Full Description
The go-to Cinque Terre travel guide for discovering the best walks.
Strap on your boots and discover Cinque Terre on foot with the Sunflower Cinque Terre travel guide.
The Sunflower Cinque Terre guide is indispensable for hiking in Cinque Terre. The Italian Riviera on the Mediterranean coast between Nizza (Nice) and La Spezia has become a much loved-trekking the colourful houses of the five villages, nestled against steep terraced slopes above the blue sea and still connected by old cobbled mule trails, take the visitor back to the days when the Italian coast was still unspoilt by modern civilisation. That's why this small area has been designated as an Italian national park and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Further inland, the sparsely inhabited Apennines, which cross the whole Italian Peninsula from Liguria to Calabria, offer up a totally different landscape - a remote area of high pastures, mixed forests and barren ridges. This area has plenty of hiking trails, but it does not satisfy the expectations of visitors seeking the charm of the Mediterranean. That's why foreign visitors tend to ignore this hinterland - and why nearly all the walks in this book keep to the coast.
Whatever your age or ability we've got some glorious walks that will ensure you have a memorable holiday in Cinque Terre.
Inside the Sunflower Cinque Terre guide book you'll find:
50 long and short walks for all ages and abilities - each walk is graded so you can easily match your ability to the level of walk
Topographical walking maps - give you a clear sense of the surrounding terrain with a scale of 1:50 000
Free downloadable gps tracks - for the techies
Satnav guidance to walk starts for motorists
Strolls to idyllic picnic spots - enjoy our recommendations for where to picnic along the way
Timetables for public transport - ideal if you want to link two walks or avoid hiring a car on your holiday
Online update service for the latest information
Area covered: The book covers the whole Riviera di Levante, from the Magra River and La Spezia in the south, via the Cinque Terre and Portofino Peninsula, to Genoa in the north. Most of the walks are by the coast, since that's where almost all visitors want to holiday, but there are a few hikes in the isolated interior.
This is a walking guide. While Sunflower guides normally feature car touring and picnicking sections, the Riviera di Levante does not lend itself to touring by car. The towns and villages are so tightly packed that parking is a major problem - especially in the Cinque Terre. And since most of the trails are linear, the walks require access by public transport in any case. Visitors out for a stroll can use Sunflower's detailed maps to find the best spots for picnicking in a gorgeous setting.
Whether you tour the region by car or explore on foot, we look forward to showing you around.
Contents
Preface 5
Getting there and getting about 8
Public transport 10
Walking (n symbols are explained on page 16) 13
Maps, waymarks, GPS 13
When to walk 14
Equipment 15
A country code for walkers 15
Walk descriptions, grading 16
CINQUE TERRE: a walkers' paradise 19
Getting about 22
Walk planning 23
Walking maps 25
Accommodation 25
n Walk 1: Monterosso — Vernazza — Corninglia 27
n Walk 2: from Levanto to Monterosso al Mare 30
n Walk 3: Monterosso — Colla di Gritta — Levanto 33
n Walk 4: Monterosse — Soviore — Monterosso 36
n Walk 5: Corniglia — Volastra — Manarola 39
n Walk 6: Manarola — Madonna di Montenero — Riomaggiore 43
n Walk 7: Borgo di Campi — San Bernadino — Vernazza 48
n Walk 8: Riomaggiore — Madonna di Montenero — Campiglia 52
n Walk 9: Campiglia — Portovenere 56
n Walk 10: Circuit near Biassa and Campiglia 59
n Walk 11: Campiglia — Spiaggia di Persico — Caletta Albana 62
n Walk 12: Groppo — Volastra — La Spezia 65
LA SPEZIA BAY: Gulf of Poets 69
Getting about 71
Walk planning 72
Accommodation 72
n Walk 13: Circuit grom La Spezia to Campiglia 73
n Walk 14: Isola Palmaria 77
n Walk 15: San Terenzo — Lerici — Tellaro 80
n Walk 16: Tellaro — Ameglia — Lerici 84
n Walk 17: Tellaro — Montemarcello 87
THE LITTLE CINQUE TERRE: from Levanto to Moneglia 92
Getting about 94
Walk planning 94
Accommodation 94
n Walk 18: Lizza — Monte Rossola — Bonassola 96
n Walk 19: Framura railway station — Bonassola 101
n Walk 20: Deiva Marina — Framura Beach 104
n Walk 21: Moneglia — Monte Incisa — Deiva Marina 107
n Walk 22: Riva Trigoso — Moneglia 110
THE TIGULLIO GULF: lively towns, barren ridges 112
Getting about 114
Walk planning 115
Accommodation 115
