Cinque Terre Trail - 140km from Porto Venere to Recco (+guide and GPX)
- Christian Sommer
- 7 days ago
- 11 min read
Updated: 16 hours ago
The Cinque Terre Trail, one of the most beautiful coastal hiking trails in the world, is famous for its picturesque villages, steep hills and crystal-clear sea. A hike from Porto Venere to Recco, spread over 9 to 13 stages and 140 kilometres, offers a unique opportunity to discover this region in all its beauty. From green hills to charming fishing villages and spectacular views of the sea, the route passes through unspoilt natural surroundings and cultural treasures. Each stage is an invitation to experience the diversity and magic of the Cinque Terre to the full. This unique tour promises an unforgettable experience in one of the most beautiful regions of Italy. I thought it was simply magnificent – well done!
Contents:
1. Arrival
2. Route
3. Stages
4. Accommodation
5. Guide
6. Further information
7. Packing list
8. GPX and map information
9. Conclusion
Cinque Terre Trail
The Cinque Terre Trail offers not only spectacular nature, but also the opportunity to discover historic buildings, centuries-old monasteries and ancient ruins. Hikers can experience the fascinating history of the region as they walk through charming villages steeped in cultural heritage and traditions. The cuisine and wine in this region are equally world-class, with fresh seafood, hearty dishes and excellent wines that come straight from the steep, sun-drenched vineyards.
As always, I recommend you watch my video of the tour:
Cinque Terre Trail Arrival
Getting to the Cinque Terre Trail is very straightforward. I have listed the best option for you below. It is also possible to travel via Genoa.
Flight: It is best to fly to Pisa, to the Aeroporto Internazionale di Pisa Galileo Galilei airport. I highly recommend Skyscanner for finding cheap flights – a first-class app that offers you a quick overview of the best flight deals. Here you will find an overview of all relevant airports for your journey. Alternatively, you can also fly to Genoa and start the trail in Recco.
Train: Travelling by train is also a good option. From Pisa airport, you can reach the train station in Pisa in a few minutes on foot. From there, take a train to La Spezia. From La Spezia, you have a good connection by bus to the starting point of the hike. I highly recommend the OMIO app for booking bus and train tickets.
Bus: From La Spezia, take the regional bus 11/P to Porto Venere, which will take you directly to the starting point of the tour.
Taxi: Alternatively, you can of course take a taxi.
Car: If you are travelling by car, I can recommend the car park in Porto Venere, which is a good idea due to the difficult parking situation.
Return journey: This is easily possible by train without changing.
‘You have only really been where you have been on foot.’ Quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Cinque Terre Trail Route
The Cinque Terre Trail from Porto Venere to Recco extends over 140 kilometres, which you can divide into 9 to 13 stages. The route is a moderately difficult long-distance hiking trail, mostly in difficulty level T1 and T2 and rarely in T3, which extends over 8000 metres of altitude. Depending on how many stages you choose, you should expect to cover between 700 and 1200 metres of altitude every day. The route requires stamina, but rewards you with breathtaking views and a diverse, natural environment.
Cinque Terre Trail Stages
As a hiker, you can experience the unique beauty of this region on the various stages of the Cinque Terre Trail – from Porto Venere to Recco, an unforgettable experience for nature and culture lovers. Below you'll find the recommended stages for the Cinque Terre Trail:
For the sporty ones:
Stage 1: Porto Venere - Riomaggiore or Manarola
Stage 2: Riomaggiore or Manarola - Levanto
Stage 3: Levanto - Moneglia
Stage 4: Moneglia - Chiavari
Stage 5: Chiavari - Santa Margherita - Ligure
Stage 6: Santa Margherita Ligure - Recco
For connoisseurs:
Stage 1: Porto Venere – Rio Maggiore or Manarola (16km and 900m ascent)
Stage 2: Rio Maggiore or Manarola – Vernazza (13km and 750m ascent)
Stage 3: Vernazza - Levanto (13km and 550m ascent)
Stage 4: Levanto - Deiva Marina (15km and 800m ascent)
Stage 5: Deiva Marina - Sestri Levante (22km and 1060m ascent)
Stage 6: Sestri Levante - Chiavari (18km and 720m ascent)
Stage 7: Chiavari - Santa Margherita Ligure (16km and 960m ascent)
Stage 8: Santa Margherita Ligure - Agririfugio Molini (13km and 740m ascent)
Stage 9: Agririfugio Molini - Recco (17km and 1170m ascent)
Cinque Terre Trail Accommodation
On the Cinque Terre Trail, you can stay in a hotel or apartment. I would highly recommend booking well in advance, otherwise you will have to expect higher costs. You can book directly via these links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you very much! I have listed the best options for the 9-stage tour below:
La Spezia (for arrival)
Porto Venere (for arrival) - a little more expensive but nicer
Stage 1: Riomaggiore und Manarola
Stage 2: Vernazza
Stage 3: Levanto
Stage 4: Deiva Marina
Stage 5: Sestri Levante
Stage 6: Chiavari
Stage 7: Santa Margherita Ligure
Stage 8: Agririfugio Molini
Stella Maris Resort - $$ (Alternatively, the stage will be longer)
San Fruttuoso Amazing Cottage - $$ (only two nights possible)
Stage 9: Recco
Wild camping: Not allowed in the Cinque Terre and difficult to do.
Cinque Terre hike tour
My experiences of the stages of the Cinque Terre hike tour from Porto Venere to Recco are as varied as the trail itself:
The hike from Porto Venere to Recco takes you along one of the most beautiful hiking trails on the Italian Riviera, through breathtaking landscapes, charming villages and untouched nature. The route extends over 13 stages and 135 kilometres, with each stage offering its own highlights.
Hiking with a sea view: The historic paths sometimes lead high above the sea and offer breathtaking views of sunny vineyards and olive groves. You will hike along dry stone walls and steep slopes covered with gorse, cacti and spurge. There are no modern buildings or traffic here, only undisturbed nature. Historical churches, chapels and places of pilgrimage enrich the region culturally and can be found here and there. In contrast to the flat beaches south of La Spezia, the coast of the Cinque Terre is rugged and rocky. The hiking trails are steep in places, so sturdy shoes are highly recommended.
Sturdy shoes are a must: the Cinque Terre Trail has a legal requirement for suitable footwear. Anyone entering the hiking trails in the national park with unsuitable footwear such as sandals or flip-flops can expect sanctions. This measure serves to protect hikers, as injuries caused by the wrong footwear occur time and again. A campaign by the national park administration is currently providing information about the ‘flip-flop ban’. In the future, however, there will be fines for wearing flip-flops on the hiking trails.
Hiking app: The hiking app from the national park administration provides all the information about the condition of the trails. The app is free.
Ultra-Trail: My days of the ‘www.sciacchetrail.com.’, as an ‘ultra-trail’ is called, lead through the villages of the Cinque Terre in spring with 47 km and 2,650 metres of altitude.
Accommodation: Due to the many day tourists in the villages along the Cinque Terre Trail, you should book your accommodation early. I have put together the best options for you in the ‘Accommodation’ section. You can book directly via the links. It won't cost you a cent more and I will receive a small commission. Thank you very much!
Cinque Terre Card: You can find everything about the Cinque Terre Card in the ‘Cinque Terre Card’ section.
Return journey: From Recco, you can easily take the train directly back to Pisa, Genoa or La Spezia.
Money: I was able to pay electronically without any problems everywhere. Nevertheless, I recommend that you take some cash with you, as it can be practical in some cases.
Mobile phone reception: I didn't have reception everywhere during the hike. Especially in the mountain inlets, the reception was completely gone.
Best time for the Cinque Terre Trail
On the Cinque Terre Trail, there is often a mix of sun and clouds. Depending on the season, the temperatures are pleasantly warm. There is hardly a bad time to visit the Cinque Terre. Nevertheless, I recommend the time from April to June and September to mid-October. In July and August, it can get very hot and therefore unpleasant for hikes.
Be aware though: In winter there might be some snow on the mountains. So check before you start your hike or google for a local webcam.
Italian saying: „Chi va piano va sano e va lontano.“
English: ‘If you take it slow and easy, you'll stay healthy and go far’.
Cinque Terre Card
Cinque Terre Card: The four main hiking trails in the Cinque Terre National Park are subject to a fee. There are two types of tickets: the Cinque Terre Card Trekking and Cinque Terre Card Treno (including the train), which have different validity periods and services.
The Cinque Terre Card (day ticket) can be obtained at the entrance to the hiking trails and cost me 7.50 euros. Other tickets, for example for only one hiking trail, are not available. But with the card you can also use the bus in the park for free. With the Cinque Terre Card Treno for 16 euros you can also use the train (but you have to stamp your ticket before boarding). The other paths are not subject to a fee. Get your Cinque Terre Card 2019 here.
Please don't forget to take an emergency bivouac with you. It consists of an emergency blanket that repels the cold, a whistle and a mini-compass. It should be in your backpack on every hike anyway.
As the old Scottish saying goes: ‘There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!’
For the best preparation for your hikes, I recommend the workouts on my YouTube channel.
Cinque Terre Trail Packliste
Here I recommend the most important hiking equipment that I own, have tested myself and have also bought myself. I pay a lot of attention to the weight and quality of my equipment. The equipment should simply feel good on longer tours and also be light. I can recommend the equipment for women because my wife uses it and it is basically the same as the equipment for men.
Note: Please keep in mind that the packing list is general and you will have to adapt it depending on the season and your needs!
Advertising note: These product links are affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission without you having to pay more. This is for the maintenance of my blog and you support me with my project, for which I am very grateful. Thank you very much!
Clothes
Hiking boots
Hiking shorts
Long hiking pants
Functional shirt
Hybridjacket
Fleece-jacket
Rain jacket
Functional underwear
Hiking socks
Other hiking equipment:
• Sun cap
• Bivouac
Hiking backback (approx. 60 litres or as required)
by EXPED - unfortunately not available on Amazon.
• Backback - Ospray (was my old one and is also good)
Technology and orientation:
• Compass
• Headlamp
• GPS device or GPS watch if necessary
• Binoculars if necessary
Catering:
• Sweets to keep up morale :)
Health & first Aid:
• First Aid (small and light)
• Tape
• Bivouac
• Toilet paper
Other:
• Passport/Insurance certificate
• cash
• Gas cartridge
Film equipment:
• Camera
• Drone
• Tripod
• Clip
Cinque terre trail map
The map and GPX files are available for download from the following providers.
Outdooractive: https://out.ac/3wXfTE
Komoot:
Bergfex:
Long-distance hiking trails in Europe: 90 routes, all countries
Safety instructions
Hiking cinque terre trail
The Cinque Terre Trail is an unforgettable adventure for nature lovers and hiking enthusiasts. With its breathtaking views of the Ligurian Sea, picturesque villages and rich cultural history, the trail offers a unique hiking experience. The steep, sometimes challenging paths that lead through vineyards, olive groves and historical sites make the hike a challenge, but the spectacular panoramas and unspoilt nature are well worth the effort. The Cinque Terre Trail showcases a cross-section of the beautiful landscape of the national park. I really enjoyed the tour! I wish you a great time and good luck ;)
As always, I would be very happy to receive feedback via one of my channels.
You are also welcome to leave me a comment.
Hello, I am Christian, the chief globetrotter of this Site and an enthusiastic adventurer, hiker and filmmaker. I love to explore new paths and inspire people with them, and I love to share my hiking knowledge with you! You can also find my videos on YouTube! On my blog you can find tips for beginners and professionals on the greatest and most beautiful hiking tours there are. I want to encourage people to explore the world as a hiker, whether in the countryside, through the forest or in the mountains. True to the motto: If you haven't hiked, you haven't seen the world,
On my blog, I also write about hiking gear, the right summit training and nature conservation, as well as tips and information about hiking.
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