Hiking Cinque Terre in November and Winter: Open Trails, Closures and Safety

Trail fees in low season: what's free and what isn't

The Park's winter prices start on 2 November 2026, and from then until mid-March (12 March 2027, according to cinqueterre.eu.com; the Park hadn't published the end date when we checked) all trails are free except the Via dell'Amore. That includes the paid Sentiero Verde Azzurro (SVA) sections whenever they're open. You don't need a Cinque Terre Trekking Card just to hike.

You still need a card for two things:

• Via dell'Amore: entry comes with any Cinque Terre Card, Trekking or Treno, and you must book a time slot (details below).
• Unlimited trains (optional): the Cinque Terre Treno MS Card costs €17.30 for one adult day (€13.70 for over-70s) under the Park's price list for 2 November–31 December 2026. The Park hadn't published a price for January–March 2027 when we checked. Trains that stop at every village run about once an hour in winter, so if you'll only take two or three of them, single tickets usually cost less. The fares and the card arithmetic are in our guide to getting around Cinque Terre without the ferry.

Check before you go: low-season dates and card prices are set each year and can change.

Other experiences you might enjoy

On a wet day, or after a long walk, there is plenty to book along this coast. Guided day trips from Florence still reach Monterosso, Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore by train all winter, and La Spezia, Levanto and Portovenere keep walking tours, hiking tours, wine tastings and pesto and focaccia classes running through the colder months.

Via dell'Amore in winter: how it works

The rebuilt Via dell'Amore (trail 592-1) is "circa 900 metri" of cliffside walkway from Riomaggiore to Manarola, in the words of Liguria's tourism councillor Augusto Sartori (GenovaToday); the Park's trail page measures the whole route at 1.1 km. Its restoration cost €24 million (idealista, 30 September 2026). It is scheduled to open through the winter, but the rules are strict:

• One-way only. You enter at Riomaggiore (to the left as you leave the station) and exit at Manarola.
• Booked slots. The Park's trail page says slots start every 15 minutes, on the hour and at :15, :30 and :45, for up to 100 people each, and you have a maximum of 30 minutes to walk it.
• Winter hours: the official ticket site, viadellamore.info, lists 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027, daily 9:00–18:00, last entry 17:30.
• Tickets carry your name, so bring ID. The official site sells them as non-changeable, so pick your date and slot carefully. If you miss your slot, you may get in on the next one that has space. Under the Park's card rules, refunds are given for an orange or red weather alert; a yellow alert only qualifies for the Trekking Card.

How to book: go to viadellamore.info, choose "Buy ticket", pick your date and slot, and pay online (tickets start at €10). You'll get a Cinque Terre Card with Via dell'Amore access, which also includes Riomaggiore Castle. You can also book through the Park's card site (card.parconazionale5terre.it) or at Park Info Points from La Spezia to Levanto. If you already have a Cinque Terre Card, you can add the Via dell'Amore booking afterwards, online or at an Info Point; the Park recommends booking online when you buy the card, to avoid queues.

Check before you go: the walkway opens only in favourable weather. On 21 October 2026, the morning after an orange alert, the Park listed it as closed.

Sentiero Azzurro (SVA, trail 592): section-by-section status

Status checked on the Park's trail pages on 21 October 2026, the morning after an orange weather alert. Check again on the day you walk.

Monterosso–Vernazza (592-4) and Vernazza–Corniglia (592-3): closed

On 10 September 2026 the Park announced that the Corniglia–Vernazza–Monterosso stretch was "chiuso e non percorribile" (closed and impassable) while geological checks were carried out. We found no official reopening notice after that date, and on 21 October 2026 both sections were still marked "Chiuso" on the Park's trail pages. An unofficial status table on lecinqueterre.org dated 14 October 2026 listed both as open; that site says its information is indicative only and points readers to the Park for official status. Until the Park's own page shows them open, treat these sections as closed.

In past years the Park has reopened these sections a few days or weeks after closures like this (for example in November 2025 and March 2026). A reopening this winter is plausible, but it isn't guaranteed.

Monterosso, Servano stretch: partial closure

The Comune di Monterosso's Ordinanza n. 77 of 24 August 2026 closed the section between Via Servano and the junction near Hotel Porto Roca after weather damage. The Park's trail page still carried the notice on 21 October 2026, with access to the path from Via Corone still available.

Corniglia–Manarola (592-2): closed long-term

This section has been shut since landslides and is listed as "Chiuso" by the Park. Wom Travel's 2026 trekking guide says reopening is "non è prevista prima del 2028" (not expected before 2028). In a 7 November 2025 notice, the Park said the design work had reached its "ultimo step" (final step) but that funding for the works was still being sought. Use the Volastra high route instead.

Riomaggiore–Manarola (592-1, Via dell'Amore)

Open by booking in favourable weather (see above), and closed on 21 October 2026 after the orange alert.

The best winter alternatives

All of these are free in low season, and the Park listed all of them as open on 21 October 2026 except where noted. Times are one way, using the Park's (or CAI's) current trail numbers. The Park grades trails T (turistico, easy), E (escursionistico, hiking) and EE (esperto, experienced hikers).

Manarola–Volastra–Corniglia (506 + 586 + 587)

• Distance and time: about 5–6.5 km, 2.5–3 hours
• Elevation: about 400 m of climbing, topping out around Volastra (roughly 330–390 m)
• Difficulty: moderate (E), with a steep stepped climb out of Manarola; the Park grades the Corniglia end (587) EE
• Highlights: vineyard terraces, the Nostra Signora della Salute sanctuary in Volastra, and the classic view down onto Corniglia. Path 586 (Volastra–Case Pianca) reopened in March 2026 after an earlier closure.

Via Beccara, Riomaggiore–Manarola (531)

• Distance and time: about 1.5 km, about 1 hour
• Elevation: around 200 m up and down, with roughly 600 steps each side
• Difficulty: short but steep (EE), and slippery when wet
• Highlights: the old mule track over Costa Corniolo, which you can walk in both directions. Around Christmas it gives a superb view of Manarola's lit nativity (see the nativity notes in our winter guide).

Monterosso–Punta Mesco (590), and on to Levanto (591) when it reopens

• Status: on 21 October 2026 the Park listed 590 Monterosso–Sant'Antonio del Mesco as open (1 hr 15 min) and the onward 591 Sant'Antonio del Mesco–Levanto as closed. Until the Levanto half reopens, walk up to Punta Mesco and back down to Monterosso.
• Full route when open: about 7–8 km, 2.5–3 hours, with about 300–400 m of climbing to a high point of about 310–350 m near Punta Mesco, moderate (E) with big steps near Monterosso. It's easier from Levanto to Monterosso.
• Highlights: the ruins of Sant'Antonio del Mesco and views over all five villages.

Riomaggiore–Portovenere (593 + 598-1)

• Distance and time: about 12.5–14 km, 5–6 hours
• Elevation: about 600–650 m of climbing, high point around Colle del Telegrafo (about 510–570 m)
• Difficulty: long and strenuous (E), with a steep, rocky descent into Portovenere
• Highlights: Montenero sanctuary, Campiglia, cliff views over the Tramonti coast and Palmaria. Start by 8:30 in winter.

Sanctuary walks

• Monterosso → Madonna di Soviore (509): about 2.75 km, about 1 hr 45 min up, with roughly 465 m of climbing, E (Chez Antonella). Italian Wikipedia puts the sanctuary at 464 m and dates its first mention to a 1244 document. It is often called Liguria's oldest Marian sanctuary.
• Vernazza → Madonna di Reggio (508): about 2 km, roughly 1 hour up, E. A paved Way of the Cross leads to a monumental cypress at the top (about 320 m).
• Riomaggiore → Madonna di Montenero (593V): about 55 minutes up, E. A short, steep climb with a big view.
• Volastra (Nostra Signora della Salute) sits on the Manarola–Corniglia high route, and San Bernardino (Nostra Signora delle Grazie) is above Corniglia and Vernazza (see below).

Corniglia–San Bernardino–Vernazza high routes (587, 507)

• Vernazza–San Bernardino (507A): 1.44 km, about 2 hr 20 min up (1 hr 30 min down), EE, very steep.
• Corniglia–Cigoletta (587) followed by the AV5T and 507 down via San Bernardino: about 4.5 km, about 2 hr 15 min (a Park suggestion), EE.
• Highlights: some of the best views of Vernazza, and a free, quieter alternative to the closed coastal stretch.

Alta Via delle Cinque Terre (AV5T, formerly no. 1)

The ridge route runs about 40 km from Portovenere to Levanto (roughly 11 hours in total), climbing to around 800 m. Walk it in sections:

• 598-1 Portovenere–Telegrafo: about 4.7 km, about 3 hr 20 min
• 598-2 Telegrafo–Cigoletta: about 6.9 km, about 2 hr 40 min
• 598-3 Cigoletta–Il Termine: about 3 hr 15 min

At altitude it's colder and windier, and there are few services between villages. For the summer picture of every route, see our main Cinque Terre hiking guide.

How to check trail status (do this every morning)

1. The Park's trail-status page ("Rete sentieristica") on parconazionale5terre.it shows every trail as Turistico, Escursionistico, Esperto or Chiuso, plus the current alert message. The Park also runs a trail web app (mappe.parconazionale5terre.it).
2. The Park's news page is where closures and reopenings are posted (also mirrored on parks.it).
3. ARPAL / Allerta Liguria publishes the regional alerts. The Cinque Terre fall under Zone C (small basins).
   • Yellow: the Park asks people not to use the trails and to head back to the villages if they're already out. It may also suspend Trekking Card sales.
   • Orange or red: sales of all Park cards are suspended. Stay off the trails completely. During the orange alert of 20–21 October 2026, card sales stopped from 17:00 to 06:00.
4. After an alert ends, the Park routinely keeps the Corniglia–Vernazza–Monterosso stretch closed until geologists have inspected it. Saturated ground means real landslide and rockfall risk.

Third-party "status" tables can be days out of date. Trust only the Park.

Winter hiking conditions

• Daylight: in La Spezia, sunset comes earliest in mid-December, at about 16:43. It moves to 16:53 by 1 January and 17:29 by 31 January (sunrisesunsettime.org). Aim to be off the trail by about 16:30.
• Stone steps and mud: steps polished by years of use, wet leaves and clay mud make the trails slippery for a day or two after rain.
• Wind and cold at altitude: it can be mild on the coast but 5–8°C colder and gusty at Telegrafo or Cigoletta.
• Few supplies: most trailside bars and kiosks close in winter. Carry all your water and food. Village fountains and some sanctuaries have water points.

Safety and rules

• Stay off the trails during any weather alert, and turn back if rain sets in: walking in bad weather is prohibited under the Park's rules, and wet ground brings landslide and rockfall risk.
• Footwear: in 2019 Park director Patrizio Scarpellini announced fines of €50 to €2,500 for walking the trails in flip-flops or other unsuitable shoes (il Giornale). In 2026, greenMe described the ban as still in place, with fines of up to €2,500. Wear proper hiking shoes with grippy soles.
• Emergencies: call 112.
• Carry: water, snacks, a headtorch, a charged phone, a warm layer and a rain shell. The Park's hiker code also suggests a foil blanket and a small first-aid kit.
• Tell someone your route, and try not to hike alone.
• Plan a train exit: every village has a station, so you can stop after any section.

Suggested winter itineraries (trail + train)

1. About 3 kmEasy day

   Book a late-morning Via dell'Amore slot from Riomaggiore. Have lunch in Manarola, then take the train to Monterosso and walk the promenade to Fegina.

2. About 3 hoursModerate day

   Take the train to Corniglia and climb 587 and then 586 to Volastra. Descend 506 to Manarola, then take Via Beccara (1 hour) to Riomaggiore if your legs allow. Take the train home.

3. 5–6 hoursFull-day challenge

   Walk Riomaggiore to Portovenere, leaving by 8:30. From Portovenere, take the bus to La Spezia and then the train back. Alternatively, once the Park shows 591 open again, take the train to Levanto and walk to Monterosso via Punta Mesco, adding Soviore (509) if you have time and light.

4. Any alertRain-day fallback

   If any alert is declared, don't hike. Use the trains to explore the villages, visit Riomaggiore Castle (included with Via dell'Amore tickets) and enjoy a long lunch.

Monterosso's flat seafront and station make it a practical winter base; our where to stay guide compares the villages and the bigger towns nearby. Coming for the day? Our day trip from Florence guide covers the journey.

Guided hiking in winter

The Park's Cinque Terre Walking Park programme of guided walks runs from May to October and ended on 31 October 2026, so don't expect Park-run walks this winter. Its activities are also cancelled under weather alerts. Some local guides and agencies run private or small-group hikes from November to March, and they can switch routes as closures change.

From Florence, the Cinque Terre day trip with optional hiking is the closest thing to a guided winter hike on GetYourGuide. Ask the operator which path the hike uses on your date, because several coastal sections may be closed and the route can change.

Winter hiking gear checklist

• Waterproof hiking shoes or boots with lugged soles
• Rain jacket, fleece or light down layer, hat and gloves
• Headtorch, power bank, 1–1.5 L of water, snacks
• Trekking poles (useful on long descents)

For the full list, see the packing notes in our November guide. Before you travel, check that your travel insurance covers hiking and mountain rescue.

Winter trail summary

Status as listed by the Park on 21 October 2026. Check before you go.

Frequently asked questions

What hikers ask most about the Cinque Terre between November and March.