Today's stage leads past all five villages of the Cinque Terre: From Monterosso al Mare via Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola to Riomaggiore. Stage 5 is the hiking route for all Cinque Terre travelers, so you should be prepared for a crowd and not be disappointed if there is a real crowd at the particularly photogenic viewpoints. Also important: the Cinque Terre Trekking Card is required for the hiking route. In order to avoid unnecessarily long queues at the checkpoints, you should get them beforehand (for more information see The Cinque Terre Card, where you can also buy an online ticket).

In Vernazza you should treat yourself to a short detour to the harbor basin or allow time to visit the castle or the tower. A stop in Corniglia, approx. 3 hours from Monterosso al Mare, is suitable for the lunch break.

I have listed important waypoints for orientation below.

You can find my recommendations for pensions and hotels at the stage finish here: Accommodation in Riomaggiore.

In the map included above and in the downloadable GPX files, we have drawn the following waypoints for better orientation:

• Waypoint 1: Control station for the Cinque Terre Trekking Card (entrance). This is also sold here, but there may be waiting times during the season.
• Waypoint 2: The hiking trail crosses the main street of Vernazza and goes uphill again right next to the pharmacy.
• Waypoint 3: Control station for the Cinque Terre Trekking Card (exit).
• Waypoint 4: Corniglia is the ideal place for a lunch break.
• Waypoint 5: Small hut serving wine right in the vineyards
• Waypoint 6: The official route here actually continues along the road. We use a more attractive route to Groppo.
• Waypoint 7: From here we are back on the official route
• Waypoint 8: Junction to the right (signposted hiking trail 532C)
• Waypoint 9: Viewpoint
• Waypoint 10: Pension "La Dolce Vita"
• Waypoint 11: Popular viewpoint over the small harbor