Cinque Terre: the Ultimate Hiking Guide

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Which trails are open, which ones are worth the climb over the crowds, when to go, and how to arrange for truly carefree holidays.

Ajda

Published September 19, 2026

Edited September 19, 2026

14 min read

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Cinque Terre is one of those places where the postcard truly matches what you see. Five villages painted in ochre, terracotta, and pink press against the cliffs of the Italian Riviera in Liguria, and the paths that link them — cut by centuries of farmers and pilgrims — are the reason to walk here rather than just take the train.

The classic coastal walk, the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail), connects the villages. Three of its four sections are open in 2026 — including the famous Via dell'Amore, which reopened after twelve years of closure. Only the Manarola–Corniglia section remains closed for landslide work.

Behind the villages, a wider network of Ligurian trails rises into terraced vineyards, medieval sanctuaries, and holm-oak ridges where you can walk for hours and see almost no one.

The coastal path runs high above the water, with the villages arriving from above rather than ahead

In short

Where: Ligurian coast, northwest Italy — five villages strung between Levanto and La Spezia
What: A UNESCO-listed strip of coastal paths and vineyard trails, roughly 40 km end-to-end if you link the high routes
When: Late April to early June and mid-September to end October — everything in between is hot and crowded
Difficulty: From stone-step strolling on the coast to steep on the sanctuary and ridge trails

Why Walk in Cinque Terre?

The Cinque Terre Express train links all five villages in under thirty minutes, and combining it with walking is the sensible pattern for most visitors — train in one direction, walk in the other, repeat. If you have more than a couple of days here, though, the case for building the trip around the paths is a strong one.

The land is entirely handmade. Every terrace, every dry-stone wall (locals call them muretti a secco — an estimated 7,000 kilometers of them across the park), every switchback path was cut by farmers who needed to grow wine and olives on cliffs that had no business growing anything. Walking between villages puts you inside that landscape at the pace it was built for, and the scale of the work becomes something you feel rather than just see.

There is also the matter of light. The coast faces roughly southwest, which means golden hour paints the villages twice — first light from the eastern paths, sunset from the western viewpoints.

An estimated 7,000 kilometers of dry-stone wall hold these terraces up, all of it built by hand

The Routes Worth Knowing

The Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail) — Park Trail 592
Alta Via delle Cinque Terre (AV5T, formerly path #1)
Sanctuary trails (five separate loops)
Punta Mesco walk (park path 590)

The Blue Trail (Sentiero Azzurro)

The Sentiero Azzurro is the postcard route — a coastal path (park trail 592, historically called SVA2) split into four numbered sections that connect Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare in that order. Here's a quick overview for each of them.

Via dell'Amore (592-1, Riomaggiore → Manarola)

The easiest kilometer in the park and the only one everybody can walk: flat, paved, cut into the sandstone about 30 meters above the sea. It was never built for romance — it went in around 1920 as a materials depot for the Genoa–La Spezia railway, replacing the mule track that made you climb over the hill. Young people from the two villages took it over as somewhere to meet, and the name stuck. Walk it late, when the light comes off the water.

One-way from Riomaggiore, on a timed slot booked ahead and covered by either card. Around 1 km, twenty minutes, and flat enough for wheelchairs and strollers.

Via dell'Amore runs one-way from Riomaggiore, on a timed slot that should be booked ahead

Manarola → Corniglia (592-2)

Going high through Volastra puts you inside the terraced vineyards that are the real image of Cinque Terre: dry-stone walls stacked up the slope, vines at head height, the sea a long way down. The twelfth-century sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Salute sits at the top, and the way down to Corniglia is an old mule track through pine, then olives.

Temporarily closed since a 2012 landslide; only the first 300 m from Manarola are walkable. The Volastra route is trails 506, then 586 and 587 — roughly 5 km, 300 to 350 m of climbing, two to two and a half hours. A minibus up to Volastra skips the first climb. The train covers the gap in three minutes.

Corniglia → Vernazza (592-3)

Out of Corniglia past San Pietro, then a stone mule track running between dry-stone walls tall enough to close overhead, olive terraces on both sides. It climbs to Prevo at 280 meters, the highest hamlet on the coastal path, then eases downhill through the olives. At the cliffs of Macereto, Vernazza is suddenly below you — harbor, watchtower, houses stacked to the waterline. That's the view people mean.

4.137 km, 269 m of ascent, about 1 hour 30 minutes at hiking pace. The park classifies this as EE (for experienced hikers), which reflects the steep steps and exposed sections rather than length. This is the most-walked open section — start early or late to avoid stop-start pace.

Vernazza → Monterosso (592-4)

Straight up out of the port on stairs past Santa Margherita, across the Rio Riolo, then a steep mule track to Costa Mesorano — where you turn around and get Vernazza from above, the most photographed thing in the park. After that it undulates through scrub, vines and lemon groves before dropping on walled steps to Punta Corone with the coast wide open ahead. It ends on Monterosso's beach, which after two hours of steps is the point.

Open. 3.668 km, 217 m of ascent, about 2 hours. Also rated EE. Big stone steps flanked by dry-stone walls, exposed to the sun for most of the route.

A few things worth knowing before you set off:

All three open sections require a Cinque Terre Card — the card covers all three, including Via dell'Amore. All are one-way corridors with limited passing.
Water is available in the villages but not on trail.
Sun exposure is total between May and September; there is no shade until you drop into a village.

Corniglia to Vernazza is 4.137 km with 269 m of ascent, rated EE for the steps and the exposure

Alta Via delle Cinque Terre

The Alta Via delle Cinque Terre (AV5T, formerly path #1) follows the crest of the hills, rising from sea level at Portovenere in the south to 815 meters at Sella Malpertuso before descending to Levanto in the north. The full route runs roughly 40 km and takes 10 to 11 hours of walking, usually split across two or three days with overnights in villages below (there are no huts on the ridge itself). The route passes above every one of the five villages, with side-trails descending to each in 45 to 90 minutes.

The sanctuary trails

Another network worth building your days around. Every village has a Marian sanctuary set on the hillside above it — among them Nostra Signora di Soviore above Monterosso, traditionally one of the oldest Marian sanctuaries in Liguria.

Each is reached by a stone-cobbled pilgrim path that climbs 300 to 500 meters from the village, often through vineyards, and all are marked with the white-red CAI trail signs. The loops take three to five hours.

The Punta Mesco walk

Finally, there is the Punta Mesco walk at the northern end. From Monterosso, park path 590 climbs the ridge west toward the cape, past the ruined hermitage of Sant'Antonio del Mesco and out to a former Navy semaphore station and WWII bunkers near the tip. On a clear day, the full curve of coast to Portovenere is visible.

An out-and-back walk covers 7-8 kilometers and 350-400 meters of ascent, which usually takes three to four hours at walking pace; a longer loop connecting through to Levanto is also possible for a fuller day. If you have one afternoon in the park and want a quieter alternative to the coastal path, this is the one.

Volastra holds the sanctuary above Manarola and the inland detour: 3.5 km, roughly 600 m of climbing

If you would rather have the daily rhythm and accommodations arranged, our 8-day Cinque Terre Walking Tour takes the wider Ligurian coast from Camogli down to Portovenere, with the five villages at its heart and the walking kept gentle throughout.

Colorful houses clinging to cliffside overlooking deep blue Mediterranean Sea in Cinque Terre.

8 days

Italy

Cinque Terre Walking Tour

The Five Villages

The word cinque means five, and each village has its own character — worth knowing before you decide where to base yourself.

Riomaggiore

The southernmost village and the closest to La Spezia, Riomaggiore takes its name from the Rivus Maior, the stream that once ran through the town centre. Built vertically, it rises from a small harbour packed with hand-hauled fishing boats up to the Castello di Riomaggiore. This is the starting point for the Via dell'Amore, and also the trailhead for the Beccara path — the original steep footpath to Manarola that predated the coastal walk, still on the park network today and a good alternative for anyone wanting the vertical option.

Manarola

Perched on a black rocky spur that drops straight into the sea, Manarola is many photographers' favourite of the five at blue hour. The wooden nativity scene above the village is lit up from December through January — a decades-long project by Mario Andreoli, a local retired railway worker, that now stretches across the terraces with hundreds of figures. Small swimming platforms lie below the piazza, and the terraced Cinque Terre DOC vineyards above produce the best of the sciacchetrà dessert wine.

Corniglia

The only village without direct sea access, Corniglia sits about 100 metres up on a headland between Manarola and Vernazza. You climb to it — the Lardarina staircase from the train station is 33 flights and 377 steps, or a shuttle bus if your legs have already had a long day. Fewer visitors linger, which is exactly its charm — the alleys are quieter and the piazzas easier to sit in during high season.

Vernazza

Widely called the prettiest of the five, Vernazza has a natural harbour, a medieval watchtower whose oldest sections date to the eleventh century (the site later passed to the Genoese), and a piazza that opens straight onto the water. In October 2011 a flash flood destroyed much of the lower town; the reconstruction is now nearly invisible, though the high-water marks are still on the walls if you look. This is the best base for anyone planning to walk the two open coastal sections in both directions.

Beachgoers on a pebble beach next to turquoise water below colorful buildings and green hills in Monterosso.

Monterosso al Mare

The largest of the five and the northernmost, Monterosso is split into two halves — the old town of the historic centre and the newer Fegina district around the beach. It has the only real stretch of sand in the park, an anchovy festival every September, and the trailhead for the Punta Mesco walk. It is also the easiest arrival by train from Milan or Genoa, and consequently the busiest in July and August.

If you plan to walk the two northern coastal sections in both directions, base in Vernazza or Corniglia. If you want a small beach at the end of the day, base in Monterosso. If you want vertical charm and short access to the sanctuaries above, base in Manarola or Riomaggiore.

Corniglia sits about 100 meters up: 377 steps on the Lardarina staircase, or the shuttle bus instead

When to Go

The walking season runs roughly late March to early November, with the last of the boats and some restaurants closing around the beginning of that month.

April and May are the local favorite. Wildflowers cover the terraces, temperatures sit in the high teens to low twenties, and the coastal path is warm without being punishing. Some rain, mostly in April, and Easter weekend is unusually busy — otherwise, this is close to ideal.

June to August is the busy window. Daytime temperatures reach 30–35°C on exposed sections, the villages fill by mid-morning, and the open coastal sections slow to a walking pace of the person in front. Setting out by 6.30 am keeps the trails comfortable and the light beautiful; book accommodation months ahead.

September and early October rival May and are often better — the sea is still warm enough to swim, the grape harvest is in full swing (a September walk through the vineyards puts you inside it), and the crowds ease from mid-September as European school holidays end.

Walk the vineyard paths in September and the grape harvest is going on around you as you pass

Mid-October to early November is a genuinely lovely window. Long light, warm days, cool evenings, and the whole park settles into a slower rhythm as the summer crowds thin. Occasional heavy rain hits the coast — an all-weather layer earns its place in the pack.

Winter closes many restaurants and B&Bs but leaves the trails open and the villages nearly empty. If you can handle short daylight and grey days, it has its own appeal.

Winter empties the villages and closes many kitchens, but the trails themselves stay open

Tourist Card, Trains & Getting Around

The park sells two cards, and the difference between them isn't always obvious in the queue. Here's how they work.

The Cinque Terre Trekking Card covers access to the ticketed sections of the Sentiero Azzurro (Via dell'Amore, Corniglia–Vernazza, and Vernazza–Monterosso) and the local park buses. Prices are tiered by demand band — green, yellow and red — and the Trekking Card sits at well under half the price of the train version. Multi-day versions are also sold. If you plan only one or two coastal walks and are happy to move between villages on foot or by boat, this is enough.
The Cinque Terre Card Treno MS bundles the Trekking Card with unlimited use of the regional train between Levanto and La Spezia — every village stop in between included. It's the more common choice for hikers, since it lets you train back after a long walk without buying separate tickets, and pays for itself after a few rides.

Both cards are sold in 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day versions, valid from mid-March to early November each year. Buy at any park Welcome Centre, at village train stations, online at card.parconazionale5terre.it, or through the MyPass app. Visitors staying in participating hotels in Riomaggiore, Vernazza, or Monterosso can access a discounted rate.

The train covers the closed Manarola–Corniglia gap in three minutes, and runs every 15 to 30 minutes.

Three things to know about getting around:

By train
La Spezia Centrale is the main gateway from Rome (about four hours), Milan (about three), Florence (about two and a half), and Genoa (about ninety minutes). From La Spezia, the Cinque Terre Express runs every 15 to 30 minutes into the villages, taking under half an hour to reach Monterosso at the far end. Coming from the north, Levanto is a good alternative arrival station.
By air
Pisa (PSA) is about 90 minutes away by direct train from La Spezia or Levanto. Genoa (GOA) is closer as the crow flies but requires a Volabus shuttle to Genova Brignole plus a train, so budget closer to two hours end-to-end. Milan Malpensa and Florence add roughly an hour more.
By boat
From April through October, ferries link Portovenere, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, and Monterosso, weather permitting. Corniglia is skipped — it has no harbor. Ferries are slower than the train and more expensive, but the view of the villages from the water changes how you see the coast.

Cars are effectively excluded from the villages, and even bringing one to Riomaggiore or Monterosso for hotel access can mean parking a kilometre away.

Sleeping and Eating

There are no mountain huts in Cinque Terre. Overnight, you stay in the villages themselves — small guesthouses, family-run B&Bs, boutique hotels, and the occasional larger property in Monterosso. Availability tightens sharply from May onward; for July and August, book three to six months ahead.

The food is Ligurian, which means less butter and cream than northern Italian cuisine and more olive oil, herbs, seafood, and grains. A few things to try while you're walking.

Pasta with green pesto sauce and basil leaves on gray plate

Trofie al Pesto

The Ligurian pasta shape — short, hand-rolled twists — served with pesto Genovese made from Genovese basil DOP, pine nuts, aged Parmesan and pecorino, garlic, and olive oil. Traditionally boiled with green beans and potato chunks. Every village restaurant has a version; the good ones make the pesto that morning.

Fried small fish in a wire basket with lemon and a glass of beer

Monterosso Anchovies

The Acciughe di Monterosso al Mare are salted and cured according to a traditional method that earned them Slow Food Presidium protection. Served with lemon and olive oil, on focaccia, or under a layer of parsley and garlic. There is an anchovy festival in Monterosso in September that is worth structuring a trip around.

Glass of amber liquid held up in wine cellar with wooden barrels

Sciacchetrà

A DOC dessert wine made from grapes dried on straw mats after harvest, concentrating the sugars — passito style. Sweet, honeyed, and expensive because production is small and the terraced vineyards are hand-worked. Prices vary widely by producer and vintage, so check current retail before you commit. Try it with a slice of pandolce or a hard cheese at the end of a long walking day.

Focaccia

Ligurian focaccia is thin, oily, and salty — nothing like the bread most cafés outside Italy sell under the same name. Recco, a town just up the coast, is famous for a stuffed cheese version (focaccia col formaggio) that carries IGP protection. Bakeries in every village sell it from opening until it runs out, which is usually late morning.

Difficulty and Required Fitness Level

Hikers frequently underestimate the Cinque Terre trails. Distances are short — the longest open coastal section is 4.1 km, sanctuary loops top out around 8 km — but the ascent per kilometre is high, the surface is uneven stone, and summer heat compounds the effort.

Coastal Sentiero Azzurro (open sections): 217 to 269 meters of ascent per section, done on stone steps that vary from ankle-high to knee-high. Non-hikers with reasonable fitness manage them in the shoulder seasons. In July heat, they become a genuine workout.

Ankle-high to knee-high stone steps, not distance, are what make the coastal sections a workout

Sanctuary trails: 300 to 500 meters of ascent over 4 to 7 kilometers. Half the walkers turn back before the top. The other half find them the highlight of the trip.

Alta Via delle Cinque Terre (ridge route): roughly 1,300 to 1,500 meters of cumulative ascent across two to three days. This is a real hiking effort — plan for it like a moderate day in the Apennines, with backpack, poles, and hiking-fit legs.

Punta Mesco walk: roughly 350 to 400 meters of ascent, 7 to 8 kilometers, three to four hours. The most forgiving of the "real" walks, and the best introduction to what the higher trails feel like.

Trekking poles are useful on the sanctuary trails and essential on the ridge. Grippy hiking shoes matter more than most first-time visitors realize — the polished stone steps turn slick in light rain, and thin-soled trainers or sandals don't grip either surface well.

If you are new to hiking or want to see the coast without the ridge effort, our 6-day Cinque Terre Highlights tour is built around the two open coastal sections, boat rides, and short village walks — a tighter six days that still gets you out on trail every day.

6 days

Italy

Cinque Terre Highlights

Ready to Walk the 5 Villages?

Cinque Terre works whether you have five days or two weeks. For a full week on the Ligurian coast with the five villages at the centre of it, the 8-day Cinque Terre Walking Tour is the natural fit. If you have less time and want the classic villages without pushing hard, the 6-day Highlights is the gentler option.

And if you want the whole coast rather than one park — Genoa, the Portofino headland, the Levanto bays, all five villages, then the hills of Fiesole above Florence — the 14-day Ultimate Liguria & Tuscany tour strings them together in a way that is hard to piece together on your own.

Every tour we run in Cinque Terre is self-guided, which means:

Accommodation booked in family-run guesthouses and small hotels in the villages
A digital guidebook with maps, GPS files, day-by-day route notes, and restaurant picks
Luggage transfers between villages where you change base
Train tickets and the Cinque Terre Card sorted where relevant
On-trip support by phone or WhatsApp if a trail closes, a train strikes, or the weather shifts

Manarola village in beautiful scenery of mountains and sea - Spectacular hiking trails in vineyard with flowers in Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy, Europe

14 days

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The Ultimate Liguria & Tuscany Hiking Tour

Our full range of Cinque Terre trip options is on the destination page — the same trails, three different rhythms, one park where the walking is genuinely worth the flight.

About this author

Ajda Prezelj·Travel Agent

Ajda is our travel advisor, raised in a village surrounded by mountain peaks. Hiking entered her life early on and remains her favorite way to reconnect with nature.

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13 min read

Hiking in Scotland: 5 Trails and the Law That Opens Them

What hiking in Scotland really asks of you: the access law, the midge calendar, deer stalking dates, and the five waymarked trails worth taking leave for.

Panoramic view of beautiful Amalfi on hills leading down to coast, Campania, Italy. Amalfi coast is most popular travel and holiday destination in Europe.

23 min read

Amalfi Coast Hiking: Steps, Heat and a Permit

Ten trails thread this coast and the famous one is the gentlest of them all. Amalfi hiking days that stay level, and the 1,700 steps that end most of them.

Valensole, Provence, France. Lavender field full of purple flowers

19 min read

Hiking in Provence: Eight Routes and a Fire Calendar

Hiking in Provence is decided by heat, not hills. The eight routes worth walking, when the lavender turns, and the colour that shuts your trail.

Cityscape of Puy-en-Velay town. Haute-Loir, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region in France.

13 min read

GR70: The Stevenson Trail, 272 km Through the Cévennes

Twelve stages, 6,700 m of climbing and a donkey if you want one. Which two days on the Stevenson Trail actually hurt, and when the gîtes fill.

church in a village in the french alps with mountains 3000 meters high. Green meadows in spring

22 min read

Hiking in France: Best Hikes, Trails & Walking Holidays

Hiking in France means 118,000 km of waymarked GR trails, so the hard part is narrowing it down. Six routes, what each demands, and when to book.

14 min read

Hiking in Bornholm: 120 km Around the Coast

Bornholm hiking is one 120 km loop in nine days. The real distances, the day that actually climbs, when the inns fill and how to reach the island.

Young woman hiking in coastal dune grass at beach of North Sea.

20 min read

Hiking in Denmark: 5 Best Multi-Day Trails

Hiking in Denmark means distance rather than altitude. Five waymarked trails from 84 to over 600 kilometres, what each one asks and when to walk them.

Narai-juku, Nagano, Japan Historic Town Along the Nakasendo Historic Route

15 min read

Nakasendo Trail: 69 Post Towns on the Samurai Road

An Edo highway through 69 post towns, walkable where the Kiso Valley preserved it, and the reason daimyo sent their families this way instead of the coast.

woman traveler tourist enjoy looking the wonderful shrine with waterfalls in background, Kumano Nashi Taisha, Nachi fall in Wakayama Prefecture a popular tourist place in Kyoto, Osaka, Japan

20 min read

Kumano Kodo: The 5 Best Routes and How to Walk Them

The five Kumano Kodo routes compared by distance, days and difficulty, a route map, the Nakahechi stage by stage, and when and how to book the beds.

Coastal cliffs near Carrapateira, Portugal, with dirt road and sea stacks under cloudy sky.

10 min read

The Rota Vicentina: A Coast and Interior Walking Guide

The Rota Vicentina is a network of two long-distance trails in Portugal's southwest — the Fishermen's Trail on the coast and the Historical Way inland.

Mountain peaks with pine trees, hiking trail, and clouds in valley under blue sky

13 min read

GR131 Gran Canaria: Hiking from Dunes to Cloud Forest

Golden dunes, Canary pine, laurel cloud forest and a fishing-village finish, all walkable in January. Here's how to plan the GR131 on Gran Canaria.

landscape with bucegi mountains in Romania

11 min read

Hiking in Romania: The Carpathians and Saxon Villages

The Carpathians shape Romania's hiking country with wild ranges, glacial lakes, medieval Saxon villages, and 1,400 km of trails that pass them.

Epic adventure of hiker do trekking activity in mountain of Northern Japan Alps, Nagano, Japan, with panoramic nature mountain range landscape. Motivation leisure sport and discovery travel concept.

14 min read

Hiking in Japan: The Ultimate Guide

Hiking in Japan means a hut network to rival the Alps, a pilgrimage trail with its own passport, and post towns that voted never to modernise.

Tuscan farmhouse on rolling green hills at sunset

11 min read

Hiking in Tuscany: Where to Find the Best Trails

Most of Tuscany's hiking is gentle hill-town walking, not alpine trekking — here's who it suits, where the elevation hides, and when to go.

17 min read

Alpstein High Trail: 3-Day Hut-to-Hut Trek

The Alpstein High Trail crosses the massif in three walking days, 33 km and 2,900 metres of ascent, with fixed cables and two mountain inns on the ridge.

Hiker with backpack standing in mountainous landscape at sunset

13 min read

Hiking in Wales: The Ultimate Guide

Three national parks, the world's first country-length coast path, and a renamed summit, now called Yr Wyddfa. Here's how to plan walking in Wales.

Panoramic morning view of Stellisee lake with Matterhorn / Cervino peak on background. Impressive autumn scene of Swiss Alps, Zermatt resort location, Switzerland, Europe.

22 min read

The Matterhorn Trek: Five Days Round the Peak

Hiking the Matterhorn means walking round it, not up it. Five stages and two mountain huts on a circuit of about 42 km, with the climbing left to the ropes.

Herbstlich verfärbter Lärchenwald spiegelt sich im glasklaren Palpuognasee, Lai da Palpuogna, Albula-Alpen, Preda, Bergün, Graubünden, Schweiz

19 min read

Kesch Trek: Four Days Hut to Hut in Graubünden

The Kesch Trek runs 52.9 km over four stages between three Swiss Alpine Club huts, with no cables or glacier gear and a firing range that shuts it twice a year.

touriite contemplant le coucher de soleil

14 min read

Best Hikes in the US: 10 Multi-Day Routes

The USA has no single hiking season. Ten of the best hikes across five regions, the month each one works, and the lotteries that decide if you walk them.

Majestic rocky Albanian Alps with snow patches towering over a green forested valley in Valbona Valley.

9 min read

Accursed Mountains: The Meeting Point of Three Countries

This mountain range rewards those who dare hike it with turquoise springs, traditional villages and renowned hospitality.

20 min read

Kungsleden Trail: 107 km and Five Huts in Seven Days

Sweden's best known trek, walked the way it really goes: 107 kilometres of Kungsleden, five huts a day apart, one pass and Kebnekaise to finish.

Hikers celebrating by clear alpine lake with rocky mountains and snow patches, Pirin Lakes

13 min read

Hiking in Pirin Mountains: The Complete Guide

A hiker's guide to the Pirin Mountains: 118 glacial lakes, marble peaks over 2,900 m, Koncheto's knife ridge and the huts that make it all possible.

View from Planinica in Durmitor national park with Veliko Skrcko jezero lake, Montenegro.

14 min read

Hiking Montenegro: The Ultimate Guide to Peaks and Coast

What to know about hiking in Montenegro: the peaks worth walking, when to go, and what else to know before you fly.

Hikers on steep mountain ridge stairs above a sea of clouds

10 min read

Ultimate Guide to Hiking in Madeira

A full walking guide to Portugal's Atlantic mountain island — the signature routes, the SIMplifica trail reservation system, and when to walk it.

Vikos Gorge, a gorge in the Pindus Mountains of northern Greece, lying on the southern slopes of Mount Tymfi, one of the deepest gorges in the world.

9 min read

Hiking in Greece: Six Trails, Two Seasons, One Guide

Greece offers two hiking countries in one: mainland mountain peaks and gorges and islands whose coastal paths are best walked in shoulder months.

Person standing on wooden dock at alpine lake with snowy mountains reflection

10 min read

Hiking in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

Plan a week of hiking from the charming Kranjska Gora: from the trails worth walking to the fitness required.

Hiker with backpack and dog walking out of a coastal cave toward the sea

11 min read

Ultimate Guide to Hiking in Croatia: Trails, Peaks, Coast

Everything you need to know before trekking in Croatia — the Velebit and Biokovo ranges, national parks, Istria's vineyard trails, and island walking

Hikers with backpacks on mountain trail overlooking a canyon at sunset

17 min read

The Hikers’ Guide to Spain

Learn about the six regions worth walking, when each is in season, and the mistakes that catch out first-timers.

19 min read

Hiking in Sweden: Midnight Sun, Reindeer and Arctic Huts

Hiking in Sweden means a week of Arctic huts on the Kungsleden from mid-June to mid-September, or Skåne coast trails from April with a hotel every night.

Hiking view of Positano and Amalfi Coast from Sentiero degli Dei over blue sea with boats.

9 min read

Hiking Southern Italy: Trails, Crowds, and Best Timing

Which coastal trails, volcanic peaks, and quiet national parks are worth your week — and which ones ask more from you than the postcards let on.

12 min read

Hiking in Cyprus: Trails from the Coast to Mount Olympus

Six trails, two mountain ranges, and a 555-km cross-island path; this is our complete guide to walking Cyprus year-round without the summer heat.

Two young men walk down a path with sticks and backpacks at the mountain. Hikers in Pirin mountain, Bulgaria. Beautiful spring green landscape

14 min read

The Ultimate Guide to Hiking in Bulgaria

Everything you need to know before hiking Bulgaria — the two ranges worth your week, when to go, how difficult most hikers find it and more.

Stari Most bridge over the Neretva River in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina at sunset.

11 min read

Bosnia and Herzegovina for Hikers: Know Before You Go

Wild Dinaric peaks, remote highland villages, and one of Europe's last primeval forests, all at Balkan prices. Here's how to plan a hiking trip to Bosnia.

A yellow Corfu Trail sight on the Arkoudilas path on the Island of Corfu in Greece.

9 min read

The Corfu Trail: A Complete Walker's Guide

Corfu's 220-km waymarked long-distance trail runs from Cape Asprokavos to Cape Agia Ekaterini — here's the route, season, difficulty and how to walk it.

22 min read

8 Best Hikes in Jasper National Park, Canada

A guide to Jasper hiking: the Skyline Trail, Whistlers Summit, Sulphur Skyline and Maligne, when to go, wildlife, and what to pack.

Albanian flag waving over a stone clock tower with snow-capped mountains in the background.

17 min read

Hiking the Balkans: Three Long Trails and Where to Start

Three long trails cross the Balkans on foot: the Peaks of the Balkans loop, the Via Dinarica and the High Scardus. What each needs, and where Albania fits.

Majestic Steep Mountain Overlooking the Sea and Blue Sky. Howe Sound, Squamish, BC, Canada.

19 min read

7 Best Hikes in Squamish and the Passes You Need

Seven walks with real distance and climb, the free Garibaldi day-use passes that catch people out, and the four altitude bands Squamish stacks in one valley.

26 min read

13 Best Hikes in Canada, Rockies to Coast

Thirteen of the best hikes in Canada with real distance, ascent and access for each, from an eight kilometre summit to the 75 kilometre West Coast Trail.

Traditional stone houses in Castle Combe village, Cotswolds, England

16 min read

Cotswolds Hiking: Golden Villages Without a Steep Climb

Cotswolds hiking without a steep climb: the 102-mile Cotswold Way along the escarpment, the villages worth walking through, and the two best months to go.

The view of Blea Tarn in the Lake District with heather in bloom.

15 min read

Lake District Hiking: The Fells Behind the Lakes

Lake District hiking explained: how the valleys are laid out, the 214 Wainwrights, the ground underfoot, the rain, and the two months worth planning around.

34 min read

Hiking in the UK: 12 Best Trails by Landscape

The 12 best trails for hiking in the UK, grouped by the six landscapes they cross, with real distances, walking days and where every route starts.

18 min read

The Ultimate GR20 Guide

The GR20 refuses the valleys, which is why it is the hardest of the French GRs. Fifteen stages, mandatory refuge booking and no wild camping.

Rugged granite mountains and lush green forest under a bright blue sky in Corsica.

16 min read

Hiking in Corsica: The Complete Trail Guide

Hiking in Corsica explained: the GR20 and the gentler coast-to-coast routes, refuges, when to go, gear and how to reach each trailhead.

15 min read

The Ötztal Trek: Tyrol's High-Alpine Long-Distance Trail

The Ötztal Trek is 400 kilometres and 22 stages around Tyrol's most glaciated valley, with 30,000 metres of climbing and most of it graded black.

Classic panoramic view of famous old town Hallstatt and alpine deep blue lake with tourist ship in scenic golden morning light on a beautiful sunny day at sunrise in summer, Salzkammergut, Austria

19 min read

Salzkammergut Hiking: A Guide to Austria's Lake District

Hiking in the Salzkammergut means 76 lakes and walks from 405 to 1,180 metres of climbing. Five routes compared, plus the ten-day Dachstein Circuit.

Slovakia mountain peak Osnica at sunrise - autumn panorama

10 min read

Malá Fatra Hiking: Ridge Traverse, Peaks and Huts

Hiking Malá Fatra end to end: 54.4 km and 3,250 m of ascent over five days, two mountain huts, and the closure that shuts Rozsutec until mid-June.

13 min read

Hiking Near Innsbruck: Multi-Day Treks & Hut-to-Hut Trails

Hiking near Innsbruck, the Capital of the Alps, means the Adlerweg and Stubai High Trail start an hour from the platform. Pick the right one!

View with High Tatras in Pieniny. Summer mountain landscape in Slovakia. Slovakia and Poland countryside

22 min read

Hiking in Slovakia: 10 Best Hikes Across 4 Ranges

Hiking in Slovakia is not only the Tatras. Ten hikes across four ranges, with walking time, ascent and trailhead, and the 15 June date the high trails reopen.

Pyrenees Pessons peak and lakes in Andorra

12 min read

Hiking in Andorra: Best Multi-Day Treks and Huts

Hiking in Andorra means 65 peaks above 2,000 metres and four staffed refuges. Three multi-day treks compared on distance, ascent and how hard each really is.

Amazing spring landscape from Slovenia, Europe. Velika planina in the heart of the Kamnik Alps. with a small lake surrounded by saffron and with with the reflection of distant mountains in it.

10 min read

The Best Time to Hike the Alps

Wondering about the best time to hike the Alps? An honest month-by-month breakdown of huts, snow, crowds and weather to help you pick your dates.

Beautiful mountain landscape with two cute mountain goats in the French Alps near the Lac Blanc massif against the backdrop of Mont Blanc.

21 min read

Hiking in the Alps: The Ultimate Guide

Which Alpine country to choose, the best long-distance routes, hut versus hotel, how the difficulty grades work, and the months that actually deliver.

Person taking photos with a smartphone of mountain landscapes, waterfalls, and hiking trails.

7 min read

Snap Epic Hiking Photos: 11 Tips for Phone Photography

How to take breathtaking hiking photos with your phone — simple tips to capture light, perspective, movement, and landscapes that tell your story.

8 min read

Decoding Trail Markings Around the World

Every country marks its hiking trails differently. Learn to read paint blazes, cairns, scallop shells, and some of the quirkiest markers on earth.

Couple trekking through the rain in the Highlands

7 min read

How to Survive Midges on a Hike

Midges ruining your hike? Learn when they swarm, where they hide, and how to outsmart them — so you can enjoy Europe's best trails bite-free.

9 min read

Extreme Weather on the Trail? A Hiker's Survival Guide

Stay safe while facing extreme weather on your hike. Here's how to handle fog, rain, and lightning, and make smart decisions when mountain weather turns on you.

Back view of young man in green hoodie, exercising and stretching hands, looking at mountains range, resting after climbing and hiking on summer day - healthy lifestyle, travel, weekend trip concept

7 min read

Stretching for Hikers: Before & After Your Hike

The best stretches for hikers to prevent injuries, reduce soreness, and keep your legs fresh on multi-day treks. Here's what to do before and after every hike.

Man and woman hiking in Infected ticks forest with warning sign. Risk of tick-borne and lyme disease.

5 min read

How to Avoid Ticks While Hiking

Ticks exist on hiking trails. Panic is optional. Learn how to avoid ticks while hiking, protect yourself, and keep your outdoor adventures itch-free.

Couple of hikers walking, with Tre Cime di Levarado peaks on background, view from a cave window, in Dolomites, Italy.

8 min read

10 Best Hiking Trails in Europe

These top 10 multi-day treks deliver pure magic. Here are our picks for the best hikes in Europe – from wild Atlantic coastlines to dramatic Alpine peaks.

Via ferrata carabiner and orange rope secured to a steel cable on a rocky mountain edge.

7 min read

Mountain Safety 101

A safe hike is a great hike. From late snow to guardian dogs, here’s what to know before heading into the mountains this season.

12 min read

How to Train for Hiking?

How to train for a hike the right way. Practical workouts, strength exercises, and week-by-week plans so you enjoy your hiking holiday — not just survive it.

Cinque Terre: the Ultimate Hiking Guide

Which trails are open, which ones are worth the climb over the crowds, when to go, and how to arrange for truly carefree holidays.

Quick links

Don't want to read all this?

In short

Why Walk in Cinque Terre?

The Routes Worth Knowing

The Blue Trail (Sentiero Azzurro)

Alta Via delle Cinque Terre

The sanctuary trails

The Punta Mesco walk

Cinque Terre Walking Tour

The Five Villages

When to Go

Tourist Card, Trains & Getting Around

Sleeping and Eating

Difficulty and Required Fitness Level

Cinque Terre Highlights

Ready to Walk the 5 Villages?

The Ultimate Liguria & Tuscany Hiking Tour

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Ideas for your next trip

The Ultimate Liguria & Tuscany Hiking Tour

Cinque Terre Highlights

Ideas for your next trip

Cinque Terre Walking Tour