5 Terre

Programme Day One

DISTANCE: 10 km /LEVEL: +500m

Reaching Monterosso, we enter this splendid village, visit some ‘musts’ such as the parish church of San Giovanni Battista with its characteristic rose window, the painting attributed to Van Dyck, the statue of the Giant, and then off to the sea, along the beautiful beach. This is where our half-hike begins, at a constant height of 150 to 200 metres, which will take us to Vernazza. Time for lunch, a good Ligurian focaccia and some local delicacies. Corniches to photograph, the square, the narrow streets, the pastel-coloured houses.

The path to Corniglia climbs gently and gives us endless glimpses, the nuances of the sea, the rich vegetation that finds space between imposing cliffs. Corniglia stands on a spur of rock, a promontory that dominates the entire coast of the Cinque Terre at 180 degrees. We scour every narrow street up to the panoramic terrace of Santa Maria. It is time for an aperitif: a typical wine such as sciacchetrà, a sweet raisin wine for meditation, or something cooler, a 5 terre DOC white! our private bus takes us to our quiet accommodation on high ground near a famous sanctuary.

Programme Day Two

DISTANCE: 9 km / DIFFERENCE: +650m

Breakfast at the hotel, at 8.30 a.m. we leave for Corniglia by shuttle bus. From here our itinerary resumes to complete the 5 terre tour. The trail rises over 300 metres, offering us splendid views of the sea and the small villages clinging to the rock. Crossing the aromatic vegetation of the Mediterranean maquis and olive groves, we pass through the picturesque Volastra, known as the ‘sixth’ of the 5 terre. We then descend to Manarola, the smallest of these seaside villages. and continue along the path to Riomaggiore, a mosaic of houses in warm colours complementing the blue sea they overlook.

We have time for one last aperitif surrounded by so much beauty. From Riomaggiore by train we return to Milan.