The Outdoor Type
By Shelley Banks
The Cinque Terre in Italy is renowned for its breathtaking scenery: terraced vineyards, tranquil cobalt waters, and the vibrant, colourful houses that seem to cling impossibly to the cliffs in each of the five villages—Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. For those who enjoy the outdoors, the region offers a wealth of hiking tracks, ranging from gentle walks to more challenging treks.
Although I don’t usually consider myself an “outdoorsy” type, since my husband and I were staying in Riomaggiore for a few days, we decided that tackling at least some of the hiking trails was a must-do activity.
We started with the La via dell’Amore, or The Way of Love, which connects Riomaggiore and Manarola. The path is just over one kilometre long, paved and flat—a leisurely walk rather than a strenuous hike. Still, it offers spectacular views of the cliffs plunging into the sea and serves as a perfect warm-up before a more demanding trek. Once we reached Manarola, our plan was to begin the 5.4-kilometre hike to Corniglia, passing through Volastra on the way.
Before setting out, our accommodation manager advised us that the beginning of the trail was extremely steep and recommended we take the shuttle bus instead. The ride was only about ten minutes, but as we ascended, we became increasingly grateful for the suggestion. Had we attempted the climb on foot, we would have been exhausted before even reaching the main trail.
Arriving in Volastra, we found the small church of Madonna della Salute and located the trailhead just behind. The path offered stunning views of the Mediterranean and the Cinque Terre villages, winding through ancient, terraced hillsides, where grapes and olives are cultivated, descending steeply towards the sea.
At first, we were pleased with our decision to hike, but as we continued, the trail became increasingly steep and narrow, hugging the very edge of the cliff. A misplaced step could have been disastrous. Stone steps at various points along the path proved especially challenging, slippery and seemingly designed to test our knees to their limits.
We became more cautious with every step, keen to avoid falling or injuring ourselves and spending the rest of the holiday limping around. It soon became apparent that we were alone in our careful approach—other hikers seemed far more experienced, striding past us in their hiking boots as we pressed ourselves to the high side of the path to let them by.
As the temperature rose, we hoped we were nearing the end, only to discover at the next sign that we were only halfway there. With no alternative, we pressed on, sweating and tired, determined to reach our destination.
After two and a half hours, we finally stumbled into Corniglia. We sat and gulped down the rest of our water before heading straight to the gelato shop for a celebratory scoop or two.
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