TOUR AT A GLANCE: Cinque Terre Walking Tour
Duration: 7 Days/6 Nights
Departures 2010: Sept 5, 12, & 19, Oct 3
Departing from: Santa Margherita Ligure, 2.30 p.m. on Sunday, Day 1
Tour finishes: La Spezia train station, 10 a.m. Saturday, Day 7
Trip cost: $2,899 USD per person based on double occupancy.
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All dates are Guaranteed departures. You can create your own date for a small group.
Our trip starts in Santa Margherita Ligure, where we spend two nights at the three-star Hotel Jolanda. The first two days of walks are along isolated cliff-side paths that provide us with stunning views over the Golfo di Tigullio. Sights include the 12th century Abbey of San Fruttuoso nestled below us in a blue bay, and the pastel-coloured houses of Portofino which gaze upon the gleaming yachts of the rich and famous.
Monterosso Mare will be our home for the next two nights. It is one of the five “Cinque Terre” villages and part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. From Monterosso we walk the ancient footpath connecting all of the Cinque Terre villages which are also linked by train or ferry, should you want a break from the walking.
Our last two nights are in the charming town of Portovenere which is tucked in beneath a massive 15th Century fortress built to ward off Turkish corsairs. Our last day begins with a short boat ride around the island of Palmaria, and then a walk on the island amongst its now abandoned marble quarry and Napleonic era fortifications. Pic nic lunch on the beaach or in an excellent trattoria. The trip ends with a private transfer to the train station in La Spezia. (Luggage is transfered by van. 2 nights Santa Margherita Ligure, 2 nights Monterosso, and 2 nights Portovenere.
Day 1 – Sunday: Arrive in Santa Margherita and transfer to our hotel on your own. Santa Margherita, known for its orange blossoms and beach-front promenade, is a lovely coastal town on the Ligurian Sea approximately twenty miles southeast of Genoa. Please plan to arrive early in the day, as you will be meeting your trip leader and traveling companions at 2:30 p.m. for a 2 hour warm-up hike to Portofino . Our pick-up time of 14:30 means that you can depart Rome or Milan this morning and arrive in Santa Margherita in time for the hike. If you wish to arrive a day early please let us know and we can book an extra night for you in Santa Margherita. Hotel and Dinner included.
Day 2 – Monday: After breakfast we begin our first full day of hiking along dramatic seaside cliffs, from Camogli to Portofino. Sights include the 13th century Abbey of San Fruttuoso, nestled below us in a glittering blue bay, and the pastel-colored houses ringing the harbor in Portofino. Our route serves as the perfect scenic introduction to this marvelous region. O/N Santa Margherita. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 3 – Tuesday: We transfer by train this morning to the resort town of Levanto, where we’ll buy picnic supplies and start off on our walk to Monterosso, the first of the famed “Cinque Terre” villages. After a shady walk through a pine forest, we exit along a coastal track and descend back down to the sea with the five villages spread out before us. Arrive in Monterosso and check into our hotel, located in the old center of the village. Time to enjoy a swim or simply take in the sea view from a cafe before reconvening for a tasting of regional wines at the Enoteca Internazionale and then you are free to dine on your own tonight. O/N Monterosso. Hotel & breakfast included.
Day 4 – Wednesday: Today’s hike takes us along the ancient footpath joining the five villages of the Cinque Terre: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and finally to Riomaggiore. Enjoy the breathtaking views and colorful history of the villages, and sample their fresh pesto and delicious focaccia. The path is well marked, so you can go at your own pace and take your time exploring the villages. Indeed, if you have had enough hiking and find yourself happily lost in a sunny piazza overlooking the sea, your guides can advise of you of the next ferry or trains and you can simply return to Monterosso at your leisure. Tonight we have a casual and fun cooking demonstration before dinner. O/N Monterosso.Hotel, breakfast, dinner included.
Day 5 – Thursday: Today we say farewell to Monterosso and take a short train ride to Riomaggiore, from where we start our hike to Portovenere. Our walk takes us past a medieval sanctuary, through majestic pine forests, and finally down past the Genoese fortress that protected Portovenere from marauding corsair pirates. We check into our hotel in late afternoon and have some free time to explore the cobbled streets and narrow alleys of this picturesque seaside village. Dramatic cliffs plunge into the blue waters of the Mediterranean in a setting so beautiful that Byron, Shelly, and D.H. Lawrence all fell to its charms. Overnight in Portovenere in either the Grand Hotel or the Paradiso ,depending on the departure date. O/N Portovenere. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 6 – Friday: Our final day starts with a boat ride around Palmaria Island to the smaller islands of Tino and Tinetto. Both islands and Portovenere itself were elected UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1997 for their beauty and historical importance. We then walk around the island on a wooded path, passing marble quarries, a neolithic cave, and abandoned Napoleonic and WWII fortifications. We’ll return to Portovenere mid-afternoon and have some free time before dinner to explore the village or go for a swim in the “Poet’s Grotto.” Tonight we’ll drink a toast to our lovely week together, then have dinner at one of the lively restaurants along the marina. O/N Portovenere. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included
Day 7 – Saturday: After breakfast, the tour ends with a private transfer to the La Spezia train station, arriving around 9:45 a.m. Please do not schedule rail departures prior to 10:00 a.m. Breakfast included.
See all our tours by DESTINATION and ACTIVITY
See all our tours by date: TOUR CALENDAR 2010
The walks in the Cinque Terre, though not long in terms of distance, thye can be strenuous at times as we ascend and descend steep paths or stone stairways that have been used for years to link the villages of the region. We have designed the trip so that there is always some free time in the late afternoon so you can relax, read, or have a dip in the sea. Breakfast is included every day, and dinners reflect the excellent traditional food of the region. Daily distance between 8 and 14 kms.
Useful Links
City of Portofino: website in English from the gem of the Italian Riviera
Gulf of Tigullio: some background on this park around Portofino
San Fruttuoso: interesting site on this beautiful abbey
Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre: basic information on the park and villages
UNESCO World Heritage Site: check out all the wonderful places in Italy!
General Information
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Qualifications: This trip is rated moderate with some challenging uphills. Each day’s walk starts at sea level and climbs as high as 500 metres (1,500 feet) before returning to sea level. This means there are some long sustained uphills and downhills. Note also that people who suffer from severe vertigo may be affected on some stretches of the trail as we often have wide-open vistas over the sea. Trip Cost Includes: All accommodations (2 nights Santa Margherita, 2 nights Monterosso, 2 nights Portovenere); 6 breakfasts and 5 dinners; bilingual guide or guides; all luggage transfers; scheduled train and boat transfers as indicated in the itinerary.Getting there (this will redirect you to our “Getting to the Trip” page) Booking: e-mail us to receive a booking contract (or use the “Reservation” page).Insurance: We highly recommend the purchase of Trip Insurance. We recommend “Travel Guard” to our American clients, just click on the logo below, while Canadian residents can click here. Australian, New Zealander, and British travelers, please consult your insurance brokers.  We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! |
