Marscha Büsing’s travel story shows just how wonderful a hiking holiday in Italy can be. As Managing Director of our partner Rückenwind Reisen, she explored our new hiking tour through Liguria and the Cinque Terre and brought back some of her favorite impressions.
Look forward to spectacular coastal trails, charming fishing villages such as Vernazza and Manarola, breathtaking views, and valuable first-hand tips. Enjoy reading and get inspired!
First of all, I should mention that there are only a few days between booking and departure. Eurohike organizes everything at very short notice, so we can take care of booking our flights right away. We choose Genoa as our destination airport.
However, our luggage does not arrive with us, probably one of the downsides of booking at short notice with tight connecting times. After reporting the missing luggage, however, everything goes smoothly. It is delivered to our hotel the very next morning. Fortunately, the tour starts with a circular hike anyway, so the delayed luggage hardly affects our travel plans.
Our day gets off to a relaxed start as we are still waiting for our luggage. By late morning, we can finally change into our hiking clothes. Since it is already a little later, we decide to cover part of the route by boat. From Camogli, we take the boat to the bay of San Fruttuoso, allowing us to shorten the hike.
The bay of San Fruttuoso really is a very special place, beautifully situated and perfect for a lunch break. If you enjoy swimming, be sure to pack your swimwear for this trip, as there are plenty of opportunities to take a refreshing dip in the sea along the way.
The hike involves around 700 meters of ascent and descent on the way to Portofino. The trail begins with a climb out of the bay along shady hiking paths. From there, the route continues up and down along the hillside until we reach the small village of Prato. From Prato, we descend to Portofino.
Once we arrive in Portofino, another picturesque fishing village with colorful houses awaits us, although this one comes with a touch of glamour. It is a popular meeting place for the rich and famous and can get quite busy, especially with day-trippers.
For the journey back, we take the bus to Santa Margherita Ligure, but it is very crowded. So here is my tip: if you prefer a more relaxed journey, check the boat connections in advance. There are also ferry services from Portofino back to Camogli.
We start the day with a short train ride to Rapallo. From there, we take the cable car (Funivia) up to the Sanctuary of Madonna di Montallegro. After a quick look at the church, we follow the hiking trail marked with two red squares.
For me, this stage is one of the most beautiful hikes of the entire trip. The trail leads through a shady holm oak forest and across open rocky terraces high in the mountains, offering breathtaking views of the coast. The scenery then changes to colorful flower-filled meadows, chestnut forests, and olive groves. The descent to Chiavari, with almost 800 meters of elevation loss, is quite long but incredibly scenic. Once we arrive in Chiavari, we cool off with a refreshing swim in the sea. After dinner, we take the train to Sestri Levante, where we spend the night at Hotel Marina.
The temperatures have risen considerably, so we treat ourselves to a well-deserved break by the sea. Along the coast, there are numerous beach areas known as bagni, where you can rent sun loungers and umbrellas for a fee. In the heat, it is definitely worth it, although there are of course also free areas where you can relax on the beach.
In the morning, we first take a leisurely stroll through the charming town of Sestri Levante. Afterwards, we choose a particularly lovely beach area, Bagni La Lampara. It turns out to be a great choice, as everything is thoughtfully arranged. There are plants, a small clothesline for drying swimwear, and clean showers. The food there is also very good. All in all, a wonderful day.
Today, it is time to pack our bags again. Another day of hiking lies ahead. We take the train from Sestri Levante to Framura. From the station, we first follow a tunnel before climbing a flight of steps uphill. Today’s stage involves around 250 meters of ascent and descent. Once again, we are rewarded with wonderful views along the rocky trails.
A small waterfall and stream cross our path, offering a welcome opportunity to cool our feet in the refreshing water. After crossing the stream, the trail climbs steeply in winding turns on the opposite side. We then continue downhill along a shady forest path towards Bonassola. Temperatures rise above 30°C again, so we decide to end our hike there and spend the rest of the day relaxing by the sea.
Since the hiking trail between Vernazza and Monterosso is currently closed, we decide to explore the Cinque Terre by boat. A day ticket costs €42 and allows us to conveniently visit several villages from the water: Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The boat does not stop in Corniglia, as the village is situated on a hill. Those who wish can even continue on to La Spezia. We opt for the day ticket and begin our tour in Riomaggiore, the southernmost of the five Cinque Terre villages. The boat ride there is already an experience in itself. The ferry stops at the other villages along the way, giving us the chance to take fantastic photos from the water and enjoy our first impressions of the coastline.
In Riomaggiore, we take our time, enjoy a delicious lunch, and then continue to Manarola. We are particularly taken with its picturesque bay and impressive cliffs. We cool off with a refreshing swim, while a few brave swimmers even jump from the rocks into the water. It looks like great fun and is quite impressive to watch. To round off the day, we enjoy a longer boat trip to Porto Venere before returning to Levanto, where we are staying overnight.
After a leisurely breakfast, we set off by train once again, traveling from Levanto to Corniglia. The journey is short, and from the station you can either walk up to the village or take the shuttle bus. We decide to make the climb on foot. Once again, Corniglia delights us. Each of the Cinque Terre villages has its own unique charm, and it seems as though every new place manages to outshine the one before. From the village center, we begin our hike to Vernazza. We had originally planned to do this hike the day before, but because we opted for a boat tour instead, we are doing it today. A ticket is required for this section of the trail. We choose the Cinque Terre Card (€32.50 for the day), which covers both the hiking trails and all train connections between the villages, making it very convenient. The trail initially follows an old stone wall and a small stream before the climb begins. To avoid the worst of the heat, we set off early, but by 9:00 a.m. the temperature has already reached 27°C. Despite the heat, we enjoy the hike, even though we certainly work up a sweat.
Italy is experiencing a heatwave, which seems rather unusual for June. Nevertheless, thanks to the many alternatives and the flexibility of the trip, it remains a wonderful experience that we can wholeheartedly recommend. Along the way, we discover a small rest stop offering fresh fruit, vegetables, cold drinks, and the opportunity to refill our water bottles. The spot is beautifully situated above the bay and is perfect for a break in the shade, which does us a world of good. At the end of our hike, we reach Vernazza, a village that lives up to all our expectations. With its colorful houses, small harbor, and narrow streets, it looks like something straight out of a picture book. This is exactly how we imagined the Cinque Terre. However, we can definitely tell that it is the weekend. The streets are noticeably busier than on the previous days, with many more visitors. So here is a little tip for anyone planning a similar trip: if possible, arrange your travel dates so that your final days in the Cinque Terre do not fall on a weekend. During the week, it is much more relaxed, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of the villages even more.
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