CINQUE TERRE TOUR

In May 2024, I fulfilled an old dream of walking the Cinque Terre National Park in Liguria, Italy. In this UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are five colorful villages, embedded in steep cliffs, connected by a vast network of winding paths, offering us spectacular panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Each site is unique: the village of Monterosso with its beautiful sandy beach, Vernazza with its picturesque harbor, Corniglia perched on its promontory, Manarola with its terraced vineyards and Riomaggiore which is the essential starting point of the famous "Via dell'Amore" (path of love), which reopened in July 2024 following major redevelopment and security works. To limit and regulate attendance, you should know that reservations are now mandatory and access is subject to a charge for a good part of the year.

Also, to visit the Cinque Terre, don't count too much on your car, it is much easier to get there by train (thanks to the regular stops from the central city of La Spezia or Levanto with very affordable prices), or simply on foot, probably the best way to fully appreciate the surrounding landscapes. You will see as I did, the villages of the Cinque Terre, with their brightly colored and shimmering houses, tightly packed around their church, have preserved the soul and authentic character of the Ligurian region. The protection and enhancement of the environment has long been a priority for local authorities.

In the national park, conservation initiatives aim to maintain biodiversity on site and protect marine and terrestrial habitats. Visitors are therefore asked to respect strict rules to ensure the preservation of this fragile ecosystem. The Cinque Terre is not only a paradise for nature lovers, but also for foodies. The weekly markets and small family restaurants (trattoria) will allow you to discover the traditional flavors of Liguria. The local cuisine is delicious, made with fresh seafood, good local wines and other local specialties, such as pasta with pesto, focaccia, cannolis with ricotta that will delight your taste buds and the many tourists passing through, because let's face it, people from all over the world jostle each other all year round to visit this exceptional site.

That's why, to avoid the crowds, I decided to go around it on foot, but in my own way, taking the variant of the path of the sanctuaries that goes through the heights, through the vineyards and forests.

On the way, I was able to stop at the following 5 religious buildings:

- the sanctuary of Our Lady of Montenero in Riomaggiore

- that of Our Lady of Health in Manarola

- of Our Lady of Graces and San Bernardino in Corniglia

- of Our Lady of Reggio in Vernazza

- and finally the sanctuary of Our Lady of Soviore in Monterosso

It is by going off the beaten track that you will be able to discover a more intimate and lesser-known side of the Cinque Terre. You will thus feel, as I did, the tranquility and beauty of places full of history. By walking on the Cinque Terre, I was therefore preparing myself without knowing it to travel through time, on a path that was both sporty and spiritual, in the footsteps of the monks who, in the past, found in these lands a refuge of peace and devotion. ​​​​​​​​I hope that my videos will make you want to embark on this adventure yourself.

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✨ Buen camino ⭐

Lionel of Compostela 🦋

MY STEPS DEPARTING FROM LA SPEZIA IS 4 DAYS OF WALKING FOR APPROXIMATELY 75 KILOMETERS