So instead of hiking, we took the train to Vernazza, grabbed some dinner, (nothing is open because it’s the off season so we got microwaved pesto pasta in an Italian bar. It was still delicious.) then we walked up the cobblestone street to find our hostel.
Much to our surprise, when we finally found the door that was supposed to be our “hostel’s” entrance, there was a note on the door that looked like this:
We had no idea where Via S. Francesco was. Or even Via Ettore for that matter, which was supposed to be our way-finding street! But lucky for us, Vernazza is tiny and we eventually figured it out. After climbing up narrow stairs and through tiny alleyways, we found a wood and glass door with a note taped on it that said "Room For Michelle":
And we celebrated excessively, realizing that our 30 euro “hostel” was actually a fully furnished, 3 bed apartment. Note to all travelers: visit Cinque Terre in the off season!!!
The Hikes
As we went to bed that night, we decided that we should set our alarm fairly early to get a head start on our 12 mile hike the next day. I picked up my phone to set the alarm, and looked for the time: 6:45pm. There was no way. We were all in our pajamas, teeth brushed and ready to pass out, and it wasn’t even 7pm. How could that have been possible?!
But sadly, it was. And even sadder – we all passed out, snoozed the alarm the next morning, and ended up sleeping in until almost 9am. Fourteen hours of sleep! Needless to say, by the time we got up and finished our granola bar breakfast, we were very rested and ready to hit road.
Cinque Terre is a celebrated and well-recognized World Heritage Site, (along with my "hometown" Salamanca!) and even just looking at pictures of its dramatic colors and exquisite scenery, there’s no doubt that it’s a world-class destination. Each of the four hikes is completely unique, and the way we chose to go (from Monterosso in the north to Riomaggorio in the south) was the perfect trail, because it started off with a sweat dripping hard hike, then finished with an easy and coastal stroll in the park.
We have tons of pictures along the trail, but here’s a nice summary:
Monterosso to Vernazza: It begins with about 300 stairs, straight up. Every hundred or so we’d turn around and have to take a picture – until we realized how even strikingly more incredible the view was 100 stairs higher. The paths were narrow and precarious, and we definitely balanced our way across reinforced stone walls and Cliffside paths that would’ve been impossible to navigate in the dark. The path was very lush and green, with clovers, wildflowers, and beautiful vineyards as we climbed higher and higher through the hills. From every angle you can see for miles up and down the Italian coast, imagining the ruffle on the top of the Italian boot formed by the exact shape of the jagged coastline. As we reached the end, we came across a sign that said “no high heels on the path.” We laughed because it seemed obvious – until we ran into half a dozen Italian women in Stilettos. Oh, those crazy Italians.
Vernazza to Corniglia: This hike was mellower, but still a decent challenge. We climbed up more steep stairs, and came across several houses that appeared to be rest stops, where people sell lemonade and snacks during the summer rush. This path reached higher and higher up into the mountain, and at one point we saw a sign that said “beach path” with an arrow pointing down, which I wanted to follow until I realized that we were several thousand feet above sea level. Even despite, Reid and I climbed down about 100 feet (via rope/hose) and got a beautiful view of the coastline from this strange side path. After that, we continued down the mountain, and into more lush greenery – what appeared to be a forest, with an old bridge covered in vines that you cross to enter into the city. Corniglia was perched atop the mountain, overlooking the sea (as opposed to at sea level like the others) and had a very quaint and friendly feel to it. This beautiful poem that Angela helped me translate (thank you Angela :) truly says it all:
Stranger or ItalianIf you arrive from near or far
to my beloved country,
look at the infinite blue sea
like the love of his creator.
Visit the old church
With its snow-white and laced rose window,
Listen to the jingle of its
Bells expanding in the air,
And say hello to God the creator.
Observe the gilded grapevines
Of the verdant vines,
Breathe in the antique smells of the must,
Arrive, until the balcony of Santa Maria,
Let slide your glance,
Liberate your spirit
And your emotions,
You will then understand
What God
has given to my country.
Corniglia to Manarola: The next stretch started out strong, with exactly 300 brick stairs leading down the mountain. (I know this because they’re numbered in tens, so you know how many stairs you have left to hike.) From the top, we rested for a minute and just enjoyed the breathtaking beauty of the coast. We took hundreds of photos, and as I’ve found more than once while abroad, pictures can barely even capture piece of the incredible beauty. We made it to the bottom of the stairs, and strolled easily along the coast - pausing for pictures, and to watch the big waves roll in along shore.
Manarola to Riomaggiorio: This final stretch of our hike was by far the easiest, and so of course the most popular destination among Cinque Terre visitors. Known as “Villa Del Amor”or “the walk of love,” there are closed locks all over the place - on gates, benches and fences, put there by years worth of lovey couples who visit the Villa Del Amor to set their lock and throw away the key. (Signifying their love for one another, as the locks are permanently sealed together... just like their hearts. Awwww, cute, right?)
...All three of us being relatively recently single, we laughed and gagged a little at the sappyness, but couldn’t pretend like it wasn’t pretty dang heartwarming. Cecily and I skipped optimistically through the tunnel of love, (grafittied with poems, pictures, and traditional Italian names like "Guiseppi <3 Cecilia") and laughed hysterically at the tomb of “cupido,” who is justifiably “buried” along the Villa del Amor. By the end of the road, all three of us were so proud to have reached our final city – knowing that we'd made it all fifteen miles, and hoping that someday we too will have locks here of our own.
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