Hiking from Monterosso to Levanto

One of our favorite hikes in Cinque Terre is from Monterosso al Mare to Levanto, the next town north along the Mediterranean.  We often (and this time) extend the length of the hike by starting out in the opposite direction and hiking from Monterosso to Santuario Nostra Signora Soviore, the oldest Marian sanctuary in Luguria, dating from the 8th century with a complete renovation in the 18th century.  The sanctuary overlooks Monterosso, with a view of Levanto far away across the hills.

We start out of Monterosso, up the path to the east.

Leaving Monterosso al Mare

Up the path

Climbing up from Monterosso

We pass through the sanctuary (pictures of Soviore in a later blog when we do a short hike from Monterosso to Soviore), walk down the road to Collo di Gritta, a small intersection above Monterosso, and pick up the path on the ridge around Monterosso to the sea.  We periodically get great views of Monterosso and the coastline south as we circle the city.

Path along the ridge, views of Monterosso and south

On the other side of the path, we get the occasional view of Levanto, still several hours away since we are taking the long route, walking first to the Mediterranean, then turning right to follow the ridge along the sea.

Levanto on the right

We pass through an intersection, where we could turn right and follow the valley to Levanto (much shorter), but we elect to continue to the left, along the ridge around Monterosso.

Choose a path

Continuing along the ridge

Soon we reach the Mediterranean and turn right along the ridge, heading north.

Continuing along the ridge above the sea

Soon, we see Levanto in the distance and descend into town, arriving at the beach.

Approaching Levanto

Arriving at the beach

We treat ourselves to lunch in Levanto, with a 5 Terre piadina flatbread (with anchovies) and a tomato/mozzarella salad.  We worked hard to prepare for lunch and it is really tasty (along with a small carafe of local white wine).

Lunch

After lunch, we wander through Levanto to the train station for the short ride back to Monterosso.

Wandering through town

Map at the train station

What a rewarding day:  great hike, great views, great weather, great food, great company!

Arriving in Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre, and Hiking to Levanto

The time for our annual (for the last 14 or so years, except for one missing year due to Covid travel restrictions) trip to Cinque Terre has arrived (September 2022).  We fly into Milan and take the train to Monterosso al Mare, travelling first to Genoa, then turning south along the Mediterranean, passing many scenic coastal towns (Rapallo, Chiavari, Sestri Levante, Levanto) as we approach Monterosso.

Monterosso al Mare in Cinque Terre is one of our most favorite places in the world.  We're looking forward to retirement (in a few years) so we can come even more often than just one week every year!

Travelling down the Mediterranean coast

We arrive in Monterosso and walk out from the train station along the sea on Via Fegina,  immediately spotting the distinctive Monterosso umbrellas in the sand.

Arriving in Monterosso al Mare

We walk from the new town (where the train station is located) through a tunnel to the old town where our favorite hotel, Hotel Villa Steno (to which we return every year), is located.  Passing through Piazza Guiseppe Garibaldi, we head up Via Roma to the hotel.

Piazza Garibaldi

Walking up Via Roma

As we walk away from the sea into town, we see that a small fair along the beach is selling musical instruments.  We aren't looking for one, but do stop to admire the offerings.

Musical instruments for sale

We drop our bags at Hotel Villa Steno and immediately (it is late afternoon) start out on a hike to Vernazza, the next town south.  We do lots of hiking in Cinque Terre, mostly up and down the Mediterranean coast, and enjoy starting each arrival with a quick hour-and-a-half to two-hour hike.

Leaving Monterosso toward Vernazza

As the sun gets lower in the sky, Monterosso grows farther in the distance and we continue on the coastal ridge heading south.

Sun getting lower in the sky, Monterosso farther away

We move fairly rapidly to make sure we get to Vernazza before dark.

Along the trail to Vernazza

Continuing along the trail

Monterosso getting much further away

More trail

Soon, Vernazza appears in the distance and we start to descend into town.

Vernazza appears in the distance

As we approach Vernazza we see the city and harbor spread out before us, reminding us of its great food, drinks, sights, and experiences.

Almost to Vernazza

We descend through stairs and tunnels of the Vernazza city streets to the piazza and just soak up the atmosphere before hopping on a train back to Monterosso.  We'll be back in a few days to wander more through the city, but it's time to get back to Hotel Villa Steno and think about dinner

Streets of Vernazza

Piazza Marconi in Vernazza

Walking back up to the train station

It's a great start to another wonderful week in Cinque Terre!