Cinque Terre

To me, the whole of Italy appears to be a hiker’s paradise. From the Land of the Sirens across the magnificent Amalfi Coastline you may hike to the delightful nearby towns of Positano, Praaiano, Ravello and a few others, each of which having its own distinctive feature and cuisine. Or, if you happen to be a seasoned hiker, you may love to follow dodgy mountain trails, taking the help of Via Ferrata through the Dolomites in the north eastern Italy.

However, when hiking through the Cinque Terre, the famed five villages on the Ligurian coat in Western Italy, you sure will forget about all others. Hikers all over the world would be happy to know that although all the five villages comprising Cinque Terre are linked together by a series of hiking trails, all forms of vehicular traffic are forbidden to enter the hiking zone. However, the trails range from fairly simple to quite difficult. Nevertheless, most of them go wandering up precipitous mountain regions covered by enchanting vineyards or offer spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Now, let me be a little more evocative so that you may be able to appreciate some of the significant points of the hike. Although the trail that runs from Monterossa al Mare to Veranazza is quite a pleasant track that goes through some of the finest Italian vineyards over stony structures along the coastline, the one that goes from Veranazza to Corniglia can be considered as difficult to negotiate. Even though there are handrails to provide support at a few places, you may still need a walking stick as a precautionary measure. Of course, hiking boots or well fitting tennis shoes would provide added help. By the way, in taking the trail you are not entering into any kind of competition or winning any prize money and so, why not take it easy? Take an occasional break and relax. Sit down and enjoy the sublime beauty around you that nature has bestowed for soothing your nerves.

With the exception of the trail linking Veranozza and Corneglia that runs away from the water path, leading you through the high cliffs much above the sea most of the primary trails offer magnificent views of the deep blue Mediterranean Sea. And on a sunny day the colors run riot.