Hiking Cinque Terre Blue Trail

Hiking Cinque Terre Blue Trail is one of the bucket list you need to check once in Cinque Terre!

The Blue Path, i.e. the Sentiero Azzuro, is an ancient trekking path that historically connected the five villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. All told, the path is just over 11km long, and, for avid backpackers and walkers, just some 5 hours long.

Yet, these 5 hours offer some of the most amazing sights, sounds, and scents the Ligurian region has to offer.

1. There are ancient castles, towers and churches, many centuries old, some forgotten, but all with ancient histories, legends, and stories to tell
2. Narrow and mysterious alleys and streets that wind, go up and down stairs, and pop out and into some of the most dazzling blues of water you can imagine
3. Small beaches dot the coastal line, some so strewn with pebbles they are impossible to lie upon, others so rich with swimming, diving, snorkeling and cliff jumping opportunities you could spend a lifetime and still come away feeling you missed something
4. Amazingly colored houses perched on rocky cliffs whose residents lend out their homes for you to sleep with the sirens calling out at night
5. Vineyards where owners let you walk around, sampling the smells of pines, lemon, and sandalwood
6. Along Via dell’Amore is a unique experience for lovers and couples, a smooth path full of flora and fauna, seagulls winking at you from above, and the spray of seawater just beyond your reach
7. Finally, specialty wines, foods, and – most pertinent to me – unique homemade gelato

I will not get into detail over what you can find at the various villages, I covered those in several blogs touching on each and every town; [here are the links to the five villages of Cinque Terre – Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore] What I intend is to describe the trail itself and give you reasons to try out the trails.

My hope is to cover the trail for you, using what I experienced and managed to gather from locals and other connoisseurs alike in order to create and plan a vacation trip worth your time, money, and memory.

Please take a look at the following website for current charges as of 2023 onwards: https://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-card

Overview Hiking Cinque Terre Blue Trail

You might be wondering why there is such a difference in travel times when some of the trails are so similar in length.

Some of the paths are more difficult and demanding, making them a challenge even for the most experienced hikers.

Others, like Via dell’Amore, are such a delight you feel cheated at how fast time passed.

Unfortunately, most of these trails are no longer open to the public until summer of 2024. The past few years have seen rock-falls and land-slides destroy some trails. The residents have done much to restore the paths, a chief example being how Riomaggiore’s dell’Amore is only recently opened to the public at great expense. Even so, I fully expect the resT will soon be reopened and in time, each of the villages’ unique specialties and experiences available to you.

Why experience the Monterosso – Vernazza section of the Blue Trail?

1. You find yourself on a cliff with a commanding view of both the water and coastline. Some of the other villages can appear as flashes of light in the distance, or entirely hidden behind folds of land. The best part, however, is the stunning vistas of horizon, sea, and hills around you leave you torn for choice over whether o rush the hike or linger, picnic, and wait for the sunsets.
2. The vineyards on terraces are something else you will want to experience. Few regions allow you getting as close to their precious vines. Even fewer allow casual sampling.
3. Most people leave off the Monterosso – Vernazza trail for last because it is too visually stunning to leave for last. The cliffs at some sections open up to viewpoints where you can see all the other villages along the coast. Then there’s this lone rock just off Fegina beach that juts out to sea.
4. Fegina beach is the best among what the Cinque Terre has to offer in terms of swimming opportunities and on certain times of the year, staring down off the hills, beach umbrellas and seats cover the entire sea front.
5. There is also this stone and steel guard-rail section as you approach Vernazza where the cliff face downwards is sheer and your eyes are drawn to the cerulean waters below and you know you are going into those waters no matter what!

A Village Raid – Excerpt from Fra Orsini’s Travels

Fra Orsini let out a deep breath, the his aching bones relieved at having to spare his old knees the brutal climb. These donkey merchants were all alike in their lies. “Just there! We are close. It is just beyond that hill.” It was frustrating. Though the satchel he carried was light, the scrolls added a weight with each step.

The hills were bare, weed and bush covering what pine and lemon tree did not. The sight of seagulls sweeping down and over his head was almost enough to make him forget his crying knees.

With a slight smile, Fra Orsini chuckled to himself. The small village promised to make the night pass with ease. Vernazza below promised some wines from far off Genoa. The poor accommodations would have to be borne.

Suddenly, he had a shout.

It was Abbdul Rahman, the Bashi of the caravanserai. First, he was pointing out and ahead at the trail just about to wind down into the little fishing village. Then a sudden chaos struck the team leaders as they struggled to turn the donkeys around and back.

Befuddled, Fra Orsini called out to one of the boys leading the mule team. The boy’s eyes were wide and wild. Barely coherent, Fra Orsini barely made out what was wrong.

They had stumbled on to a raid on the town below.

Why experience the Vernazza – Corniglia section of the Blue Trail?

• The path up top is strewn with cacti and flowers of all varieties
• There is a photo opportunity just above the hills. You can see the promontory with the tower squaring off with the sea and if you find yourself up there with the sunset, just re-schedule the hike in exchange for a night out picnicking.
• Ristorante La Torre is just up there on the trail and offers local delicacies
• Local wines available
• Between Corniglia and Vernazza is a beach for the ‘free-spirited’ called Guvano where clothing is optional
• There is a cute little hamlet called San Bernadino perched on a rock and lets you reach Guvano Beach
• Path passes through a veritable forest
• This is one of only two paths – the other being the Vernazza Monterosso path – open to the public

A Celebration in Corniglia – Excerpt from Captain La Garza

Today would be a great occasion. The Fierschi family would be honored above all others. The Holy Father’s decree bequeathed the small hamlet on the cliffs to the old merchant clan, and they wanted everyone to know of it.

On every house post hung the blue and white stripes of the family. The clash of violin, guitar, mandolin and cornamusa brewed a cacophony of noise and sound more wanted for the attention than the music they wrought. The locals had swarmed into the hills, gathering fresh flowers they went on to hang on carts and wheelbarrows.

At great expense, the great family had brought in poets and musicians from the great courts of Genoa and Levanto. They say a finger-bone of a saintess had been found washed to shore, but I doubt that. How many saintesses could possibly lose their fingers on these shores?

Even so, it will be a great spectacle once night falls. The family has great plans. Perhaps they will repeat this even every year. Strange, these people, much given to celebration and pine nuts.

Why experience the Corniglia to Manarola section of the Blue Trail?

• Path from Manarola to quay is pleasant
• Great viewpoints for photos. The village is iconic for someone looking for a picturesque sight to take home
• The Via dell’Amore has seem some restoration and will be a wonderful stroll for lovers, couples, companions, friends, and families
• Vineyards on the hills provide pleasant scents and sights
• Via Volastra has an alternative hike into the hills I hear
• Nessun Dorma, a restaurant, sits right on the cliff and provides lots of wines, bruschetta, and seats for tired hikers and those that climb to the top of the village.

A changing world – Excerpt from an un-titled Journal

The world is changing. Time was, our little village was the only settlement that hugged these rugged hills and beautiful coast. You could walk for hours along the goat paths and not see a soul. Not many moved from Volastra back then, and fewer still moved on. This rock upon which we build our small hamlet will be mighty some day.

Still, the pirates hound us. We thought we would be safer, but they are relentless. For now, they concentrate on Volastra, and leave us to our goats and mules. For the most part.

Sigh.

Three other villages have sprung up these past few years. There is even a small hamlet just on the cliff and far from the water. Corniglia, I think the name was. I wonder what they will do for fishing, these strange people…

Why experience the Manarola to Riomaggiore section of the Blue Trail?

1. Path of the Via dell’Amore has been restored. It is one of the most romantic spots in the world
2. Though Riomaggiore receives millions of tourists a year, the municipal council of the town has worked out ways to control large crowds
3. Local beers like the Fuori Rotta available