Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Delicious. Cheap. Local. Making Meals
from the Village Deli
Invariably, one of the best meals that I have in the Cinque Terre is a pic-
nic lunch composed of a few slices of
coppa di parma,
a small bunch of
arugula, a plum tomato, a wedge of olive-studded focaccia, and a bottle
of chilled Vermentino—all enjoyed on my private terrace overlooking the
main street in Riomaggiore. Every village has at least two superb delis
and/or
enotece,
as well as tiny
focaccerie,
where wood-burning ovens
churn out large squares of fresh focaccia. For best value in providing pic-
nic fixings, head straight for one of the
Coop 5 Terre
shops located on the
main streets of Riomaggiore, Manarola, and Vernazza.
For a picnic in Corniglia, you'll find the delightful
A Bütiega
on Via
Fieschi, 142 (the main lane). And Monterosso has plenty of
prodotti tipici
shops, a few good bakeries, and a supermarket.
WHY YOU'RE HERE: EXPLORING THE NATIONAL PARK
The Cinque Terre is crisscrossed with a network of well-marked trails (58 at last
count). Some pass within leaping distance of the crystal-clear waters of the sea,
some through cultivated terraces and the fragrant vegetation of the Mediterranean
flora. All hikes are listed, together with the estimated times to complete each seg-
ment, in “The Park By Foot,” which is available at the park offices. (Though not
always in English, paths are clearly marked/numbered and can be used in conjunc-
tion with the advice set forth below.)
Park office headquarters
are in Riomaggiore
(Via Telemaco Signorini, 118;
%
0187-760000; www.parconazionale5terre.it).
By far the most popular trail is the
coastal “blue” path
(referred to as
sentiero
azzuro,
or simply “no. 2”) that
links the five villages.
To walk any stretch of the
coastal blue path you have to pay a daily entry fee of
3 (all others hikes are free);
you purchase your ticket between 8am and 8pm from any of the park offices,
located at all five village train stations or at trail heads. If you wish to complete
the full coastal walk (Riomaggiore to Monterosso), set aside an entire day (if
you're reasonably fit it should take about 5 hr. without stops), and bear in mind
that it's easier to walk from east to west—that is, to set off from Riomaggiore and
to end in Monterosso.
A less arduous plan is to
walk from Riomaggiore to Vernazza.
It's a 3-hour
hike, which includes a 20-minute amble between Riomaggiore and Manarola,
called the
dell Amore
(a name that is more evocative than the actual walk); the
satisfying 45-minute stride between Manarola and Corniglia; and the final tiring
but very rewarding 2-hour stretch from Corniglia to Vernazza. (The latter is the
most attractive part, so if you have time for only one good walk, make it this leg.)
From Vernazza, I suggest you catch the ferry to Monterosso (
€
5; one almost every
hour), and then take the train back to your home base. But if you're fit and up
for it, do tackle the final stretch between Vernazza and Monterosso, generally
€
