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Vernazza from above, seen from the coastal path: colourful houses around a tiny harbour and a blue sea

Sample journey · 7–9 days

Liguria on foot: the Portofino promontory and the paths of the Cinque Terre

Genoa, Camogli, San Fruttuoso, Sestri Levante, the Cinque Terre & Portovenere

Photo: Tamara Malaniy / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The Ligurian coast is mountains falling straight into the sea. For centuries people built terraces here, laid stone steps and cut paths between the villages long before there were roads, and those paths are still the best way to know the Riviera. The journey begins in Genoa, continues to the fishing harbour of Camogli and crosses the Portofino promontory on foot to the abbey of San Fruttuoso, which you can still reach only on foot or by boat. Then come the two bays of Sestri Levante and three nights in the Cinque Terre, walking not just the famous Sentiero Azzurro but higher paths through vineyards and past sanctuaries, from which the villages look like coloured nests on the rocks.

This is an active journey: most days bring three to six hours on the trail, with sizeable climbs, stone stairways and narrow stretches above the sea. But every evening there's a shower, a terrace and dinner, and the luggage travels on ahead. The harder stretches can always be swapped for a train or a boat, so the route suits couples and friends who walk well but also want to swim and linger over dinner. Stays, from a small hotel on Camogli's waterfront to a house with a sea view in a Cinque Terre village, would be chosen to suit your pace.

The route

The journey

  1. Genoa
  2. Camogli
  3. San Fruttuoso & Portofino
  4. Sestri Levante
  5. The Cinque Terre
  6. Portovenere
  7. Pisa
  1. The fountain and palace facades on Genoa's main square

    01Days 1–2 · Genoa

    The alleys of a port city

    The journey begins in Genoa, which many people pass through, though it deserves at least a night. The old town is a maze of narrow alleys called caruggi, where focaccia fresh from the oven scents the air between the washing lines and little bakeries. A few steps away lies Via Garibaldi, a street that 16th-century merchants lined with palaces; some are now museums, with frescoes and roof terraces. The afternoon is for the old harbour, or for a funicular up into the hills, with the whole city below. For dinner, trofie with real Ligurian pesto, made here from small, tender basil leaves. One night, and the next morning about half an hour by train along the coast to Camogli.

  2. The abbey of San Fruttuoso beside its small cove, with a boat moored at the shore

    02Days 2–4 · Camogli & the Portofino promontory

    An abbey no road can reach

    Two nights in Camogli, a fishing town of tall painted houses above a pebble beach. The key day is the Portofino promontory, protected as a regional park. The path climbs through chestnut and olive woods and, in about three hours, drops down to San Fruttuoso: a tiny cove with a medieval abbey right at the water's edge. After a swim the path continues about two hours to Portofino, and you return by boat or bus. The coastal section over the Passo del Bacio has exposed stretches with chains, so we choose it only for experienced walkers and on a dry day; for others, the inland path via Pietre Strette. The second day is gentler: a path to Punta Chiappa, where the rocks slope into clear water, and an evening on Camogli's waterfront.

  3. Boats in the bay at Sestri Levante, beneath painted houses and green hills

    03Days 4–5 · Sestri Levante

    Two bays and a headland between them

    About half an hour east by train lies Sestri Levante, a town on a narrow isthmus between two bays. One is called the Bay of Fables, the other the Bay of Silence, and the latter, with painted houses right on the sand and boats drawn up on the beach, really is quiet in the morning. One night here. In the afternoon, a loop through the pines to the Punta Manara headland: about two hours, with views both ways along the coast, as far as Portofino and the Gulf of La Spezia. It's a lighter day before the Cinque Terre, leaving time for a swim and a long dinner. The town stays lively out of season too, because people live here, not only visitors.

  4. The village of Corniglia on its rocky headland above the Mediterranean, surrounded by terraces

    04Days 5–8 · The Cinque Terre

    Above the crowds

    Three nights in one of the five villages: Vernazza, or quieter Corniglia, set on a rock above the sea. The famous Sentiero Azzurro links the villages along the coast, and the stretch from Monterosso to Vernazza is one of the loveliest, though in high summer it gets crowded. So we walk early and often climb higher: paths through the vine terraces to Volastra, to Madonna di Montenero and other sanctuaries, from which the villages look tiny and the crowds stay below. One day can be lighter: the Via dell'Amore between Manarola and Riomaggiore, reopened after many years, and a boat back along the cliffs. In the evening, the local white wine, and for dessert sweet Sciacchetrà, made from dried grapes.

  5. Boats in front of the painted houses along the quay in Portovenere

    05Days 8–9 · Portovenere

    A last path into Venus's harbour

    The longest and, many would say, the finest day: from Riomaggiore a path climbs to the ridge, runs through the pines and past the hamlet of Campiglia, then drops to Portovenere, about five to six hours in all, with wide views over the open sea. If your legs have had enough, you can arrive in Portovenere by boat instead. The last night is here: painted houses along the quay, the Gothic church of San Pietro on its rocky point and a short crossing to the island of Palmaria opposite. In the evening, sunset from the church terrace. On the final day it's about an hour and a half to Pisa airport, by car or by train via La Spezia.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    On foot to San Fruttuoso

    A path over the Portofino promontory to a medieval abbey in a cove, and a swim before walking on.

  2. 02

    The Bay of Silence

    Early morning in Sestri Levante, with the boats still on the sand and only locals on the waterfront.

  3. 03

    The high paths of the Cinque Terre

    Vine terraces, sanctuaries and the villages from above, far from the queues on the coastal path.

  4. 04

    The ridge to Portovenere

    A long final walk with the open sea below, and sunset by the church of San Pietro.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • An easier pace

    Each day can be cut to two or three hours, with the rest by boat or train; an extra night in Camogli or the Cinque Terre leaves room for rest days.

  • With friends, or as a honeymoon

    For a group of friends, a house with a terrace in one village for all three nights; for couples, quieter hotels with sea views and the odd day with no walking at all.

  • In spring or autumn

    April to June and September to October are the best months for walking: cooler, with fewer people on the paths, and in autumn the terraces are harvested.

  • With Tuscany

    From Pisa it's easy to continue to Lucca and the Tuscan hills, or spend a few days in Florence.

Practical considerations

  • The best walking months are roughly April to June and September to October. July and August are hot and busy, and after heavy rain some paths close.
  • The Cinque Terre paths belong to the national park: some need a park card, and after landslides sections are sometimes closed for long periods. We check the rules and trail conditions before you travel and on the ground.
  • Boats between the villages and to San Fruttuoso usually run from spring to autumn and don't sail in rough seas; trains run all year.
  • The paths have many stone steps and uneven surfaces: good walking shoes, water and sun protection are essential. Luggage transfers between stays are arranged in advance.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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