Journey from Monterosso to Vernazza: Hiking Along the Italian Riviera
As I stood in the villages along the majestic Italian Riviera coastline, my gratitude for what I was experiencing kept getting bigger and bigger.
Visiting Cinque-Terre In Northern Italy has been on my list for a while, so when I found myself in Milan with my long time friend, we hopped on the train from Milan to go experience the beautiful five villages on the Italian Riviera.
Cinque-Terre consists of five villages – Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. You can either take the train from one town to another, walk, or hike.
We chose to hike the Blue Trail between Monterosso and Vernazza.
Before we ventured onto the trail, we wandered around Monterosso, admiring this really pretty coastal village, the biggest of the five.
You can grab food, walk along the beach, and visit cute boutique stores.
Tip: Climb the stairs on your left as you walk along the beach, and you will witness the most breathtaking views when you look down.
Like any new hiking trail, I was looking forward to this hike with so much excitement, and the blue trail did not disappoint.
The excitement of the unknown always fills me with so much joy.
For me, the blue trail was an experience. An experience that took us through challenging steep stairs and inclines, rocky paths, flat land, groves, beautiful flowers and plants, and absolutely breathtaking views that will leave you with lasting memories.
I took a lot of breaks along the trail, not only to rest, but to also admire the magnificence of Mother nature. I challenged myself on the steep inclines, walked through amazing landscape, admired the beautiful plants and flowers around me, stopped to listen to the sound of nature, and talked to other hikers as we encouraged each other to keep going.
This was an exceptional experience. An experience that only makes you happy even as you climb and descend steep hills.
Just when you are wondering if this is all worth it, in comes the captivating views of Vernazza. Ah! Beautiful Vernazza!
As much as it felt like forever descending to Vernazza, it was well worth the beautiful views, delicious food and cute stores that await you.
I have never been this happy to gulp down glasses of cold water and chilled coca cola to cool myself down.
We enjoyed delicious food, grabbed some gelato, and wandered around Vernazza.
After our meal, we took the train to see the other villages, shop, and enjoy some dessert.
Cinque-Terre is a must visit. Plan to see all five villages, eat your heart out, bask in the golden rays of the sun, enjoy the sand, climb up some steep inclines, stop to enjoy moments, and capture the world around you.
Always choose open roads to a new adventure.
~Eliza
The Blue Trail between Monterosso and Vernazza is steep at some points, especially in the beginning, so start your hike earlier in the day, eat a nutritious meal, carry enough water, and most important of all, take your time and admire the beauty around you.
Train tickets: Omio App
Trail tickets: You will need to pay a small fee for some of the trails. This site will provide you with all the information you need. I purchased my trail ticket online, and showed the barcode on my phone at the booth at the beginning of the trail.
AllTrails App: The trails are well marked, but you can use the AllTrails app to help you navigate the different trails.
Josephine Genevieve
This is amaIng Eliza! Well done. No better way to Explore than to walk or hike. Very impressive! Well done. And its sohot!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾💞💞💞