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Vernazza from above

The Recovery of Vernazza on the Cinque Terre and Visiting Today

July 26, 2013 By Jan Robinson 30 Comments

This post may contain compensated links. We may earn a small percentage if you book through a compensated link, but it won’t cost you any more by doing so. You can read our full disclaimer here.


In the Autumn of 2011 huge land slides created devastation on the Cinque Terre, the jewel of Liguria in North-Western Italy.  By all reports the Cinque Terre reopened for business in time for Easter 2012 – 90% open at any rate – and for a town that was buried in 13 ft of mud that is an amazing effort. 

What You Will Find in This Post

Are Cinque Terre Trails Open 2018?

CINQUE TERRE translates to five lands or in this case five towns.  Of the five,Vernazza and to a lesser extent Monterosso, were hardest hit.  The water and mud raced down the hillsides with such force that three local people were swept away from Vernazza and tragically died.

We were lucky to visit in April 2010 when the trails and towns were in pristine condition.  The trails also had to be rebuilt in places.

Incredibly,  in September 2012  disaster struck again with rock falls damaging the Sentiero dell’Amore, or Lovers Walk,  injuring four walkers.  Read here to see which Cinque Terre Trails are open.

Cinque Terre Train

We caught the train from La Spezia to Cinque Terre. We arrived at Monterosso the furthest of the five towns on the Cinque Terre and walked back along the picturesque coastal path that connects the five towns, finishing in Riomaggiore.  In this photo Vernazza, the second town on the trail and my favourite, peeks out from behind the mountains enticingly.

Vernazza April 2010.

Vernazza from afar

 

How to walk the Cinque Terre Trail

I think Monterosso to Riomaggiore is the best direction for walking the Cinque Terre trail.  Although the climb from Monterosso to the point where the above photo was taken was quite strenuous, walking from the other direction entails climbing a multitude of steps, which we instead got to walk down.

Vernazza through the Cactus

This photo shows the coast hugging train track arriving in Vernazza from Monterosso.

The train line on the Monterosso direction into Vernazza

The View of Vernazza from the harbour wall.

Vernazza

Vernazza boats

Visitors arriving by boat.

Vernazza arriving by boat

Looking back to the Harbour as we climbed through the streets of Vernazza, destination Corniglia.

Vernazza from above

Looking back on Vernazza.

Vernazza - looking back

The train track as it departs Vernazza, Corniglia bound.

The train line leaving Vernazza for Corniglia

While the other three towns were saved from flood destruction by good drainage systems and the natural contours of the land, Vernazza and Monterosso were endangered because of the untended terraces on the mountains behind the towns.  In the 1960’s when tourism increased, the vineyards and terraces were abandoned.  Now there is a push to replant and tend the terraces once more, which together with improved drainage systems should keep the towns safe in the future.

Which Village to Stay in Cinque Terre

If we were to visit the Cinque Terre again I would love to stay in Vernazza. To my mind it is the most picturesque of the five towns and my blogging friends seem to agree. Although staying on the Cinque Terre is more expensive than staying else, like in La Spezia it is good to splurge on special destinations if your budget is flexible. One of the best places to stay in Vernazza Cinque Terre, location wise, is this charming room.

This post is linked to BUDGET TRAVELERS SANDBOX.

From the first of September we will be travelling for three months in Turkey and Cambodia.  To follow our adventures you can LIKE US ON FACEBOOK or sign up for email notifications from the blog home page.

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Filed Under: Destination Guides, Italy

About Jan Robinson

Jan Robinson writes about travel on her Budget Travel Talk blog. A solo traveller in her teens, for the last 40 years Jan has travelled through Australia, Asia, Europe, Turkey and New Zealand with her husband. They specialise in road trips, caravanning and Independent travel without spending a fortune. Her favourite destination is Turkey and she is currently dreaming of Myanmar and Mexico.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Andrew Graeme Gould

    July 26, 2013 at 9:26 am

    What a spectacular coastline. All the best for that next trip!

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 27, 2013 at 9:36 pm

      Thanks Andrew – I can’t wait to get back on the road.

      Reply
  2. Leigh

    July 26, 2013 at 10:15 am

    I would so love to visit Cinque Terra and what good news to hear that 90% has been rebuilt. That’s got to have had a very positive effect on their tourism industry.

    Reply
  3. Krista

    July 26, 2013 at 11:58 am

    Oh my goodness, what stunning beauty!!! I feel warmer and happier just looking at them. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Muza-chan

    July 26, 2013 at 3:09 pm

    Beautiful place 🙂

    Reply
  5. noel

    July 26, 2013 at 3:15 pm

    I did that walk the opposite direction, but you can’t go wrong, its just a spectacular area to be outdoors and enjoy nature.

    I’m inviting you to come join us for Travel Photo Mondays, a photo link party that runs all week starting on Mondays.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 27, 2013 at 7:31 pm

      You’re right Noel, it is a wonderful experience no matter which way you walk it. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Life Images by Jill

    July 26, 2013 at 3:28 pm

    oh it is one of my dream holidays to go to places like this. I was sorry to read of the devistation it has suffered oveer the last few years, and hope it will recover fully.
    Thanks for stopping by my blog today, and have a wonderful weekend ahead.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 27, 2013 at 7:30 pm

      I am sure it will be just as good as it was before 🙂

      Reply
  7. Dana Carmel @ Time Travel Plans

    July 26, 2013 at 3:44 pm

    Wow – a train ride through this part of Italy would be amazing! I was unaware that this area is prone to landslides, but looking at your gorgeous pictures, I can see why.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 27, 2013 at 7:29 pm

      I hope they do start tending to the terraces once again. Surely it will please the tourists as well as keeping the town safe from landslides.

      Reply
  8. Marisol

    July 27, 2013 at 1:18 am

    Hi Jan, thanks for bringing back fond memories of a place I adore. I know the devastion was sad but I’m glad the towns are recovering, especially Vernazza. We loved Vernazza. We stayed there for 3 nights and I’lls stay there again if we go back.
    I was just actually thinking about posting Cinque Terre bec several good friends are heading there and wanting to see photos and info. I’ll forward your post to them.
    Have a wonderful time in Cambodi and Turkey!

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 27, 2013 at 7:27 pm

      That is funny Marisol, because the reason I did this post was because a good friend of mine is heading over there and was wanting information 🙂

      Reply
  9. Cathy Sweeney

    July 27, 2013 at 3:37 am

    What a beautiful area! I have to admit that I didn’t know about the damage and deaths caused by the flooding and landslides there. Good to know there is something being done about the drainage systems.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 27, 2013 at 5:44 pm

      I saw a video taken with the huge river just gushing down the main street toward the ocean. I am not surprised that people got swept away, I am just thankful that there were not more. I don’t know how they escaped.

      Reply
  10. Mary {The World Is A Book}

    July 27, 2013 at 6:52 am

    I have wanted to visit Cinque Terre since I was a child and saw a travel special on it. It looks absolutely beautiful and your pictures just bring it to life. I can imagine how gorgeous that train ride it. Love that first picture!

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 27, 2013 at 5:40 pm

      I did not know about it until we decided to visit Italy in 2010. The first time in 30 years. When researching I soon found out about the Cinque Terre and wondered how come I had never heard of it. I read that a lot of people didn’t like it because it was overrun with tourists, but in mid April when we were there it was perfect. I hope you get to see it on a lovely day like we did. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Marcia

    July 27, 2013 at 7:00 am

    Beauty and danger, different sides of the same coin. I’m glad to see that the town has recovered, even if it’s not yet 100%.
    It’s a lovely walk, Jan.
    I can just imagine how beautiful the coast must look when the train exits the tunnel.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 27, 2013 at 5:42 pm

      The train ride is exciting because if you are riding it for the first time you get these flashes of exciting views and then plunge back into darkness. You are in suspense waiting for your next glimpse, not knowing when it will be 🙂

      Reply
  12. cindy thetravelgal

    July 28, 2013 at 9:45 am

    Such beautiful pictures! Thanks for the info – this is on my travel list, just not sure when!

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 29, 2013 at 10:07 am

      I think it will still be the same whenever you get there Cindy. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Michele {Malaysian Meanders}

    July 28, 2013 at 12:04 pm

    I’ve always wanted to visit Cinque Terre. I had no idea that it had experienced relatively recent devastation, and it’s good to here that the towns have mostly recovered. Thanks for the advice on which way to hike. I’d much rather go down steps than up them. I’m thinking of a Cambodia trip myself and am looking forward to those updates.

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 29, 2013 at 10:05 am

      Cambodia will be so different after Turkey Michele!

      Reply
  14. Lisa wood

    July 29, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    gosh that looks like a gorgeous place to visit, mind you the walk sounded scary! It sure looked so steep.
    Hope they can improve the drainage so that the town remains safe.
    Incredible colours/culture in such a perfect place. The water looks so blue 😉

    Reply
    • Jan

      July 30, 2013 at 12:06 pm

      The walk was difficult but so worth it Lisa 🙂

      Reply
  15. Johanna

    August 11, 2013 at 12:44 am

    You make it look so pretty Jan, and a place that I’d love to visit. One of these days we’ll get to do the Grand Tour I hope, and I’ll be popping back searching through all your helpful advice on where to go and what to see.

    Reply
    • Jan

      August 11, 2013 at 7:03 pm

      It is very easy to take nice photos of the Cinque Terre Johanna. Hopefully it will be back to 100% of it’s pre land slide self by the time you get over there 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Three Days on the Amalfi Coast Rain or Shine says:
    July 23, 2015 at 6:01 pm

    […] we walked the coastal path that links the five villages of that other iconic Italian coast, the Cinque Terre. The temperature was perfect, skies clear, water blue and unruffled, and the track was challenging […]

    Reply

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