Yesterday we stopped by the La Spezia to Cinque Terre ferry kiosk and enquired about ferries and bikes to Vernazza. The answer was positive that yes they would take bikes and that the first departure was 09:15. There were no presales and they always have room for everyone. The kiosk would open at 08:30.
Visiting Cinque Terre was not in the original roughly sketched in plan. The plan was actually to take a train 50 km up the coast to Chiavari and begin a ride back to Milan through the Apennines. When we went to firm up places to stay along the route, we could not find accommodations available in this remote area at the distances that we needed to travel. We also did not have the time to be hunting through the various sources for rooms to rent. As much as we are not always pleased with Booking.com, they do provide our key tool for finding places to stay. So we made Plan A better - we will go to Vernazza and spend a night in the heart of the Cinque Terre and hike the coastline rather than ride. It became clear that the guide should have thought of this all along. And right over an Italian long weekend! He should have had this booked a month ago.
We arrived before the ferry kiosk opened, after stopping on route to pick up a couple of paninis for breakfast. We were really happy to get there when we did as the line up became long quickly and getting the bikes aboard early was good. Not to mention we also received first pick of the seats! Two tickets with bikes to Vernazza is 70 euros; the bikes were 10 euros each. We are always surprised by how the crew treat loading bikes on their boats - like there has not been any forethought as to where or how they should be stowed . We were told to put one bike on each side of the bow railing in behind the deck ropes. It is a good thing that we carry bungy cords to correctly lash them down. We stopped at three ports before reaching Vernazza so we saw the majority of the Cinque Terre from the water side. It really was a great experience!
We were last off the ship in Vernazza and getting down the gangplank with panniers on the bikes was a tight fit. We began to push our bikes along with the pedestrians through the small but busy town. We were fortunate to be able to meet up with our host early to receive the keys and instructions for our stay. The nice apartment was up a couple of flights of outdoor stairs and we could store the bikes just outside the door. Casetta di Vernazza was a perfect place to stay.
The Cinque Terre coast. Five ancient fishing villages.
Porto Venere, our first stop, is right out on a point not far from La Spezia. It is not included in the five famous coastal villages but a pretty stop. Lots of people got off the boat here and just as many got on.
Our second stop, Riomaggorie. Interesting look with the old village and much newer suspended highway above. The highway and tunnel network in this area would have been a massive project.
As many people know, Cinque Terre is famous for a number of things, one of them beng the hiking trails between the villages. Powered by paninis we walked back toward the town centre looking for the starting point of the trail to Corniglia We easily located the stairs and began the climb up the steep hill in front of us. Looking down into the train station we could see that people were filling the platform and overflowing into the tunnel waiting for the next train out. It did cause us to pause and consider that the train system may be overwhelmed and as a result traffic could be stalemated. Our plan was to get on the train once we reached Corniglia and then travel to Monterossa by train in order to walk a second coastal trail back to Vernazza. We decided that if we could not use the train then we could just walk back the way we came.
The first views of Vernazza from above were amazing and so much more dramatic than from the water. We went from amazing view to amazing view as we reached the top of the trail and began to head downhill toward Corniglia. This 4km hike is described on the Cinque Terre website as being of average difficulty. Although our fitness level was up to the task, the uneven rock path was a challenge for our old ankles and knees. You need to be cautious with your footing at all times.
Upon reaching Corniglia we discovered that, unlike Vernazza, the train station is not in the town. Corniglia has limited seaside access and the main village is on the side of the hill which explains why our ferry did not stop there. After a quick look around the narrow ancient streets filled with people having gelato, we took a shuttle bus down to the water and train station. Looking back from the train platform, we could see a zig zagging staircase that you could walk down from Corniglia instead of using the shuttle bus. Too late for us and we were sorry to have missed it. On days like this the trains have no schedule and we boarded the next available one to Monterossa. It was standing room only as the tourists shuttled between the Cinque Terre villages. In a strange way, it was exiting to be part of this wave of humanity!
Church in Corniglia. We really did not spend much time poking around as it was a very busy place.
Leaving the train with the long streams of people we stopped at a bar in Monterosso to fuel up for our next hike. The only things that they had left to eat at this point of the day were rice cakes and plain focaccia and of course cold beer. We filled up on bread, chips and peanuts before taking off on our final hike from Monterossa to Vernazza.It was getting late in the afternoon so there were only a few people on the narrow hiking route. It is so narrow that hikers are required to go in a single direction between 10-2 on busy days. One false step and you will drop off the trail and likely be in a bit of pain. This hike was also rated average and suggested it would take 1.5 hours to complete. It was quite steep with many steps up and then also down steeply to Vernazza. The rock steps are amazing but can be treacherous too. Late in the day we were starting to feel muscles not used in the last four weeks of cycling. The views from above were, of course, spectacular against the bright blue sky.
Leaving the train in Monterosso we walked along beside it in the tunnel until we left the station. This was the last stop and the train was completely emptied out here.
Reaching Vernazza, we arrived into town dusty, hungry and thirsty. We enjoyed some beer and a plate of muscles at a busy seaside restaurant while chatting with a couple of ladies from Montreal seated beside us. Afterward, Scott went down to the water and dove in. It was so refreshing and the perfect ending to his day. We stopped at a local shop for some breakfast and dinner supplies to enjoy on our small deck back at Casetta di Vernazza. This day off the bikes was definitely not a rest day but certainly one of the most memorable of the tour!
When we arrived in Vernazza we asked our host if the room was available for a second night but unfortunately it was already booked. Although there were a few places still available in the area we decided that although the villages in Cinque Terre are beautiful and fun we really wanted to enjoy a beach town that was not so busy. Looking up the coast a ways, we picked Bonasolla. Riding out of Vernazza would be a bit much for us, so we will take the train to Levanto in the morning and ride the short distance to Bonasolla with only a couple of days left on this trip.
Scott FenwickIf you swim in the Pacific or the Atlantic like you and Steve it is positively balmy. Really once the initial shiver, you could stay in for an hour. Beautiful swimming but I forgot my goggles and the water is so salty. It really stings my eyes. Yes, Cinque Terre is definitely worth a visit. Reply to this comment 10 months ago
