The town consists of two parts: the old quarters with traditional fishermen’s cottages by the harbour and the newer part with hotels on the Fegina beach on the eastern side. Thankfully there stands a 14 foot tall statue of Neptune - Il Gigante to keep a watchful eye on bathers! The trains pass over the old town via a bridge whereas, you have to go to the new part of town to catch the train at the station.
The "original" Monterosso with the small harbour, where both local fishermen and the many tour boats dock, has several exciting attractions. See, the beautiful facade on the San Giovanni Battista church, the delightful narrow streets so characteristic of the Cinque Terre villages, and not least countless wine bars (enotecas) where you can sample the local wines. A speciality of Monterosso is 'Sciacchetrà' made from grappa, anchovies, olive oil and, not least, the village landmark, lemons, which extensively used in the manufacture of both lemon liqueur 'limoncello' and lemon marmalade.
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Take a hike in the Cinque Terre
The famous hiking trail that connects the five towns Il Sentiero Azzurro, originates from the old town of Monterosso. Note that there is a small fee to pay for the maintenance of the national park if you wish to take this route. As a good and less crowded alternative to the known routes, try the route from Monterosso to Levanto which traverses the Punta Mesco Mountain. Upon arrival in the larger town of Levanto, you can easily take the train back in a few minutes. Another proposal for a longer walk, approx. 1 ½ hours - walk up to the shrine Soviore . This tour is also free and very panoramic. Go through the main street Via Roma in the old town and continue straight over the roundabout approx. 20 m. Turn left up the stairs where there is a sign for Soviore and the small hotel Casa dei Limoni. A final and less demanding proposal but also just as panoramic is the trip up to the city cemetery and Cappucciner monastery between the two neighbourhoods.
Open paths:
On the popular hiking trail (Il Sentiero Azzurro) which connects the five cities via paying paths, it is currently possible to walk along these routes:
- Monterosso -> Vernazza
- Vernazza -> Corniglia
- Manarola -> Corniglia (may be periodically closed due to maintenance)
Furthermore, there are many free and low-traffic trails in the area from which to enjoy the sea air and the breathtaking panoramic views: for example, the routes:
- Monterosso -> Madonna di Soviore -> Vernazza (long)
- Monterosso -> Levanto (via Porto Roca)
- Manarola -> Volastra -> Corniglia (which is a little challenging alternative to stretch Manarola -> Corniglia)
- As well as many other walks up behind towns in Cinque Terre.
Closed paths:
- Manarola -> Riomaggiore, also called Love Trail (temporarily closed)
Note: Since the area is very mountainous, it happens from time to time that there is some slippage on the trails. This may cause the trails to be closed for a short period to undertake essential repairs.
There are trains towards both Tuscany and Genoa that depart from Monterosso several times an hour. This means that it is a good choice of resort if you also want to see other other regions / cities. The trains from here can take you to both Pisa and Lucca on one direction and Genoa, Santa Margherita Ligure, Sestri Levante and Camogli in the other the other direction.
You can search through our handpicked collection of apartments and hotels in Monterosso using the search machine at the top of the page and find something to suit your needs. Alternatively feel free to contact us and make the most of our free travel advice. With over 15 years experience, we have what it takes to make your holiday in Italy everything you dream of.
