Cinque Terre Coastal Trail
Cinque Terre Coastal Trail: One-Day Blue Trail Guide
The Cinque Terre Coastal Trail is the Sentiero Azzurro, or Blue Trail / Trail No. 2, linking the five Cinque Terre villages on the Ligurian Riviera in Italy. It is a 12 km, point-to-point coastal walk usually done in one day, with about 5–6 hours of walking. The route is moderate, with rocky and paved sections, and suits hikers who want a compact village-to-village trail rather than a multi-day trek.
Route Overview
Walk from Monterosso al Mare to Riomaggiore, or in reverse, passing Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola. The trail is point-to-point, so plan your start and finish carefully and check which sections are open before setting out. The classic line follows the coast between pastel villages, vineyard terraces and the Corniglia headland, with the Via dell'Amore section between Riomaggiore and Manarola part of the wider route. If you want a longer Ligurian hike, compare it with the Alta Via dei Monti Liguri; for another Italian coastal option, see the Cilento Coast Trail.
Cinque Terre National Park and Cultural Landscape
The Sentiero Azzurro sits within Cinque Terre National Park and the wider UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. Its character comes from the long relationship between the five villages, the sea and the terraced slopes above them. The villages and vineyard terraces date back centuries, and the walk is as much a cultural route as a coastal hike.
Notable highlights
- Cinque Terre villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are the five pastel cliffside villages linked by the trail. Their close spacing makes this a rare point-to-point coastal walk that can fit into a single day.
- Vineyard terraces above the sea: The path passes the terraced slopes that define the Cinque Terre cultural landscape. They give the route its distinctive mix of coast, village and cultivated hillside.
- Via dell'Amore: The Riomaggiore–Manarola section reopened in February 2025 after 12 years. It is one of the best-known parts of the Sentiero Azzurro, but access should still be checked before you go.
- Corniglia headland: Corniglia sits on a headland between Vernazza and Manarola. This section gives a different feel from the harbour villages and is a key waypoint on the full traverse.
Challenges to expect
The main difficulty is not distance but conditions: the 12 km route includes rocky and paved coastal sections and is graded moderate. Landslides regularly close parts of the Sentiero Azzurro, so do not assume the full line is open. Check current access, buy the required Cinque Terre Card / trail ticket, and be ready to adjust the walk if a section is closed.
Italy - Coastal
- Rocky
- Paved
- Hotels
- Family Friendly
- Restrooms
- Water Sources
Follow the Sentiero Azzurro from Monterosso al Mare to Riomaggiore, or walk the reverse direction, passing Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola. Allow about 5–6 hours of walking and confirm current section openings before starting.