October trail status

On the 24th of September, just one day before the 11 month anniversary of Monterosso's devastating flood, the Cinque Terre suffered another natural disaster. A rockslide occurred on the popular Via dell'Amore, the section of the 'blue path' which links the villages of Manarola and Riomaggiore. Four Australian tourists were hurt, but all survived the event.
As a precaution, the entire number 2 trail between Monterosso and Riomaggiore has been closed until further notice, especially because this week's weather was particularly wet and did not present safe hiking conditions. On site inspections of trail conditions and potential landslides are taking place so that another event such as the one that happened last week do not reoccur.

If you are planning on visiting the Cinque Terre this week however, do not be discouraged. There are many, many paths within the Park area that are open and in very good shape. By visiting the page dedicated to path status on the Cinque Terre National Park web site, you can get updated information on all of the open trails, including the level of difficulty that each has.

Ever seen a strawberry tree fruit? (Corbezzolo) Early fall is perfect to find them on the trails.

Volastra - Corniglia trail

Great views on the Volastra - Corniglia trail

If you're lucky this fall, you'll find a few of these as you're walking the secondary trails

Volastra - Cornigla trail

Old vines along the Volastra - Corniglia trail

You can't beat this view of Manarola (Volastra - Corniglia trail)

Even in winter, the terraced hillsides are magical (Volastra - Corniglia trail)

Three alternative trails which are very much worth the effort are the Monterosso - Levanto trail (straight along the coastline, or with the turnoff on the ridge which then leads through the woods to the Monterosso Alto Hotel and Restaurant where you can catch a bus or walk down to Monterosso), the Manarola - Volastra - Corniglia trail which leads you through historic vineyards and shaded woods or the Monterosso - Saviore path which cuts up the mountain from the historic side of Monterosso up to the Holy Sanctuary of The Madonna del Soviore church - great views and a shady spot to rest before getting a bus or walking back down to town.
These are all great trails to explore because they rarely have many people on them, the views are unbeatable, they are open and they are free! (Above click on the links to open up close-ups of the paths). Cinque Terre Park offices located in each of the five villages of the Cinque Terre can give you more detailed information.

Current trail status in the Cinque Terre

Please remember that the Cinque Terre trails are paths carved into the hillside and can present uneven terrain and narrow, steep walkways with no railing. Always wear adequate footwear (no flip flops!), bring water and do not hike when it is raining or threatens to rain. There is no 'escape route' off most of the trails.

The wooded path from Monterosso Alto to Monterosso (trail 1)

The valley of Levanto has more than 20 hamlets which dot its hillsides!

The spectacular view of Monterosso from the ridge trail between Monterosso and Levanto

Looking down on Levanto from the ridge trail (trail 1)

The view from the Sanctuary of the Soviore above Monterosso