Cinque Terre: Dos and Don’ts

I’m pretty good at travel research, but to be honest, none of the posts or articles I read prepared us for the two days we would spend hiking the Ligurian towns. Since I know that a lot of people will be heading over to Italy this year (and next year and next year etc., etc.), I thought I’d write a post of Cinque Terre Dos and Don’ts! Pin this post if you are planning a trip to Cinque Terre! I hope this helps those of you heading off to see these beautiful fishing towns.

DOs and DON’Ts

• DO – Buy the combination train and hiking pass – you will need it as it is not possible to hike from Riomaggiore to Manarola or from Manarola to Corniglia. On the plus side, these may be some of the most scenic train stations ever! An added bonus? The card includes free use of the (very clean) washrooms in the various towns. Ladies (and gentlemen), make use of these locations as there are NO washrooms along the trails.

• DO – Bring water with you. The hikes from town to town are anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. There are very few (read almost none) spots on the hiking trail between the towns to get something to drink
• DO – That being said, do stop in the very small town of Prevo between Vernazza and Corniglia for the fresh- squeezed “spremuta” (orange or lemon juice). [ELIN’s TIP: ask for a mezza arancia e mezza limone – half orange, half lemon]

• DO – Wear good walking or hiking shoes. The trail is not paved and you will be walking over rocks, trees and uneven ground.

• DO – Bring a hat, there is not a lot of shade and it gets quite hot in the sun. (I think my 48-hour antiperspirant gave up 20 minutes into our hike….it’s hot!)
• DO – Bring a camera/phone. The views are seriously stunning.

• DO – Try to spread this over two days if you can. The first day we walked from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza  and then to Corniglia. After lunch, we hiked back from Corniglia to Vernazza before training to Monterosso al Mare. The second day, we trained to Riomaggiore, then trained to Manarola, then trained home. We stayed at Hotel Porto Roca which is near the previous start of the hike on the Monterosso al Mare side. NOTE: due to the heavy rains and flooding a few years back, the trail start has been rerouted and it adds about 1/2 hours all uphill if you start from Monterosso al Mare.

• DO – Know your hiking limits. We started at Monterosso al Mare and hiked to Vernazza. This is the most difficult section of the hike. The easier way is to start at Vernazza and hike to Riomaggiore as the route is more downhill. The section from Vernazza to Corniglia was also more difficult than the reverse walk from Corniglia to Vernazza. NOTE: if you train to Corniglia (or want to train back from the town), there is a long set of stairs (roughly 400 steps)  up (or down) to the train station. Corniglia is the only town on a cliffside.

• DO – Speaking of Corniglia, book your lunch at Osteria Cantina Mananan in advance.

• The restaurant is very small, they have roughly 20 seats and the spots fill up very quickly. There is no website, but you can contact them via their Facebook page (here) and book a table.

• While at lunch, DO order the local specialties – the Testaroli (which is a large circular pasta that is baked prior to being sliced up) with pesto (it’s famous in Liguria) which is made fresh, as needed. Check out the blackboard for the daily specials, or try their mixed seafood pasta for two (sorry for Pete, we had to pass on this one).

• Did I mention that the restaurant won an award for the best original basil recipe at the First Festival del Basilico? Tune in to a future post as TravelFoodCool was lucky enough to get their pesto recipe!

• Try the Ligurian rabbit served with olives. Lean, healthy, sustainable and delicious!

• Check out the photos on the wall – I have to admit, I did a double take!

• Finish your meal with a local digestivo! We had both the Fiasco di Grappa (L) and the Liquori di Mananan dell Erbi al Finoccheto Selvatico (wild fennel) (R)

• DO – For lunch the second day, we went to Manarola and walked up to Nessun Dorma. I would also suggest going here for a sunset Spritz! You get a stunning view of Manarola with its houses clinging to the cliffs while the waves crash below.

• The location is spectacular! The food is casual: salads, sandwiches, meat and cheese plates and of course Spritzes!!! Note: they do not have a hot kitchen, so items are cold foods only – there is NO pizza or pasta.

• Order a few items and share some plates

• They don’t take reservations, it is first come, first served, however, they are open every day from 11:44 – 21:15.
• Check the weather as they are closed for bad weather.

• Get a seat in the garden. You may have to wait a bit longer, but it is worth it for the fabulous view!

• DO – Plan on eating fish, especially anchovies. The Cinque Terre area is famous for their anchovies!

• DO – Plan your arrival spot, if you are driving. You can park at La Spezia and train from there to the start of the town, or you can park in the town of Monterosso al Mare. You CANNOT drive and park in the towns in between.
• DO – Stop and take breaks, enjoy the views

• DO – Try to take a boat from one town to the next. From what I’ve been told, it’s a lovely view of the towns from the water. We had planned to take the boat from Manarola back to Monterosso al Mare. Unfortunately, the water was too rough and the boats were cancelled.

• DO – Support the local stores and restaurants in the towns. A complaint in the area is the number of tourists that come in, but don’t buy anything or eat anything (sadly, often cruise ship passengers). Support the locals in these beautiful little towns.
• DON’T – Bring a baby stroller. If you are planning on hiking with small children, you will end up carrying them. The hiking trails are uneven and unpaved. If you bring a stroller, you will end up carrying it, as well as your child.

• DON’T – Think that you will be able to have a romantic hike all to yourselves. It is not happening. We went there at the end of October which is low season. It was still pretty busy. I can only imagine the trails between June and September. There must be bumper to bumper foot traffic. Vernazza is a town of 200 people that sees 15,000 people on certain summer days.
• DON’T – Try to race through this route. Take your time, the ground is uneven and there are areas that do not have handrails. There are stairs and steps that are made from rocks, or in some cases carved from rocks. This is not a smooth paved trail.

• DON’T – Try to hike if you have a heart condition, are unable to walk for periods of up to 2 hours or have difficulty with uneven terrain. You can always train from one town to the next and still enjoy the views.