Cinque Terre Walk

Walk from Riomaggiore to Porta Venere

We expected Cinque Terre to be quiet in November. It must be the idyllic weather, but the train to Riomaggiore was full of hikers. So we thought we'd take the track less travelled and walk the 12.42 km from Riomaggiore, where our accommodation is, to Portovenere. It was meant to take 6 hours, but we are pleased to announce that we did it in 5 hours, with a lunch break and stops to take in the awesomeness.

We planned to set off at 7am, but did not till 8am. Fortunately, the start of the track was just a few metres outside our apartment. We were faced with uneven and steep stone steps that seemed to go on forever. Each time we rounded the corner, another flight of steps would mock us. We climbed steadily, aware that we started an hour late, and not wanting to waste too much time with something as inconsequential like catching our breath. My legs burned when we got to the church at the top. In total, we climbed 1430 steps, descending 1960 steps.

After the little village Telegrafo, about an hour into the walk, the path smiled at us and offered a rather level easy walk through the woods. I doubled over in laughter when I came across exercise equipment, like chin up bars, hurdles, twisty platforms, and get this, STEPS! Come on! This must be someone's idea of an enormous joke. At the top of a very steep mountain, there are more steps.

The path got really interesting after Campiglia. A blog suggested to take the more scenic coastal track, and we did. The views were spectacular, but the path was punishing. The rocks were loose underfoot, and the paths were narrow with a steep drop. Many sections required scrambling to safely pass. It brought out the goat in me, and although challenging, this was my favourite part of the track. The views were a bonus.

The hike started with a steep climb, and ended with a steep descent. My knees and Grace's foot were registering their protests by then. As we made good time in the hike, we were able to take the descent slowly.Read more