Hiking from Monterosso to Vernazza

Yesterday I went hiking from Monterosso to Vernazza in the Cinque Terre. The guidebooks say it takes two hours to cover the 4km distance from Monterosso to Vernazza; it took me an hour and 10 minutes.

This article has essential advice for anyone planning to hike from Monterosso to Vernazza. I’d strongly recommend reading it and making notes if you’re planning on hiking in the Cinque Terre.

You can also walk from Vernazza to Monterosso, the other way round, and the same timing applies.

In general, the Cinque Terre is a big area for hikers, and weather permitting, you can actually get from one town to another as long as you’ve got your hiking boots packed and are prepared for the leg burn.

Monterosso to Vernazza is no different, but I couldn’t find much information on hiking between Monterosso and Vernazza so thought I’d put your minds at rest as to what to expect, and how to make the trek as fun as possible if you fancy having a go.

Hiking between Monterosso and Vernazza

I actually wanted to hike the whole route but a few of the Cinque Terre trails were closed for safety, including the famous Via dell’Amore between Manarola and Riomaggiore. Manarola to Corniglia was also closed, so I couldn’t do the 24km full track.

Shame. I did manage the Monterosso to Vernazza hike though.

I got a train to Monterosso from where I was staying in Manarola (10 minutes / €2) had a look around and then hiked back to Vernazza .

The terrain between Monteresso and Vernazza

The terrain between Monterosso and Vernazza was varied. It’s known as one of the easier routes but the 100+ steps at the beginning in Monterosso dispelled that rumour for me. Five minutes in and my left knee was clicking with every step I climbed. That was the toughest part of the whole route though, and only lasted about 15 minutes.

My heart rate was up and I feared for all the wheezing 50+ers I was passing up the steps. I’d recommend you carry as little as possible but plenty of water for this.

From then on the Monterosso to Venezza terrain varied from comfortable mud tracks to two-foot stair leaps and everything in between, but none so tough as that first stretch.

If you do the hiking trail from Vernazza to Monterosso, so the other way around, you’d actually end up going down the steps rather than up them, which I reckon would make the journey a little easier. If only I’d thought of that before.

Weather when hiking the Cinque Terre

Obviously the weather in the Cinque Terre depends on what time of year you plan to visit. As I mentioned, if it’s bad weather some of the trails might close because it’s just not safe to walk on them when the ground is wet, if there’s a lot of wind or if there’s been a recent rockslide.

Check in with the Cinque Terre information offices before you set off just to get the lowdown, but generally it’s just common sense. Walking a rocky cliff edge in the wind and rain?

No thanks.

If you see the sun shining, don’t automatically think you’re winning either. I’d give it some thought as to whether you’re up for walking in the heat and what time of day might be better. Aside from risking sunburn and sunstroke, sometimes there’s nothing worse than being on your holidays all hot, sweaty, and seriously regretting rolling out of the sunlounger.

To avoid any unnecessary holiday grumps, if you’re there in the height of summer, plan to do your Monterosso to Vernazza hike either early in the morning or in the evening once it’s cooler.

Another plus to that would be the amazing sunrise or sunset views you’ll get.

READ MORE: Your Quick Guide to the Cinque Terre
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Safety first on the trails

You can take the path at your own pace. Dotted along the path people were stopping for air / views / water / heart pains and waved you along with a friendly ‘bonjourno’. There’s no rush and it’s nice to stop for people to go past you – a great excuse for a rest too.

Every so often you’ll see medic signs that pace your way. There are 25 along the route and they give you details of your coordinates and the emergency services number. Probably a good idea to take note of the number, just in case.

REMEMBER: You can use this advice to go the opposite way, and do the Vernazza to Monterosso hike instead.

What to take on the Cinque Terre hike

I know we’ve all seen the word hike before and it’s ended up being more of a gentle walk totally doable in sandals, but this really is not one of those times.