea from its 90 m of height, there are three alternatives: take a pleasant staircase counting 377 steps called the Lardariana, walk the asphalt road for about a kilometer, or take a little shuttle bus that offers a shuttle service.

We opt for the second; we've already done too many steps, while the shuttle bus is more crowded than a tram in Turin at rush hour. So we walk along the road and in a short time we're in the village. Corniglia is a village with an agricultural tradition; this can be deduced from the many terraces around the village, from the vineyards. I like and am enchanted by these spectacular lemon trees full of enormous fruit. Currently Corniglia, like all the villages of the gulf, lives a lot on tourism. As agreed with Mrs. Mariangela, owner of the B&B 'Le Terrazze' (as soon as we arrived in the village we called her and she comes to meet us to accompany us to what will be our little house for this night). We follow her into the heart of Corniglia, in this tangle of alleys and little streets. The room is a real mini-apartment: bedroom, bathroom, living room with kitchen (100 € per night).

Very nice, and Mrs. Mariangela is very kind and caring, so much so that she even helps us find a place for dinner (we don't feel like cooking it ourselves, despite the kitchen available). The village is small, and the eateries consequently, but she finds us a spot "dal Cecio" (Ristorante Cecio). So after a good tidy-up we go have our nice fish meal for the modest sum of about 18 € each, including a nice slice of delicious pine nut cake. Once dinner is finished we take a stroll (as if we hadn't already walked enough) through the village and go enjoy the night view from the village's lookout point and then head back home to sleep. The tiredness from today's walk and from the 4:30 wake-up is really starting to be felt.

Trekking in Cinque Terre

May 16, 2004 We wake up slowly; the village is a jewel as far as peace and quiet go. From the window of our living room we can admire the village of San Bernardino. While I prepare the tea, Michela and Roberta pop out to buy breakfast. The shops are open and a nice fresh croissant is really tempting! Once our quiet breakfast is finished, we pack our backpacks and set off, not before returning to the lookout point to admire the view over the cliffs and the gulf in the sunlight. We return the key to Mrs. Mariangela, buy some focaccia and fruit for lunch, and head towards the village church (the church of San Pietro). Today we take a trail that from Corniglia leads us onto the Alta Via, which we'll follow for a long stretch heading south and leave near the Sella della Croce to descend to Riomaggiore. Today too we estimated a 3-4 hour walk.

Our first trail, number 7/a, in fact starts beside the church of San Pietro, which today is all decorated for an upcoming wedding, and not only that, even the road leading to the church is all plastered with the usual posters to dissuade the two spouses. The trail climbs quickly, leaving Corniglia behind. At some points, where the vegetation isn't too dense, you can admire a fantastic view over Corniglia and surroundings, so much so that I delight in taking quite a few photographs. The vegetation is initially the usual Mediterranean scrub which then gives way to a forest of olive trees, birches and chestnuts. Near the point where the trail crosses the asphalt road we're joined by a French lady who isn't very good at reading maps, so much so that she asks us several times and every time she misses our exact location.

In any case, up to Prato del Monte, where trail 7/a ends and connects to trail 1, we walk together, then we continue south and she goes north, she'll surely have ended up somewhere, who knows if where she wanted to... Prato del Monte, about a good hour's walk from Corniglia, is a plateau immersed in greenery where, apart from the trail signposts and a nice patch of meadow rooted up by wild boar, there's nothing else worth mentioning. We then take trail 1 towards Porto Venere; the trail continues flat for some stretches, gently downhill in others, gently uphill in others and in still others climbs decidedly. According to the map we pass Aia del Cane (a meeting point of other trails) but it has no noteworthy signage.

We walk in the woods, in the silence and quiet of the woods broken only by birdsong; in some stretches the trail loses sight of the coast and instead offers a view of the inland of this region. We pass, without noticing it, and to think we had chosen this destination as a lunch spot, the Menhir of Monte Capri. This Menhir, we didn't see it, either we were too busy walking and chatting or the signage is really poor and it escaped us. The fact is that we realize we're almost at Sella della Croce and turning back, with this heat, is out of the question. So we look for a nice spot in the woods and have lunch sitting on a log. Today, unlike yesterday, we met a few more people and also some mountain-bikers, perhaps because it's Sunday.

We didn't expect, however, such low traffic on this path! From Sella della Croce we take trail 01, known as the via dei Mercanti, which takes us directly to Riomaggiore. The via dei Mercanti is so called because it was used by merchants to transport goods down to the village. It's a trail that in some stretches is quite steep and narrow. My guide in fact reports that the merchants had to carry the goods themselves because at some points the trail is so narrow that mules couldn't pass. On the fauna front too, the only species we admire today are lizards, no kestrel or buzzard as the guide mentioned, and even less, with this heat, the salamander.

Almost at Riomaggiore the trail crosses the asphalt road connecting the various villages, and here it must be said that, even though there are crosswalks, this crossing, placed right after a bend, isn't the best since you have no visibility of the cars about to arrive! In any case, fingers crossed and we cross!!! Arriving at Riomaggiore we first enjoy the panorama sitting comfortably on the benches of a church square, from which you can glimpse the final stretch of the Via dell'Amore, a bit crowded. Finally we move into the heart of the bay in search of a spot to dip our poor feet. It's hot and we're very tired; a bit of relaxation before going to catch the train is just what we need. Our train leaves at 16:13 and this still allows us to take a little stroll through the village alleys before heading to the station. The train is on time, and luckily we find three seats.

The view of the coast during the journey is always fascinating, for us who come from the mountains. Arriving in Genoa, the train stops. There's great confusion; some say there's an accident, some say the line is interrupted, but nothing is clear; as always the railways aren't too quick at communicating passengers' fate. In the end it turns out that due to a train derailment our line is interrupted and consequently the trains (there's more than one stopped) using that line would depart with an "unquantifiable delay" (I'm reporting what the loudspeaker expressly said). A rather unconvincing thing considering that Monday morning all three of us have to be at the office! So an hour passes and the train is, finally, made to depart, not without difficulty, for Turin with a modified route. Finally..

we arrive in Turin just in time to realize we have to wait another good hour to catch the train that will take us home. In any case, we had fun, we walked and struggled but it was truly worth it: the place is simply fantastic and I can't wait to see the photos I took!