Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
considered to be the most challenging, with the undulating path taking another
2 hours. It's almost as rewarding as the Corniglia/Vernazza leg.
Walks That Include a Visit to the Sanctuaries
Like most of Liguria's coastal towns, the five villages all have sanctuaries built high
up in the hillsides; it was to these that villagers would beat a hasty retreat when
sighting the masts of pirates on the horizon. Time allowing, incorporate at least
one of the Cinque Terre sanctuaries (also known as shrines) into your hiking pro-
gram, of which the following two are especially recommended:
The
Sanctuary of Soviore,
located above Monterosso, is possibly the oldest
place of worship in Liguria, with ruins and early records dating pilgrimages to this
point way back in
A
.
D
. 740. Today the principal reason to make the 90-minute pil-
grimage to the “new” 18th-century sanctuary is the view: On a clear day, you can
see as far as Corsica and the Tuscan archipelago. To get here, either catch the bus
that runs from Monterosso or head up path no. 9, and then east along path no. 1.
Descend back to the coast to visit the
Sanctuary of Reggio,
surrounded by century-
old ilexes, before passing through vineyards and olive groves into Vernazza.
For even more awesome views, plan a trip up to the
Montenero Sanctuary.
A number of attractive paths lead there, but if your knees have seen better days,
simply catch one of the buses that run from Riomaggiore to Biassa and ask to be
dropped off at the closest point to the sanctuary; from here it is about 20 minutes
up a footpath. As a place of refuge, the Montenero Sanctuary dates back to 1335,
but today it is particularly popular with wedding parties, not least because the
park authorities have opened a rather good
ristorante
in the vaulted 14th-century
refectory; it also offers 15 (very spartan) cottages on the grounds, but with the
mandatory 20-minute walk uphill with luggage, this is only for diehard hikers and
solitude seekers. For restaurant or cottage bookings, call
%
0187-760528
(www.
manario.it).
Tips to Avoid the Crush
Whatever hiking trail you choose, be prepared for columns of fellow walkers wind-
ing their way along the coast if you're here during September (or May, to a lesser
extent), when the weather is optimal.
The only way to avoid the frustrating crush is to
start early
—sunrise if
possible—and have breakfast in a village along the way. If you're not an early
riser,
opt for one of the less popular paths;
generally, the higher up you go, the
less traffic you'll come across, with the highest path (no. 1) virtually free of any
hikers. Paths that lead east of Riomaggiore are also practically empty. Note that
you needn't climb all the way to these higher routes; conserve your energy by
catching a bus to one of the hillside hamlets—for example, from Manarola to
Volastra, and then walk through vineyards along path no. 6d to the small settle-
ment of Porciana before descending into Corniglia via path no. 7.
