TREKKING IN RIOMAGGIORE
Where walks around Riomaggiore are concerned, one footpath in particular springs to mind: the via dell’Amore. A thirty-minute walk starting at the train station leads to the town of Manarola. The route offers a lively walk with striking views. The path that links the two hamlets gets its name from its beautiful landscape, its closeness to the sea, the scent of seaside plants and the bare rocky terrain that you encounter along the way. The path’s origins, however, are more prosaic. Its creation was linked to the construction of the railway line between Genova and Spezia in the late 20s. In order to build the tunnel between the two towns, it was necessary to construct mines and to keep explosives far from excavating zones. This route is part of the coastal Blue Path that unites the Cinque Terre towns from Riomaggiore to Monterosso.
From Riomaggiore, it is also possible to access the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montenero, along a path that starts at via Don Minzoni, passes through via della Libertà, and crosses over the provincial then coastal roads, before eventually arriving at the courtyard of the 14th century sanctuary. According to legend, the edifice was built in honour of the miraculous rediscovery of a Byzantine icon, which was hidden in order to save it from the invasion of the Longobardi di Rotari.
A third walk, leads from Riomaggiore to the Colle del Telegrafo and takes approximately 2 hours. It retraces the same route that leads to the sanctuary, from where you can continue on towards Lemmen until you reach the Colle del Telegrafo.
