ITINERARY | HIGHLIGHTS | WEATHER | ACCOMMODATION & ADDITIONAL INFO Italy - The Cinque Terre & the Portofino Peninsula 2010
A best-value two-centre holiday among fishing villages and vineyards
This is a moderately easy tour that uses the extensive footpath and mulepath network to take you from village to village, between forest and vineyards, through a spectacular terraced landscape overlooking the sea. You have also the time to visit the historic towns of Levanto, Portovenere and of course the five charming villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, which make up the ‘Cinque Terre’, little gems of colourful houses in a green landscape. For over a thousand years people have lived in this dramatic landscape, slowly altering its features and cultivating the steep hillsides that lead down to rocky shores. There is more - the nearby small town of Portovenere, and Levanto, a charming medieval town with a broad beach and of course the Portofino Peninsula, the abbey of San Fruttuoso, and Camogli.
PRICE
£435 per person £120 single supplement (6 nights/7 days). Supplement of £45 per person over Easter and the high season months of July and August.
£525 with 2 extra nights in Camogli, £225 single supplement.
INCLUDED
Includes 6 nights B & B, route notes/maps, local back up. Luggage transfers are
NOT included but the excellent local train service means that it is easy to transfer your bags yourself.
NOT INCLUDED
Transportation to/from the start/finish of the holiday. Luggage transportation. Any boat/train tickets. Lunches/dinners, drinks, personal expenses.
DEPARTURES
Throughout the year except January. Please ask for prices in December.
To book email:
walking@star.co.uk T: (44)
(0)1242 254353
Day 1: Arrival in Levanto. If you have time visit the town centre, and maybe take a swim to wash off the tiredness of the journey. Total walking time: around 1 hour + sightseeing time
Day 2: The first day walk takes you along the coast to Monterosso al Mare. Walk up towards Punta Mesco, the most notable promontory in the region and a good spot for a picnic. A small detour is possible to the ruins of an 11th century hermitage, from where there are marvellous views of the rugged coastline. Then follow a fairly steep path down into Monterosso, with blue, red & yellow houses clustering around the beach. Time to explore the town before taking the train back to Levanto. (There is also the option of walking back following a more inland forested path). Overnight Levanto.
Total walking time: around 3,5 hours + sightseeing time (4-5 hours with extra option).
Day 3: From Levanto you walk westward towards the small town of Framura (with the option to continue to Deiva Marina and Moneglia). Walk from the beach into the hills, via several charming little villages, where you have the time to drink a coffee or just relax. From any the village en route you can take the train back to Levanto, in case you want to shorten the walk. Overnight Levanto.
Total walking time: around 3,5 – 6 hours (various options).
Day 4: You first take the train to Riomaggiore, the most southerly of the five villages, from where you start the walk along the famous ‘Sentiero del’Amore’ (‘Lover’s Walk’) to Manarola, an attractive little village with steep multi-coloured houses overlooking a rocky port. Then up the 365 steps to Corniglia, perched on a ridge overlooking the sea. Continue through terraced vineyards and the occasional citrus grove. As you approach Vernazza, arguably the prettiest of all the villages, dominated by its old fortress, you enjoy some of the best views in the region. Relax in a café or bar before returning by train. Overnight Riomaggiore.
Total walking time: around 3,5 hours + sightseeing time (5,5 hours with extra option).
Day 5: Today walk inland to the churches of Madonna di Reggio and Madonna di Saviore. Take the train to Vernazza and walk along the coast to Monterosso. Perhaps a coffee before climbing to the sanctuary of Madonna di Saviore and on to that of Madonna di Reggio. Continue more or less along the contour lines to the little church of San Bernardo, with beautiful views, and descend to the coast at Vernazza. A shorter option takes you directly from Madonna di Reggio, along a number of little chapels, back down to Vernazza and so to Riomaggiore. Overnight Riomaggiore.
Total walking time: around 4,5 hours + sightseeing time.
Day 6: From Riomaggiore, you take a long flight of stairs to the Santuario della Madonna di Montenero. Continue along the cliffs, through terraced vineyards, enjoying wonderful views of the coastline. You are now on the ‘Sentiero Rosso’, the ridge-top pass leading from one end of the Cinque Terre to the other. Pass throughthe little hamlet of Campiglia, perhaps pausing for refreshment. Walking down into the pine forest, the track narrows as you continue towards Portovenere with further spectacular views. Arriving at the 16th century castle above the village, you may be able to see the distant peaks of the Alpi Apuane before descending. Visit the charming village before returning to Riomaggiore by boat. Overnight Riomaggiore.
Total walking time: around 4,5 hours + sightseeing time (5,5 hours with extra option).
Day 7: End of the tour.
CAMOGLI EXTENSION
Or, if extending the holiday, take the train to Camogli. Then you walk on the Peninsula of Portofino, towards the beautifully located monastery of San Fruttuoso, dating back to the 11th century and set in its own cove and reachable only by boat or on foot. The walk passes through woods, beside the church of San Rocco and a number of impressive viewpoints. From San Fruttuoso there is the possibility to walk back or take the boat. In the afternoon take time to explore Camogli itself. Overnight Camogli.
Total walking time: around 3,5 hours + sightseeing time (shorter option: 1,5 – 2,5 hours).
Day 8: Transfer by train to Santa Margherita, then walk to Portofino, long a resort for the jet set, but also a very colourful village, with a castle and lighthouse, a spectacular viewpoint. If energy permits, you can continue along the trail, with splendid views across the Gulf of Genoa to the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, approaching it from the other side. You can choose to return by boat to Santa Margherita, or directly to Camogli.
Total walking time: around 3,5 hours + sightseeing time (5,5 hours with extra option).
Day 9: End of the tour.
DIFFICULTY OF WALK
Moderate - reasonable fitness required, easy paths, no technical difficulties, but with steps and climbs; several shorter/longer options available each day.
Wonderful scenery along one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. The villages of the Cinque Terre give us a glimpse of a way of life in a wild and wonderful setting with magnificent views.
LOCATION
Cinque Terre is located on the Ligurian coast between La Spezia and Genoa in Italy.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation is on a bed and breakfast basis in 2/3-star hotels and hotel apartments. All rooms have en-suite facilities. You will be free to organise your dinner from the wide choice of restaurants in thearea. No picnic lunches are included in the tour price, but these can be prepared for you or materials for picnics can be purchased in the villages where you stay.
Nights 1, 2 & 3: These are spent at Levanto, an old medieval city, in a welcoming and comfortable 3 star hotel, centrally located at walking distance from the main monuments of the medieval town centre.
Nights 4, 5 & 6: The last three nights are spent in the lively little village of Riomaggiore, the most easterly of the five villages, with colourful houses and a charming little harbour.
GETTING THERE
AIR Flights operate throughout the year to Pisa or Genoa from airports in the UK. Ryanair operates a budget service to Genoa. The major airlines all fly to Pisa as do some budget airlines. Train from Pisa and Genoa to Levanto and Riomaggiore (about 1h30).
WHAT TO TAKE
Sturdy walking boots and walking socks (with a change of socks in rucksack), rucksack/day pack, swimming costume, 1 x water bottle with 1 litre capacity, insect repellent, sun glasses, sun-hat, sun block/cream, compass, torch and a first-aid kit.
INSURANCE
We recommend that you take out appropriate holiday insurance covering you against illness, injury, and loss or damage to luggage. This insurance should also cover the possibility of your having to cancel your holiday for any reason.
To book, contact
worldwalks at:
email:
walking@star.co.uk T: (44)
(0)1242 254353