While eating lunch in Manarola, we briefly considered whether we should complete our hike there or continue on to Riomaggiore. We knew the easy path (Via dell’Amore) was closed and after a long and strenuous hike, thoughts of food, drink and relaxation briefly outweighed the idea of another steep hike. While the last segment was one of the shortest hikes distance-wise, it was reputed to be one of the most challenging. But we had come all this way to see all five towns and it seemed silly to stop now. Taking the train was technically an option but seemed like cheating to us. We wanted to be able to say we had hiked between all the towns of Cinque Terre.
So back up the hill we went to the top of town to find the start of the path to Riomaggiore. We had a brief false start when we got to the trailhead and realized we didn’t have enough water for the hike and couldn’t find any place that sold it at the top of the hill. I had to go about half way down the hill into town again to buy some but was very glad I did. It was definitely necessary on this hike.
The centuries-old trail that connects the two towns over the mountain is called La Beccara (trail 531). It was the only route between Manarola and Riomaggiore until the early 1900s when the Via dell’Amore was built. Farmers used it to tend to their fields hundreds of years ago and continue to do so today. It is almost 700 stairs straight up before you reach the peak and head back down again.
From the peak you can see Manarola and its terraced vineyards behind you and Riomaggiore ahead.
To me, this hike was the most strenuous and least interesting. I appreciated the amazing views from the top but the trail itself seemed to be less interesting than the others. But my sore knee and shaky legs on the seemingly endless stairs probably negatively influenced my opinion.
And of course, as always what goes up must come down. We headed down the stairs, irregular and steep in many places, and made our way into town.
I found Riomaggiore to be the least impressive of the five towns, but everything is relative. Time spent here is still an incredible experience and well worth it. Had we done our hiking in reverse and started here instead of ending here, we probably would have given it more time and therefore appreciated it more. I also don’t think the approach over the mountain really does the town justice. It is best admired from the sea, where you have a great view of the harbor and up the main street into town with the colorful buildings lining the street.
We found a spot to sit outside on Via Colombo and enjoyed some gelato. After a brief rest we headed to the train station and made our way back to Monterosso, feeling extremely accomplished for having hiked four challenging trails between all five cities of Cinque Terre. It was an incredible experience with breathtaking views and stunning cliffside villages and was well worth the hiking effort.
