Hiking in Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore to Portovenere

Our first full day in Cinque Terre, we start with one of our favorite hikes, heading south from Riomaggiore, the southernmost of the five towns in Cinque Terre, to Portovenere, about 25 km (15.5 miles) away, 25 minutes by car and 4-5 hours by hiking trail along the coast.

It's a beautiful morning in Monterosso and we walk past the beach, full of umbrellas ready to greet people as they trickle in, to the train station, where we catch the local train from Monterosso to Riomaggiore (4 stops, one at each town in Cinque Terre, 14 minutes).

 Monterosso beach and train station in the morning

Once we arrive in Riomaggiore, the theme is up:  up 340 meters (1115 feet) to the top of the ridge and over to Santuario di Nostra Signora di Montenero, from which we can look down on the city.  The Santuario has been a place of worship since the 8th century and is located in an incredible spot overlooking the city and the sea.

 Up we go

Views of the hills and Riomaggiore in the distance

At the Santuario, we stop to admire the view and then continue along the ridge, with more great views of the Mediterranean.  The hike is challenging, but quiet, peaceful, serene, and rewarding.  This is what vacation is about!

 Riomaggiore to the north, Mediterranean coast to the south

Along the ridge, we pass through forest, fields, and vineyards, popping in and out of more great views of the sea.

 Continuing along the ridge

We start up again, emerging at the top, about 500 meters (1640 feet) above the sea and continue along the path to Campiglia, just past the half-way point to Portovenere.

 Passing through Campiglia

After Campiglia, the trail passes through the forest for a while, then challenges us with some rocky sections that require careful attention.  We still take time to admire the views!

 Rocky sections, still great views

As we start our descent into Portovenere, we get glimpses of the city and of the castle on the point.

 Portovenere in the distance, rocky path down

Once we arrive, we claim our reward:  lunch on the waterfront in Portovenere.  We share octopus and potato salad, proscuitto and melon, Mama Mia (sausage) pizza, and a carafe of local sparkling white wine.

Lunch on the waterfront in Portovenere

After lunch, we take a leisurely cruise back on the ferry from Portovenere to Monterosso, travelling in reverse up the coast we just hiked (wow, wow, wow, we were there by foot on the top!), with stops in the Cinque Terre towns along the way.

 View from the ferry of the path we hiked (along the top of the ridge)

 Stopping in Cinque Terre towns along the way

Back in Monterosso, we pick up a bottle of wine for later, borrow some beach towels from Hotel Villa Steno, then head on over to the  beach for a relaxing swim in the Mediterranean before dinner.

Moving on to Cinque Terre

As we leave Bolzano on the train, we see the contrast of mountains, rock walls, and vineyards all contributing to the great diversity and natural wealth of this region.

 Train south from Bolzano

We're on the train most of the day, heading from Bolzano to Verona, at the base of Lake Garda (Lago di Garda), where we catch the train (coming across from Venice) to Milan.  In Milian, it's a quick dash into the food mall for sandwiches and wine, then the train over to Genoa and down the coast to Monterosso al Mare.  We arrive in Monterosso in the late afternoon, settle in to our room at the incredible Hotel Villa Steno (great accommodations, hospitality, personality, and friendship, which is why we keep coming back) and head out to dinner on a patio overlooking the Mediterranean at il Casello.

Hotel Villa Steno, view from our room

View from our table at il Casello as the sun sets

We're in Cinque Terre, so we have to have anchovies.  For this meal, we start with stuffed anchovies and anchovies Ligurian style (in olive oil with tomatoes, olives, and capers).

Stuffed anchovies, Ligurian

We then follow that with a seafood pasta:  shrimp, clams, mussels, and white fish in spaghetti.  My mouth is watering just writing this line and remembering the flavors and tastes.  Accompanied, of course, by a carafe of local white wine.

 Seafood pasta

As we enjoy the meal, the chef peers out the window above us to make sure we're all happy.  He need not worry at all about that!

Chef at work

We dine, sip our wine, watch the lights come on in town as the sun sets over the Mediterranean.  We're still in Italy, but what a difference!  Mountains and seaside on the same day!  Wow!

Dining in Bolzano

We eat simply, but wonderfully  in Bolzano, with lots of fabulous tastes and with much speck in various forms.  One great lunch is at Fischbanke in the rain.  We initially have to hold our umbrellas while eating (quite a feat), but, eventually, the storm passes and we can eat with both hands.

Fischbanke

Our table at the edge of the umbrellas

We share three bruschetta:  tomato, speck, and Fischbanke special (3 cheeses, salami, pesto).  We notice that other tables share one bruschetta, perhaps we're overdoing it, but we leave no leftovers!

 Three bruschetta

They are so good, I must show individual plates.

 Speck bruschetta and Fischbanke bruschetta

The pizza in town is incredible and we have pizza for dinner several times.  Sometimes we share several pizzas and sometimes we have more, starting with speck risotto and a caprese salad, followed by a pizza or two.

 Four seasons pizza and diavola (sausage and hot peppers) pizza

Our first night, we share bruschetta, speck, and fried eggplant, starting the Bolzano theme of speck with every meal.  At lunch in Collalbo, we focus on the speck, sharing a speck platter.  Everyone has their own version and they are all great!  We can't get enough speck and will look for it when we get home.

 Speck platters

 Speck in the store and market

One of the best, and simplest, meals of the stay in Bolzano is the speck dumplings at Gasthof Unterhorn on our way down Rittner Horn.  It's cold, windy, and snowy outside, but inside it's warm and inviting, just like the food.

Speck dumpling

The speck dumplings are truly representative of this region:  local, warm, relaxing, filling, and friendly.

We'll be back again some time, hopefully soon!