Walking Cinque Terre – Italy

Itinerary – Walking Cinque Terre

Day 1: Start Bonassola
Pick up at Milan airport, welcome by your France Outdoors guide and transfer to your family-run 3-star Hotel Delle Rose. The hotel is located close to the seafront in Bonassola and within easy walking distance of all the local facilities, including the railway station. A handful of cafés and bars can all be found within a couple of minutes walk of the hotel. (3 hours transfer by private vehicle).
Dinner included.

Day 2: Walking from Bonassola
The goal for today’s walk is the magnificently situated hillside village of Montaretto high above Bonassola. The morning will be spent gradually winding our way up there, via a spectacular headland and on through olive and vine terraces. There is the opportunity for lunch in a café before returning to the hotel via waterfalls, a church and Bonassola’s castle.
8Km – 420m of ascent.
Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch not included.

Day 3: Cinque Terre coastal Paths
After alighting the train at Vernazza we head off along the famous Cinque Terre Coastal Path to reach the charming village of Corniglia perched on its headland. Our route continues with spectacular views as we approach Manarola and walk down to the harbour. The Via dell’Amore (Lovers’ Path) takes us to Riomaggiore with its tempting cafés and the train back.
9.5km – 300m of ascent.
Breakfast included. Lunch and dinner not included.

Day 4: Free day
On your free day you may like to take the train to Genoa, relax on the beach at Bonassola, or spend more time soaking up the atmosphere of the Cinque Terre villages.
On option it is possible for 45€ ( 5 people minimum) to take an excursion to the north to visit the Paradise Gulf. You would then enjoy a boat trip to San Frutuosso (secluded monastery in a cove) , a tour for best views and an opportunity to swim. Then boat to Portofino : lunch break then tour for best view of Castle Brown and a walk through the gardens. Finally boat to Santa Margherita – tour through town , basilica and palazzo gardens.
Breakfast included. Lunch and dinner not included.

Day 5: Framura villages and Monte Serra
Today we explore the area to the northwest of Bonassola, around the villages of Framura. Framura is actually not one place but a collection of settlements as we’ll discover by winding our way up through them. On reaching a broad ridge above Framura there is an opportunity to have a simple meal with local wine on a farmhouse terrace. After lunch we head into some of the best preserved woodland in the area, contouring around Monte Serra on a delightful path. We’ll spend the morning walking up through the villages to a farm/ restaurant where we can enjoy a locally produced lunch. We return on a broad track overlooking first the hills of the interior and then the sea before descending to the small harbour at Framura.
9.5km – 390m of ascent.
Breakfast included. Lunch and dinner not included.

Day 6: Coastal ridgewalks to Portovenere
Today’s walk begins with a chance to enjoy the views from the pretty village square of Campiglia before heading through woodland to a great picnic spot high on a ridge. Our route then winds gently along the peninsula for more fine vistas, followed by a long steep section of rugged path and steps leading down to Portovenere. There should be time to explore this colourful little town before taking the boat back up the coast.
9.5km – 210m of ascent and 660m of descent.
Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch not included.

Day 7: Vernazza to Monterosso
Vernazza is arguably the prettiest of the five Cinque Terre villages with its colourful houses winding down to its natural harbour, protected by a rocky headland. Today we walk from Vernazza to Monterosso, either along the famous lower coastal path or on quieter paths in the hills. Both walks complete the final section of the coast path which links the five villages of the Cinque Terre. From Vernazza we wind our way to a viewpoint high above the village. We then return to the pretty harbour with its cafés before heading along the final section of the coastal path to Monterosso. The path ascends through woodland and descends through lemon groves to Monterosso old town. Here there is plenty of time to explore before heading to the station for our train back to Bonassola.
6.5km – 330m of ascent.
Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch not included.

Day 8: FAREWELL!
Time allowing, spend the morning relaxing or exploring the village of Bonassola, before your transfer to Milan airport
Breakfast included.