Itinerary

We will rendezvous at 6:00 PM at the Hotel Punta Mesco for introductions and orientation, followed by a get-acquainted dinner (not included in trip price) at a local restaurant.

Take the ferry (8 Euro, not included in trip price) to Riomaggiore and hike back to Monterosso on the famous Blue Path, or Coastal Road, that connects the Five Villages. (There is a 5 Euro fee for using this path, not included in the trip price.) The ferry ride will give us a view from the sea of the Cinque Terre – The Five Lands that we will be exploring over the next five days. The hike back on the Blue Path will include the Via Dell’ Amore – The Lovers’ Path, and a brief stop at each of the villages. This will be a moderate day of about 12 km (7 _ miles) and several ups and downs, with the highest point at about 205 meters (670 feet) above sea level. Hiking time (not counting stops) will be about 5 hours. (Note: The ferry schedule may require that we hike from Monterosso to Riomaggiore and take the ferry back to Monterosso.)

Today we hike directly (and steeply) from Monterosso following the Blue Path out onto the promontory called Punta Mesco, at 319m – 1040 ft, that defines the northern end of the Cinque Terre, and on to the sea-side village of Levanto for lunch. The narrow path follows the ancient, coastal trade routes through pine forests, olive groves and terraced vineyards. We return to Monterosso by train. This will be a moderate day of about 5 miles, 1,040 feet of ascent and descent and about 4 hours.

Take the train to Riomaggiore and hike the steep path up to Sella La Croce (637m – 2,070 feet), where we intercept the High (Red) Path. Turning north (left) we hike the High Path along the ridge up to Monte (Mount) Capri (789m – 2,564 ft), continue to Monte Marvede (666m – 2,165 ft) and on to the highest point in the Cinque Terre, Monte Malpertuso (815m – 2,650 ft). The path then descends to Foce di Drignana (500m - 1,625 ft), where we leave the High Path and descend steeply down to Vernazza, at sea level. From Vernazza, we take the train back to Monterosso. This will be the most strenuous day, with total ascent and descent of 2,650 feet, about 13 km (8 miles) and 7-8 hours of hiking.

Take the train to Riomaggiore and hike on narrow paths, along open ridges, through vineyards and pine forests, to Porto Venere. From Riomaggiore we climb about 354 meters (1,150 feet) on the Blue Path to the Santuario (sanctuary, church) di Montenero, with its beautiful, panoramic views, then up to Colle del Telegrafo, at 513 meters (1,670 feet). We then begin a long descent on the Red (High) Path, lunch at the tiny village of Campiglia, to Porto Venere, from where we can see its black and white striped marble cathedral just off-shore. Return by ferry to Riomaggiore and train to Monterosso. This will be a moderate day of about 13 km (8 miles) and about 1,700 feet of ascent and descent. Hiking time is about 6 hours. (Note: The ferry schedule from Porto Venere may require us to modify this hike. There is no train service in Porto Venere.)

Leaving directly from Monterosso we climb steeply up to the Santuario della Madonna del Soviore (477m – 1,550 ft) where we turn right onto the High Path and hike to Foce di Drignana (500m – 1,625 ft), then back down to Vernazza on the sea. Train from Vernazza back to Monterosso. This will be a moderate day of about 5 _ miles, 1,550 ft of ascent/descent and 5 hours. If time permits, or instead of doing this hike, we may decide to take the train to visit Corniglia and Manarola, which we passed through on the first day but haven’t had a chance to really explore.

Depart the Cinque Terre after breakfast at the hotel.

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