Hiking in Cinque Terre

The main draw of Cinque Terre is its scenic beauty.  There are some fabulous hikes between the five towns.  The surrounding area is run by the Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre, and for a small fee (something like 6 euros per person) you can get an access pass to hike between the towns.  
We got a fairly early start for our hike from Vernazza to Corniglia, the next town over.

The view of Vernazza from the trail

The hike between Vernazza and Corniglia takes about two hours, and when we saw this misleading signpost after only an hour we thought Corniglia was just around the corner.

However once we came around a bend in the trail we realized Corniglia was still a good hour away:

After completing the rest of the journey we explored along the cool, narrow alleyways of the town.

And we had a picnic lunch in the Corniglia town square.

Beautiful Hydrangea in Corniglia

We decided to head down to the train station and see one more of the five towns so we set out to find the train station.  Unlike Vernazza (which is at sea level), Corniglia sits on a bluff.  But the train tracks are back down at sea level which means that passengers must travel up or down a twisty staircase to reach the station.

On the train, you get beautiful ocean vistas punctuated with darkness as the train passes through tunnels blasted straight into the hillside:

Train tunnel going straight through the rocky hill

We finally arrived at the village of Monterosso al Mare, which is a town that is well-known for its beaches.

Crowds throng the boardwalk, stopping for a drink or a meal at one of the many cafes.

After our long hike we stopped for gelato and a refreshing lemon ice.

Later, we caught the train back to Vernazza in time for dinner at a nearby Trattoria.  Enjoying fresh pasta and a bottle of wine was a fantastic finish for our last day in Cinque Terre.