Back towards the main road to the path to Vernazza, here the challenge begins and the climb is surrounded in olive groves and vineyards. The path is very wooded and mostly consists of large stone steps downhill. I highly recommend starting from Corniglia for this path, unless you are looking for a real challenge- climbing up those steps is torture! There are beautiful views of Corniglia, hills covered in vineyards and lengths through forest.
Seeing the olive groves up close is really a treat- tied to the trees are nets that the workers spread out between the trees to catch olives when the season is right.
This is a difficult and tiring walk, and takes about 1.5 hours. When you reach Vernazza the fun isn’t over, as you will descend hundreds of steps to get into the town, passing a tower and overlooking the Castle Doria.
Castle Doria is well worth a visit if you have the time, but beware, a visit means even more steps straight up! The castle is open weekdays and Saturdays, and costs a few euros for entrance. Climb to the top of the castle tower for a terrific view of the sea. Vernazza is one of the loveliest and most popular of the Cinque Terre, take your time to explore its streets and enjoy the beautiful marina.
cinque terre Said:
on September 6, 2008 at 4:24 pm
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