Manarola and Riomaggiore were once connected by a famous footpath known as the Via Dell’Amore, which hugged the coastline right by the sea, cantilevering out from the cliffs between the two towns. Unfortunately in 2011, a landslide took out a portion of the path, and it remains closed today, though there are promises that it will reopen next year.  

As it happens, the Cinque Terre are served by what is, in effect, a rural subway system with trains leaving both directions on half-hour intervals.  (It’s even mostly underground, due to the frequent tunnels.) So we opted to take the train rather than make the several hour journey inland and uphill to cover the 1km distance.

We didn’t stay long in Riomaggiore, just enough to see the harbor and purchase supplies (gelato being one of the necessaries, of course), and then we were on our way to Porto Venere.  

   
   
This was our longest single hike yet – 8.7 miles, 750 m ascent – and began (like they all do!) with an extended uphill climb.  That culminated at a small church with big views where we had a picnic lunch. 

   
 
The remainder of the hike followed the ridgeline of the peninsula of which Porto Venere lies at the tip.  With views of the open sea to our right and La Spezia and the Bay of Poets to our left,  we passed campgrounds, fitness stations, remains of old windmills, and working marble quarries, in addition to several small towns  before arriving at our destination.  The views were fantastic, particularly the limestone cliffs at the peninsula’s tip.

   
    
 
We were greeted in Porto Venere by the imposing walls of a medieval fortress followed by the welcome sight of the Hotel Paradiso (and its friendly staff) and gracious sea view. We capitalized on the sea view with dinner at the hotel restaurant, and then walked along the harbor to take in the evening scene and the fancy yachts!