I would not want to disabuse anyone from hiking the national park trails of the Cinque Terre. However, I will be honest and say the trails can be challenging. I witnessed those clinging to the rock walls on narrow paths, those packing large backpacks and even babies, the elderly, and those with taped knees. There were many huffers and puffers. Some of that describes me.
Google Map’s plot of altitude for Vernazza-Monterosso trek.
Following the reconstruction of a collapsed drystone wall on the Vernazza side of the trail, the Verde Azzurro (Blue Green) path became accessible again just this past month. Yeah! Alternative, higher routes are not an alternative for this hiker.
Leaving one sole in Corniglia, the other in Vernazza
7 May 2022
Look back at Corniglia from the Azure Trail.
The Azure Trail is mostly an easy upper trail connecting Corniglia to Vernazza. It is an easier climb because I start out at around 330 feet above sea level from Corniglia. The upper, or high trails, tend to be older, more in tune with nature, and closer to the farmers who originally built and continue to tend the rock walls and paths. It evidently gave them a constructive use for all the rocks that were removed from their terraces in order to grow their grapes.
