Cinque Terre: Monterosso – Vernazza – Riomaggiore
Fishing Village Made Famous
This series of five villages at the southern end of the Itialian Riviera became famous because of their picturesque nature. Today they are connected by a trail, the Sentiero Azzurro, running along the cMediterranean cliffside. Although the trail is about six hours hiking time long, visitors usually take the time to linger in each village along the way.
To Monterosso al Mare by sea
Basing for the week in Portovenere, we go from there to the most northerly Cinque Terre town, Montrosso al Mare, by ferry, passing by the other Cinque Terre towns.
Monterosso al Mare
Each of the Cinque Terre. Villages was built along its own narrow ravines snaking down from the hilltops to the sea. Each village roofed over its ravine to form a Main Street with a storm drainage below it. October is the rainy season, when storms riding the libecho wind from the African coast can drop over twenty inches of rain in one day. Sufficiently strong autumn storms can overwhelm the drainage system and cause street flooding. One particular storm in 2011 devastated Monterosso and Vernazza.
On to Vernazza
We walk southward along the coast to the next town southward. The steep hills between the towns are mostly dedicated to vineyards.
Riomaggiore
We take the train to the next town south. This town is also served by ferry.
