Known as the picturesque pearls of Liguria, the Cinque Terre today are – together with Porto Venere – a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a “cultural landscape”. Ancient seaside villages characterized by their bright and lively colored houses, like the character of their inhabitants, will be the backdrop for this two-day trek by GlobalMountain.

Program

DAY 1

Meet at 9:00 AM at La Spezia Central Station, from where we will take the train to Monterosso (about 20m), the northernmost of the Cinque Terre and where our trek will start after a quick first visit to the village. Through the suggestive Sentiero Azzurro overlooking the sea, we will reach Vernazza: the view of this wonderful village from above is something unforgettable. After a short visit to the picturesque streets of Vernazza, we reach Corniglia via a staircase of over 1,200 steps. Its peculiarity is being the only one of the Cinque Terre villages not to have access to the sea, as it is perched on a promontory about 90 meters high! From Corniglia we will head towards Manarola, considered the true pearl of the Cinque Terre: depending on the timing, the guide will decide whether to use the train to reach the penultimate village or continue on foot. Once in the small village of Manarola, we will take the train to reach Riomaggiore, the last stop of the day, and if the weather permits, we can enjoy a wonderful sunset over the sea.

DAY 2

Departure at 8:30 AM from Riomaggiore for the beautiful Porto Venere via the panoramic and suggestive Sentiero dell’Infinito. The name is no coincidence: the path winds through Mediterranean scrub, woods, hamlets, terraces, and vineyards from which the view stretches infinitely over the sea. Step by step we will arrive at one of the most beautiful places in Liguria: Portovenere. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is a stronghold by the sea from which you can enjoy an exceptional view of the Gulf of Poets and Palmaria Island (not surprisingly, the remains of the famous mountaineer Walter Bonatti are kept in the picturesque cemetery of this charming village).

Necessary materials

• Comfortable hiking shoes
• Trekking poles (if you usually use them)
• Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
• 1.5 l water bottle
• Layered clothing: short-sleeved shirt, long-sleeved shirt, light down jacket, rain/wind jacket
• Change of clothes
• Personal medication
• Food: bars, fruit, etc.

Rates per person for private/pre-formed groups