McKinnon Euro Vacation 2013: Cinque Terre - Part 2

For families planning a trip to Italy in the future, Cinque Terre needs to be on your list. If you were to poll the kids, I think they would say that “Part 2” of our Cinque Terre visit was their favorite yet.

Whereas our first two days here were spent quietly on the beach and enjoying tasty meals, days three and four turned – unwittingly - into a thrill-seekers adventure.

After breakfast we grabbed the train for the 15 minute train ride to Manarola, the fourth town in the chain of towns that make up Cinque Terre (literally, “five lands). Here is a map, jut to provide a sense of where we were. (Our hotel is in Monterroso al Mere, the northern-most town.)

Our plan was to hike a fairly flat 2.5 mile trail from Manarola (town 4) to Corniglia (town 3) and to have lunch in Corniglia. Manarola – true to all of the Cinque Terre towns – is a quaint fishing village where the small wooden fishing boats line the streets, nearly blocking the entrances to the restaurants and small shops. We proceeded thru town on our way to the hiking trail when we come across a small swimming hole. It was too tempting for the kids to pass up, so we decided to let them take a quick dip while Tree and I watched.

Panoramic View of the "swimming hole."

Getting ready to jump in...

Acclimating to their new find...

Within a few minutes, our kids had swum across to a large rock with a rope hanging off of it and had climbed up the rock. Billy had spotted a few locals jumping off of the rock from about 4 feet above the water. Our kids decided to do the same.

Climbing onto the rocks...

And they're off... (Jimmy "Superfly" McKinnon)

Lilly too...

I was still on the shore when Billy started to climb to the top of the rock – about 30 feet tall – and to peer over the other side. Not knowing what was on the other side, I was uncomfortable and told him to climb down, lest the others try to follow him. It was too late. Tommy was fast on his heels and Danny was not too far behind.

The kids climbed up the rock, despite my pleadings not to...

From where we were standing, it was impossible to see what was on the other side of the rock, but one could walk back up into the village and gain a different perspective, so I quickly did so – mostly to make sure they were not about to fall to their deaths.

By the time I made it to the other side of the rock, another teenager had climbed up with Billy and Tommy and was about to show them how to jump off of this higher rock – about 22 feet above the water. He jumped, demonstrating where to aim in order to land safely. Billy built up his courage and followed him in a minute later. Tom was next, then Danny.

Billy took the plunge off of the high rock while the others watched

Tommy soon followed, then Danny.

No sooner had Danny hit the water than a speedo-clad man climbed to an even higher perch and executed a perfect swan dive into the water below.

He was followed by another kid about Tommy’s age. The challenge was on. If they could do it, then Billy, Danny and Tommy could do it. And if Billy, Danny and Tommy could do it, then Dad had to do it. I’ll leave you with these videos… (for some reason they show up very small -- expand them when you play them to get a better view)

Part I of the adventure complete, we decided it was time to continue our hike. Unfortunately, about ½ mile into the trail, we came across a gate that was locked and blocking the trail. Two years ago, Cinque Terre was pounded by a massive storm that dropped 14 inches of rain in 3 hours. The storm caused massive mud slides that severely damaged several of the towns and destroyed parts of the hiking trails, including the part that we had planned to hike.

Looking back at Manorola from the waterside trail we originally hoped to hike (it was blocked)

We turned around, regrouped and decided that we would simply take the train to Corniglia (town #3 in the Cinque Terre chain) and hike another part of the trail – the part connecting Corniglia to Vernazza.

When I made the decision to “hike another part of the trail” I did not know what we were in for. If our original hike is a 4 (of 10) on a difficulty scale, the new hike is an 8. It started with a climb up about 400 stairs just to get into Corniglia. Unlike the other towns in Cinque Terre, Corniglia does not have a port. Instead, it is perched about 500 feet above the sea, carved into cliffs. It is largely a farming town, prodicing olive oils and figs.

We made it up the stairs and made a brief pit stop in Corniglia to refill our water bottles, admire the views and to get the kids a gelato. Our team proceeded to climb about another ½ mile out of town – uphill – just to get to the trail head.

Somewhere in this landscape there is apparently a "trailhead." We had no idea where we were going...

We've grown to love coconuts - healthy nourishment for our hike.

For a 5 year old, Jimmy is a trooper. He has kept up with us the entire vacation with nary a complaint. However, the hours of walking take a toll on his little body, and when he get tired he typically turns to me and say “Dad – shoulders.” I had already carried him up the 400 steps into town, and knew that the hike would be no different. As we continued on the trail – completely exposed to the noon-day sun, and having ascended probably 400 feet vertically from town – Jimmy (riding my shoulders) commented “Dad, I’m getting sweaty.” I remarked “Yeah, me too.” Jimmy has a sharp little mind and got the irony. That aside became a running joke between me and Jimmy every time I carried him. “Are you getting sweaty?” I’d ask? “Nope.”

A view of the flat part of the trail from the mid-point.

Looking back at Corniglia from the mid-point of the trail

Another steep ascent before we start the trip down into Vernazza

Lilly's face captures how we all felt about 75% of the way thru the hike

Finally we made it... The hike was only 2.5 miles, but we covered 1000 vertical feet from our arrival at the train station in Corniglia, up to the highest point of the trail. From the peak -- about 1000 feet above sea level, the trip down into Vernazza (which was at sea level) was much easier.

Entering Vernazza, the end point of our hike

Vernazza from the end of the trail

The hike was well worth it as it afforded some magnificent views of the town, the ocean and the landscape, and it ended at a beach in Vernazza. We took a well-earned dip and then enjoyed dinner at a nearby restaurant. To top things off, we (and the entire restaurant) were serenaded by a local tambourine and guitar duo that played what I’d best describe as an Italian version of the Gypsy Kings.