Sunday 26 April 2026 |
Stage 1 Levorno to Monterosso (3 hours)
After filling water bottles, packing the famous Le Due Lune pizza that hadn’t been devoured, and tightening our laces, we headed off to the eastern end of the beach to start our first day hiking the Cinque Terre.
Almost a great start, but our enthusiasm and pace had got us ahead of ourselves, and we missed the first signpost and powered 20 metres up someone’s lovely, private, driveway. Oops.
We were still green and yet to learn that the cry “Oh, hang on ……. “ and missing the turn, retracing our steps, asking for directions, and generally adding extra, unnecessary, unwanted steps would become a daily mantra.
Having righted our wrongs, we headed up the hill. “Up” was to be a common theme of this hike. Within 20 minutes, we were slightly sweaty and peering down at Levorno.
The walking started levelling out (not entirely) and the terrain changed many times along the way. We were well up now and had amazing views of the Ligurian Sea.
The terrain provided some very Tasmanian moments, with windswept trees and paths strewn with roots and rocks, but there is no way that some of the OH&S deficiencies of the trail would have snuck past the attention of DPIPWE.
Podere Lovara – a working farmhouse
The 135-minute hike generally takes 3 hours because the CT ticket includes a stop at the working farmhouse Podere Lovara. Normal entry E4.
The Farm House had a little shop selling preserves and oils. We were able to buy a coffee pod, paper cup and stirrer for E2, but as they were not a certified cafe, they were not allowed to make it for us. Cute.
We made our coffees, dropped our packs and enjoyed the impressive view of the ocean.
They also offer a 15 minute video explaining the history of the area and the changing fortunes of the Farm House over the centuries. It was very well done. Actually, a most comprehensive explanation for why people chose to live on the side of a cliff and grow grapes.
Coffee finished, toilet located (also another impressive feature – the best zero water I have seen anywhere), we set off again.
Monterosso al Mare (Red Mountain by the Sea) is the most northern town of the five. We were able to get a great arial view. The sandy spit is a large carpark while the start of the next trail starts after the more distant peninsular.
Monterosso is the biggest and most level of the five towns. It has a typical Riviera vibe and was bustling with holiday makers. The weather was warm, so we found a shady bench to eat lunch and people watch.
At no point did we feel like jumping into our togs and swim.
Monterosso straddles a double bay, so we had to clear the headland before starting the second part of the trek.
Stage 2: Monterosso to Lavassa (2 hours)
Views along the way. All stunning. Lots of steps. I have to confess that there were so many ups and downs that I can’t be sure what order these images were taken in. Just sit back and be jealous
After several more thousand steps we spied Venazza in the distance. These towns were first inhabited in the 10 or 11 century, but the trail were were walking have been used by humans for tens of thousands of years.
It was almost too mind-boggling to imagine jumping back to prehistory and seeing people using these paths to traverse their way down the Ligurian coast.
It is hard to describe the tone of the small towns. Pretty, different but also lots of vendors trying to squeeze another Euro out of all the people decked in North Face, Pategonia, Salomon and brandishing walking poles!
It was where we overheard a teenager quip “but it’s a bit repetative isn’t it” which became a bit of a phrase for use whenever we left the trail and emerged in the local markets. The souveniers, pizzas, drinks, or forced buoengiorno’s were not as appealing as the natural terrain.
We ended the day in Vernazza with an Aperol Sprits and a small plate of snacks!!
Another Tourist Tax
But I should point out that the vendors weren’t the only ones trying to fleece us. Train fares suddenly bump up from E3 or so to E10 if you board or alight in one of the five towns – well, not for me, Mr Tourist Taxman!
This is my advice for getting around the fleecing. Buy a buy a ticket that starts one stop before and finishes one stop after the Cinque Terre. They don’t know where you actually get on and off the train.
A wild night
I’m not sure exactly how it came to be, it might have something to do with the two bottles of wine we picked up on the way home. But at some point before bed,the conversation turned to the emerging middle-aged craze – pickle ball and how big the hallway was.
I will let the photos talk for themselves. Mel is a fantastic Pickele Player.
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