Round trip from Portovenere to Cinque Terra?

[cruisecountess]

We will be in Portovenere for one day (I believe Monday, June 18) on Oceania Insignia. We hope to visit some of the Cinque Terra villages. The local boat leaves hourly from 9:00 until noon, but the return trip doesn't leave the Cinque Terra until 6:00 p.m., which is when the Insignia sets sail. Does anyone know another way to travel between Portovenere and the Cinque Terra besides this boat service? (We will also be in Portofino for a day, should it be easier to travel to Cinque Terra from there.) Thank you for any suggestions; they are most appreciated.

Harriet

[cruisecountess]

Boy, was I confused. We will be in Portovenere on SATURDAY, June 19. I realize that means the Cinque Terra will be more crowded than on a weekday,

so an early start is essential. Our ship is due to drop anchor at 8:00 a.m. The

best we can hope for is to be on the first tender. Again, how do we get to the

Cinque Terra and, more importantly, how do we get back in time for a 6:00 departure` guessing last tender would be at 5:30, but would prefer not to cut

it close. Thanks.

Harriet

[Hlitner]

Portovenere is about 15 road miles from Riomaggiore which means you could certainly get a taxi. If you have 4 to spit the cost it would be affordable although we do not know the exact cost. You could take the boat to Riomaggiore and use a taxi to get back. You could also reduce the taxi fare by taking the local train from Riomaggiore to La Spezia where you can then get a taxi back to your ship. From La Spezia to Portovenere is only 10 miles.

 

Hank

[cruiseluv]

I am not sure where are you geting your info. Boats come back and forth between the CT villages and Portovenere all day. There is not just "one return" to Portovenere at 6:00PM. The folowing link shows the schedule through the end of April. I ma pretty sure in the summer it is more often. We stayed in Portovenere last year for a few days and did the trip to CT by boat. Worse comes to worse , follow Hlitner's advice.

 

http://www.navigazionegolfodeipoeti.it/orario.asp?lang=eng

[cruisecountess]

Thank you both so much; I feel much more relaxed about the situation now.

I've checked the website and, indeed, there are several options. Funny, but none of that appeared on the website I had; perhaps mine was not updated for

the "season." Again, many thanks.

Harriet

[etlebut]

Hi Harriet:

 

Do you know if most people try and see all five villages in Cinque Terra, or if that is too arduous a task? I am concerned about time constraints getting back to the ship.

 

Shawna

[slidergirl]

If you use the train to go between the villages, it can be done easily on your day trip. The hike between all 5 villages is strenuous and takes ALL DAY. I did the hike with 2 other friends last month. The trails out of Vernazza are tough, tons of stairs, and some narrow goat trail. The path between Rio Maggiorio and Manorola is easy and paved. The others are in between. We were totally exhausted when we got back to Vernazza.

[Wingtips56]

Ah, the Cinque Terre, our favorite place anywhere except here in the Redwoods. You'll want to stay. We've been four times now and would go back in a heartbeat. It started as a vacation from our vacation, but now is our prime Italian destination.

 

You can hoof it between all 5 towns in one day, but its a work out to do it all at once if you're not in shape. Bring more water than you think you'll need, as you won't have enough! It seems some of the trail is rougher than it used to be before becoming a national park ... it probably went through lower, private properties.

 

As to the boat schedules; the water bus goes between Portovenere (also a lovely town!) and the 5 towns in various combinations, not always stopping at every one of them at different times of day. You can get the schedule at the beginning and plan your day accordingly, with the option to always resort to taking the train between towns or ultimately to La Spezia. Last we knew, there was no public transport between La Spezia and Portovenere, but it is a reasonable taxi distance without breaking the bank.

 

The infamous, Guvano Beach (nude) is between Corniglia and Vernazza, accessed by a very strenuous and stickery trail off the main trail or for a couple of Euro through a very cool, sinister, otherwise abandoned rail tunnel across the tracks from the Corniglia rail station. Use the bridge over the tracks right in front of the main rail tunnel to get to an iron gate with a doorbell.

 

Important note: make sure there isn't a rail strike before venturing out. We got stuck in Monterosso for a day longer than planned (tragic it was not! :o), with no trains at all, and the national park's green transit buses weren't running between towns either. The boats were running that day, but packed.

 

It's all very crowded now, what with the locals, the Milanese coming for the weekend, and tourists all having Rick Steves' book in their back pocket. But worth it! And the food ...!