The Cinque Terre is a Unesco World Heritage site where visitors can admire an impressive and unique landscape worked by man through centuries, overlooking the sea as well as five marine hamlets: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore.
The Cinque Terre National Park and Marine Park offer information on all the footpaths and services that range from horse back riding to sea watching.

We are happy to help you with any additional information you may need in order to plan your trip.

One of the best ways to see the Cinque Terre is on foot. The paths linking the various villages offer spectacular views of the cliffs, coasts and cultivated terraces.

We would like to describe the walks you can take starting from La Sosta di Ottone III.
Arrangements can be made for packed lunches and for a Taxi or Minivan to drive you back up to La Sosta di Ottone III from Levanto.

First of all, a quick suggestion: if you are a keen walker you can walk from la Sosta to Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore in one day.
The walks become progressively easier as you get to the end towns of Manarola and Riomaggiore.
Once there, you can catch the train back to Levanto.

For precisely this reason, if you are not a keen walker, I would start from the end and walk back towards La Sosta di Ottone III. Each town has a railway station and you can visit the other towns by hopping on the train and return to Levanto once you have finished.

La Sosta di Ottone III - Vernazza path 8b (4 hours)

This is one of my favourtite walks as it offers some of the most spectacular views of the Ligurian coastline and the Cinque Terre.

From the Inn you walk up 5 km to the oldest Sanctuary in Liguria, Santuario di Soviore by following the main road.

At the back of the church, follow a path which takes up to the road again.
After about 2 km there is a clear indication on the right for path 8b.

The path winds smoothly across hills overlooking the sea. A fire that raged through roughly 10 years ago, burnt all the trees which have now been replaced by Mediterranean bushes.
Due to its south-west exposure and lack of trees, this walk is wonderful in all seasons except the summer.

Just before reaching the Madonna di Reggio, there is a beautiful view of Vernazza.

In the Summer of 2007 Di Eckersley, a friend of ours, came to stay and took pictures of her day out seeing the Cinque Terre by ferry boat and walking.
I don’t think there is much more to add.

In the summer of 2007, Marco Scaramuccia's Rosa dei Venti launched a brand new service in Levanto:
http://www.levantorosadeiventi.it/indexeng.html

This is a very special experience:  viewing the Cinque Terre and the Ligurian Riviera from the sea allows you to discover the full beauty of the pastel coloured villages as well as the impressive man made landscape surrounding them.
We are confident that both the short and full day cruises will enrich your experience of this area of Italy.
 
Several excursions are scheduled throughout the day.

Day excursions:
you will be able to swim in the crystal waters of the Cinque Terre Marine Park as seagulls soar overhead. With some luck, and just to complete a magical day, you may spot a whale or dolphins swimming by.
Timetable:
10.00 am ... hour trip
2.30 pm ... hour trip
Price: E 50.00 per person
Min. 6 people, maximum 10 people
Family discount: 20%
Advance booking welcome.


Night boat to Vernazza:
watch the sun setting over the Cinque Terre while sipping an aperitif on board.
On the way back, you may able to watch fishermen fish using night lamps.
Departure from Levanto: 7.30 pm  
Return from Vernazza: 12.00 pm
Time to/from Vernazza: 30 Minutes
Price: E 50.00 per person - min.6/max.10 people - advance booking required.


Minicruises:

Portofino:  north west of Levanto you can admire Camogli, San Fruttuoso, and Portofino.

Portovenere:  taking a south west direction, you will marvel at beautiful Portovenere, Isola Palmaria, Tino and the world famous Cinque Terre, a Unesco Heritage site.

Each town can be explored by walking through its narrow alleyways, known in dialect as "CREUZE ed i CARRUGGI". You will be free to shop, visit the local historical sites and taste some of the local cuisine in one of the charming restaurants along the sea front.
During the cruise, there will be time to stop and swim in one of the beautiful little coves dotted throughout the Cinque Terre Marine Park and, between one dip and the other, taste an aperitif with snacks made of local produce.
A 6 hour trip, tailored to your wishes, with skipper and refreshments onboard.
maximum 7 people - price: please contact us - advance booking required.

In August of 2007, Fabio and I walked from La Sosta di Ottone III to Porto Venere.

The footpath is the n.1, Alta Via delle Cinque Terre.
It was clean and very well marked. 
Most of the walk was shaded by pine and leafy chestnut trees and between 400 and 750 m above sea level so the temperature was fresh and breezy.

It took us total 12 hours.  Once in Portovenere, we then took a bus to La Spezia and the train back to Levanto.

The 02 to Manarola:

Should you not wish to do the whole walk, there are plenty of opportunities to walk down to any of the Cinque Terre towns by taking one of the perpendicular paths that start from the n.1 .
In the winter, for example, there isn’t enough daylight to do the whole walk in one day and I turned off for one of the Cinque Terre towns at round 3.30 pm:

These footpaths are not used very often so are not as well marked but as you’re simply heading down towards the sea, it isn’t that easy to get lost. 
Furthermore, there are breathtaking views of the Cinque Terre as you walk down towards the village you’ve chosen as your destination.

The 7a to Corniglia:

The 3a to Volastra and Riomaggiore: