Eating and Hiking Cinque Terre’s — Monterosso — Vernazza — Corniglia
Italian Villages Series
Nestled in the glorious coastline of Liguria, Cinque Terre offers a mesmerizing pastel landscape of beautiful villages, coastlines, trails, and people. It is no wonder that in 1997, Unesco named it a “cultural landscape,” adding it to the World Heritage List. If you like hiking, drinking, eating, and swimming, this section of the Italian Riviera offers everything bellissima about Italy.
Depending on where you are coming from in Italy, the simplest way to get to Cinque Terre is by train, as each of the five villages has a train station. (Not sure why, but I took a bus from Florence and then a train to Monterosso.) You can purchase a train pass at Cinque Terre Treno MS Card, and because you will be entering a National Park, I advise getting a Cinque Terre Trekking Card in advance.
The point-to-point trail connects Monterosso, Vernazza, and Corniglia, and when you stop to eat a little something in each village can take anywhere between four to eight hours. (If you don’t eat, you can speed through it in a few hours, but why?)
Monterosso al Mare, the larger of the five villages, is a good starting point to begin this culinary hiking adventure. The trail is nestled amidst lemon, olive groves, and grape vines and overlooks stunning stretches of crystal clear waters. Monterosso also offers the sandiest beach of all the villages, with more places to lay a towel and enjoy the Ligurian sunshine.
Monterosso has two parts to its village, the old Aurora with its Medieval Tower and the newer Fegina, which caters to the tourism industry and has a variety of restaurants from casual and outdoor to gourmet and indoor restaurants. Some of the best Ligurian Pesto comes from this village — and if you are a Pesto Lover like me, you must stop at L’osteria Monterosso Al Mare for Pranzo.
L’osteria Monterosso Al Mare, Via Vittorio Emanuele, is a mom-and-pop restaurant offering a wide range of seafood, Mediterranean, Ligurian, and Northern Italian dishes. Since basil is grown along the Ligurian cliffs, the pesto pasta is fresh, delicious, and the best I’ve ever tasted. Mangiamo! You will need the energy for the 7.5-mile hike from Monterosso to Vernazza.
Vernazza is the most exquisite cliffside village of Cinque Terre, boasting a wonderful waterfront to take a dip, a natural harbor, and a swatch of sand to people-watch and enjoy a spritzer. This Crown Jewel offers some lovely cultural sights to visit-especially if you are interested in architecture. There’s the beautiful14th-century Santa Margherita d’Antiochia church, the16th Century Belforte Tower, and the 11th-century Doria Castel. The Santuario di Nostra Signora di Reggio, a shrine to Our Lady Of Reggio, is another must see.
Because Vernazza is a fortified town that had to defend itself from Saracen pirates raids, it celebrates The Festa dei Pirati, The Festival of Pirates, in the summer months with floating parades and reenacted pirate raids of the town. Pirates decked out in colorful costumes, and percussionists called Batebalengo march into town and invade the village.
Gelateria Vernazza, Via Roma, 13, is a delightful spot to have a refreshing artisan gelato. I recommend Lemon Granita — an elegant shaved ice dessert made with fresh fruit and sugar for cooling off on a hot summer’s day.
Corniglia is the last stop after a long day and is a 2.1-mile point-to-point hour-ish trail to get to the village, which lies above the sea on a hill bordered by vineyards and colorful terraces. This is a great spot to explore down the narrow streets and take in the breathtaking ocean and landscape views. Check out La Toree and La Chiesa di San Pietro.
Bar Terza Terra, Via Fieschi, 215, is the last stop on this three-village adventure and offers a beautiful terrace to unwind after a long day of hiking. This is a Wonderful place to relax and share an apertivo, a glass of local wine, and enjoy the sunset.
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