Walking in the Cinque Terre and Portofino

Name: Walking in the Cinque Terre and Portofino
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

1 reviews

Activity Level

Moderate

Activity

Walking & Trekking

Overview

Discover the beautiful peninsulas of Portofino and Sestri Levante

About sixty miles east of Genoa lies a corner of the Liguria region with a remarkably well-preserved landscape steeped in tradition. ‘Cinque Terre’ means five lands; villages which are nestled high on cliffs or along deep inaccessible coves, with colourful houses facing the seafront. Each village offers its own olive oils, anchovies and Sciacchetrà liqueur (known as the ‘Elixir of the Gods’). By day, you discover the beautiful peninsulas of Portofino and Sestri Levante using well-marked walking trails; in the evening enjoy the sunsets over the Mediterranean.

Key Information

Trip Code: W06CT
Ways to Travel: Self-Guided Holidays
Countries: Italy

What's Included

All breakfasts and 6 dinners
Navigation App

5 days of Walking & Trekking

Terrain:

Varies between man made paved tracks and tarmac to forest trails.

Day 2: 11 km / 6.8 miles
Day 3: 6 km / 3.7 miles
Day 4: 7 km / 4.3 miles
Day 5: 12 km / 7.5 miles
Day 6: 12 km / 7.5 miles

Highlights

Coastal and countryside walking amongst olive groves and vineyards
The chic town of Portofino
Boat trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmaria Island
The serene village of Sestri Levante

Itinerary

Walking in the Cinque Terre and Portofino

First Destination: Sestri Levante
Next Destination: Sestri Levante

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Sestri Levante
Next Destination: Sestri Levante

Make your way to Sestri Levante. Your B&B, Albergo Marina, is centrally located in Sestri Levante, is perfectly located, within easy walking distance of both the beach and the railway station.

Meals included:Dinner

The walk today really allows you to explore the National Park of the Cinque Terre. Starting from Monterosso, the largest of the celebrated Cinque Terre villages, climb through cultivated olive groves to the hilltop Sanctuary of the Madonna of Soviore. Then it’s downhill all the way to pastel-coloured Vernazza, clustered around its serene natural harbour. There’s time to explore the village before returning by train to Sestri.

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Make your way to Portovenere then take a boat to Palmaria island. Rich in Mediterranean vegetation and maquis shrubland, it’s not unusual to see cistus and rare orchids blooming here. A circular walk with stunning coastal vistas takes you via a steep climb to the Batteria Semaforo, part of the network of fortresses constructed by Napoleon to secure the Gulf of La Spezia. Return to Sestri Levante in time for dinner.

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Take a train to picture perfect Corniglia, a charming jumble of pastel-hued houses toppling prettily down the hillside. Follow the narrow herb scented paths through vineyards up to the tiny yet panoramic village of Volastra and its 12th century sanctuary, then descend to arguably the oldest of the five Cinque Terre villages, colourful Manarola. Wander around the pretty marina and try the local wine – Schiacchetra – which is produced here, before taking the train back to Sestri Levante.

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Today you take a train to Riomaggiore, the last of the Cinque Terre villages and walk along an impossibly panoramic path that hugs the coastline all the way to the charming fishing port of Portovenere. Set in a beautiful sweeping bay, and once the haunt of Byron and Shelley, there’s a 16th century castle and medieval churches to explore before returning to Sestri Levante.

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast take a train to Camogli, and then a bus to Ruta di Camogli, and the start of the walk. Follow ancient forest trails through the lush Mount Portofinla Natural Park to San Fruttuoso and its 11th century abbey. Continue to chic Portofino, the Ligurian Riviera’s most exclusive resort, before returning via Santa Magherita Ligure for your last night in Sestri Levante.

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Make your own way back to the airport, or add on additional nights in Pisa if you wish.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, deposit-only payments, and full ATOL protection available.

Call us on 0203 733 5948

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Accommodation

Hotels

You will spend 6 nights in the charming 3-star Albergo Marina, centrally located in Sestri Levante, within easy walking distance of both the beach and the railway station. All the ensuite rooms are comfortable and equipped with air conditioning, with the hotel also coming with lift, sun terrace, bar and billiard room. Six evening meals at the hotel’s restaurant are included throughout your stay in Sestri Levante. Please note that a local tourist tax is payable direct to the Albergo Marina; this is €1.50 per person per day.

Additional Accommodation

Extra nights accommodation is available at Hotel Alessandro della Spina, Pisa located just 500m from Pisa central train station and just a 10 minute walk from most of the city’s main monuments. This modern and cosy property welcomes its guests with an elegant, warm atmosphere, enhanced by its charming garden, and friendly staff that are always on hand to ensure you a relaxed stay.

Hotel facilities include internet and wi-fi access in the lobby and a bar and comfortable seating area. Guest rooms are spacious, furnished with wood and marble and have air conditioning, a safe and satellite TV. Buffet breakfast includes homemade bread and croissants.

Please contact us for details.

Essential Information

Activity Level: 3 (Moderate)
5 days optional centre-based walking, low altitude throughout.
This is a self-guided tour, so you can walk at your own pace (we recommend taking plenty of time to rest and enjoy the views!). Although some walks will get your pulse racing you will also have plenty of time to rest, admire the views and on many days you can also enjoy swim breaks. Over the course of the week, the terrain and type of path will vary from man made paved tracks and tarmac to forest trails. Some areas may be rocky underfoot with narrow, overgrown or exposed paths. Although the walks are not technically challenging, you do need to be steady on your feet. All walks take between 2 and 6 hours including lunch stops and require a moderate level of fitness. Please note that, as on all of our walking trips, when the weather is wet some of the paths can be slippy. The steep sections on Palmaria Island have ropes to help with this.

Public transport is recommended (the cost is not included in the trip) in order to reduce your carbon footprint. The transport timetables will be provided in your route notes so you can choose the bus or train time that suits you best.
As this is a self-guided tour, there will be no group or tour leader and you are free to complete the walks at your own speed.

You may find our Fitness Training Guide a useful reference: http://www.exodus.co.uk/assets/pdf/Exodus_WT_Fitness_Training_Guide.pdf

Your trip normally starts at our hotel in Sestri Levante on the afternoon of Day 1 of the itinerary. Details of how to reach the start hotel are given in the Final Joining Instructions.

Flights from London
Our flight inclusive price includes Heathrow to Pisa flights with British Airways.

Out: British Airways Heathrow to Pisa 07:10/10:25 then train Pisa Centrale to Sestri Leveante 13:02/14:42, walk to hotel 500m. Return: Walk to train station 500m, train Sestri Levante to Pisa Centrale 10:38/12:17 then British Airways Pisa to Heathrow 17:00/18:20.

Regional flights
The Flight Inclusive price is based on a London departure to Pisa airport and then rail to Sestri Levante, but we are happy to tailor this to your local or regional airport, or into Genoa airport.

Italy

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Italy. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/italy
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/italy
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Italy.html

Please note: it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times in Italy.

Liguria is well-known for its delicious cuisine and classic regional dishes include pasta with pesto or walnut sauce, focaccia bread and of course plenty of seafood! With an abundance of fresh local produce and plenty of restaurants to try in Sestri Levante, food is a highlight of the trip. Vegetarians are well-catered for in Italy.

April and May departures can expect warm days, although rain is always possible. Nights may be rather cool. Early June is similar, with the days becoming progressively hotter and the evenings much warmer. Late June to August departures should expect very warm weather with temperatures over 30 degrees celsius. Late September and October are cooler and can be wetter, however visibility is better. We strongly recommend a fleece-lined jacket or warm sweater in May, September and October.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.