Blogs from Liguria, Italy, Europe - page 8

Today we decided to forgo the recommended hike to Portovenere since we'd already spent some time there. Instead, we decided to explore several of the Cinque Terra Villages which weren't on our self guided hike itinerary: Manorola, Corneglia and Riamaggiore. We took the train to Riamaggiore which is the first village (most southern) of the Cinque Terre. The village, dating from the early thirteenth century is known for it's historic character and it's wine produced by the town's vineyards. Naturally, we decided we should discover the finest of the town by starting our hike with a glass of the local wine and a plate of local cheeses at a great little spot with an amazing view. Our plan was to hike the Via dell'Amore (Love's Trail), a seaside trail leading to Corneglia, but it was closed ... read more

These are the trip notes for today's suggested hike: Cinque Terre Park; Coniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso- The walk today really allows you to explore the National Park of the Cinque Terre. Starting from Monterosso, you walk along the olive groves with panoramic views of the sea. Your path continues gently towards Vernazza, an important and historical village being the only natural harbour of the Cinque Terre. Return by train. Distance 9km; approx. 4 hours walking. Ascent 300m, descent 300m. We started today's hike in Monterosso which is located at the very center of a tiny natural gulf. Starting from sea level, we climbed about 500 meters over a couple of hours to arrive at the Sanctuary of Soviore. This is the oldest sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the whole area. Recently the archaeological excavation conducted ... read more

Leaving Florence by train through the Tuscany Region and then arriving in our "home" for the next week, Sestri Levante. We were able to walk to our hotel, the Sole e Luna, which was located right at the beach with amazing views from our balcony. For the next five days we'd start out there each morning after a quaint breakfast with "Mama Mia" and travel by train to one of the villages of the region and then spend the day hiking to one or several other villages. For first day of hiking, we took a Train to Levanto and then walked to Monterosso. This is the description from our walking tour notes; "This morning take a train transfer to Levanto and spend some time in the historical centre dating back to the 12th Century. From here, ... read more

LEVANTO TO MONTEROSSO We set off this morning for Monterosso. Great to be able to have our luggage sent on ahead of us and know that dinner has been booked for this evening. A cool morning but brilliant sunshine. We left Levanto and immediately start a steady climb over a distance of 530 mts. We had to channel our inner goat ( glad Vicki is a Capricorn) at some parts of the walk. There was a mix of asphalt, soil, steps ( some quite steep), dry river beds ( that's what they looked like). We passed many houses , vineyards, olive groves, oak and pine forests. There were spectacular views of the sea both back to Levanto and forward to Monterosso. There were not many people on the trails. When we arrived in Monterosso we took ... read more

We stayed in a small rented house out in the country near Beverino for our visit to Cinque Terre. After we showed an inkling of enthusiasm, the effervescent keyholders called and reserved a table for us for lunch at a restaurant up the road (Trattoria La Pineta di Polverara). This kind of thing is often a scam, but the food was some of the best I’ve had in Italy (and I’ve been cooked for by a lot of Italians!). Their specialty is ravioli, and they were filling and delicious. They also offer wine from down the road at cheap prices. I would go back to that area just to eat more ravioli! Then, we were eager to see some of Cinque Terre. After a trip to the grocery store in the mall and searching for our ... read more