Hike along Italy’s famed Cinque Terre coastal trail with dazzling views of the Mediterranean Sea! Meet fellow solo female travelers at a local backpacker’s hostel and make a friend for life. Celebrate a rigorous and rewarding eight-mile hike with a swim at the beach and dinner on the sea.

One of the greatest joys of traveling solo is the fast and deep friendships formed with fellow travelers.  I’m so grateful that my digital camera did not fail me during the hike in Cinque Terre. Not only did I capture some spectacular views of the walking trails high above Italy’s famed seaside villages, but memories of an epic adventure with my newfound Belgian friend, Karen.

 I first learned of Cinque Terre from college screensavers and dorm room posters—the string of five colorful and cliff-hugging seaside towns along Italy’s upper west coastline. The preserved string of Unesco Heritage sites perched precariously over the Mediterranean sea was alluring enough by themselves. However, I didn’t realize that an incredible coastal hiking trail connects them like beads on a necklace.  So when I was planning my seven-week solo backpacking trip across the northern Mediterranean to celebrate completing grad school, I decided to pin Cinque Terre on the map and attempt one of Italy’s most famed coastal hikes.

Karen and I on the final descent to Vernazza along the Cinque Terre coastal hiking trail.

Italy was part three of my solo backpacking trip that began in Spain. I had just completed the French Mediterranean portion of the journey, including an incredible Woofing farm/work stay in Provence and a few days on the Cote d’Azur. From the historic coastal town Antibes, I hopped on the Eurorail and grabbed a window seat view of the Mediterranean on my way to Milan.

Big cities were not a part of the agenda for this off-the-beaten-path trip, and I was eager to pass through Milan’s bustling metropolitan train station and onto the local train to the coast. I was heading to a small backpacker’s hostel in Manarola, one of Cinque Terre’s five villages.

It was already late in the afternoon as the train emerged from the depths of the mountain and coasted to a stop above the Mediterranean’s glittering blue waters. The Hostel was located at the high point of the village just a short hike uphill from the train station. After the final sweaty climb of the day, I plunked my heavy backpackers bag down on the hostel’s outdoor terrace and took in the sea view framed by sherbert-colored clocktowers and buildings.

View of the Mediterranean sea from my room at the backpacker hostel in Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy.

A hiking invitation

The hostel served breakfast and dinner on the outdoor terrace (lovely!), and after a long day of travel and arriving in a new country, I gratefully said “Grazi” to the easy and soul-warming homemade meal. As I had hoped, two other women were already on the terrace, catching the sunset and sipping wine. We smiled our greetings and naturally moved together to share a table and stories.

Cheryl Howard was a Canadian living abroad in Berlin, Germany, and traveling Italy as part of her new ventures as a travel blogger— (and she’s still at it a decade later!) In a black top and bright sunflower yellow scarf was Karen from Belgium revisiting the Italian coast as part of a dream put off by a terrible minivan accident in Africa the year earlier.

We swapped tales of our adventures and mishaps over a bottle of chianti, homemade pasta, and post-meal cigarettes (back when we did this!).  I told them about my run-in with the matador in Madrid, falling in love with a Brazilian geographer in Granada, and the incredible experience of working on a farm in the Luberon valley of Provence, where Cezanne created his famous impressionistic landscape paintings.

We talked about where we were journeying next and the most pressing question, what were we doing tomorrow!? I planned to hike the mountain trails between the villages, and I wondered who was up for joining me. Cheryl had plans to take the local train to Riomaggiore, the most southern of Cinque Terre’s seaside towns, to cover a flower festooned religious festival. Karen seemed excited about the hike but was worried about her physical ability. Her right leg had been badly crushed in the minivan accident, and after many surgeries, the doctors weren’t sure she’d even be able to walk again!

Yet she was bright, optimistic, walking on her two feet without a cane and just a slight perception of a limp. I could see in her eyes that she wanted to try it and encouraged her to join me, saying we’d take it at her pace and could take the train back at any of the three villages.  The nice thing about hiking in Cinque Terre is that a local train connects all the villages, so we could choose to hop on the train at any point in the hike.

At 1200 feet, looking down to Corniglia from the Cinque Terre hiking trail.

The Hike – Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre’s coastal hiking trail—also known as the Blue Path “Sentiero Azzuro” or the Mountainous Walk “Sentiero Monterosso” —is a string of hiking trails connecting the five villages. We planned to hike from our hostel in Manarola north to Monterossa (the northernmost town). On our way, we’d pass through Cinque Terre’s Corniglia and Vernazza as well.

The hike is broken up into three trail segments, ascending and descending the steep ridgelines and coastal slopes like a bunny hop between each village (if only it were that easy!) A 4.5-mile journey by train is an eight-mile hike with a cumulative elevation gain of 2000 vertical feet!

The trail climbs the steep ridgelines from each village to the high coastal contours of 800 to 1200 feet. It skirts along the edge of vertiginous rocky cliffs, winds through woodland ravines, and traces the contours of terraced coastal vineyards like the tower of Babylon. The rewards for hikers are breathtaking sea views and a vantage point high above the colorful villages tumbling like building blocks into the sea.

Steep ascents (and drop-offs), rugged trail conditions, and dizzying views make the trail, not for the faint of heart or health.

Landing at the Beach

After hiking all morning and a good part of the afternoon, we finally made it to the end of our Cinque Terre  journey. The walking trail from Vernazza to Monterossa is the most natural stretch of the coastline, meandering through forested slopes and woodland ravines. After the final descent through vineyards, we could see our prize shimmering in the distance— a window of glittering blue—so close we could almost jump right in. The passage was the final turn of the trail, hugging the base of the granite cliffs. We followed the guardrail as it snaked the last 100 feet to sea level.

The trail ends at a small public beach between towers of rock, filled with beach towels, striped umbrellas, and sun-bathing bodies: old Italian men in their underwear and bright yellow racing caps, topless bronzed women, and naked children. After six hours of pounding the trail, our feet were barking. Our first impulse was to tear off our boots and socks and rub our feet into the coarse black sand. ahhhh…

Did we swim? We’d been waiting for it all day! As a backpacker, you quickly learn always to be prepared for adventure. My day bag is just big enough for the adventure essentials: water, sunscreen, a quick-dry towel, waterproof flip-flops, and a change of underwear. I’d been wearing my bathing suit underneath my hiking dress all day (yes! You can hike in a dress) just for this occasion. My favorite travel dress has snaps all the way down the front. With a pop-pop-pop!, I ripped off my dress like a superhero and dove headfirst into the sea.

Celebrating an incredible hike 

The water felt delicious on our sun-kissed and salty skin, and I can still remember the delicious feeling of bliss and happiness floating on my back, held up by the Mediterranean’s warm and gentle waters. Our bodies now fully relaxed and our hair almost sun-dried, we found a corner table overlooking the sea at the restaurant with yellow umbrellas perched on the rock above our beach.

Karen and I toasted to our incredible day’s adventure with a bottle of dry white wine the Ligurian region is famous for and the freshest seafood caught that morning. The sun danced off the seas glittering blue waters  spread out before us and reflected its gorgeous light into our wine glasses and onto our smiling, glowing faces.

We felt such an enormous sense of accomplishment for completing the entire hike, and I felt so happy and grateful for my new friend that she was able to make the journey with me, especially after doubting if she’d be able. We kept each other going throughout the hike and, from experience, formed a bond of friendship and solo traveler sisterhood.

When you’re traveling solo, you’ll find that you’re never really alone. And often, the act of solo travel will make you and others that much more open to connection. Years later, Karen and I still keep in touch. I met her in Chicago one summer and later in Belgium during my decadal trip to Paris. Perhaps one day we’ll redo our hike to Cinque Terre, and clink wine glasses again over the Mediterannean sea (perhaps not on a backpacker’s budget next time;-)

Are you considering Hiking Cinque Terre? or going on your solo backpack adventure? TheWayFly says, Go for it!

Left and above: Post-hike celebratory dinner with  fresh-caught seafood and cold, crisp Ligurian white wine overlooking the Mediterranean Sea (Monterosso, Cinque Terre)