Monterosso al Mare

Monterosso al Mare is at the center of a small natural gulf, protected by a modest artificial cliff, east of Punta Mesco in the La Spezia Riviera. It constitutes the westernmost part of the Cinque Terre.

To the west of the original village, beyond the Capuchin hill, is the inhabited area of Fegina , a relatively modern natural expansion characterized by a tourist-bathing facility compared to the ancient village which can be reached via a tunnel of a few tens of meters. The local train station is located in Fegina and there are relatively larger beaches than the narrow cliffs that characterize the other Cinque Terre villages.

The town of Monterosso is part of the Cinque Terre National Park and the sea in front of its coast is part of the Cinque Terre Marine Protected Area.

The town is divided into two parts by a promontory with a tunnel of a hundred meters, on one side the area of Fegina, on the other the old port.

In the Fegina area there are many residential tourist structures, a long beach and an original 14 meter high statue, Il Gigante, depicting the god Neptune.

The historic center formed by the typical"caruggi", characteristic narrow Ligurian alleys, is made up of restaurants, souvenir shops, ceramics and handicrafts. In the small port of the ancient village the boats of the Cinque Terre leave.

Trails in Monterosso

The Sentiero Azzurro is one of the best known paths of the Cinque Terre and connects Monterosso to Vernazza. Finding it is simple: just take the direction of the center from the train station. If you have time available, go up to the convent of the Capuchin friars: from there you can see a spectacular panorama, overlooking the sea and allowing a glimpse of the entire coastline of the Cinque Terre Park.

The path starts from the cliff, beyond the town center. You walk among nature with splendid views of the sea, among the terraces that have made the Cinque Terre landscape unique. The path is 3.6 km long and, already halfway through, you can glimpse the beautiful village of Vernazza from above.

From the end of March to the beginning of November the path from Monterosso to Vernazza is subject to charges. Not included in the Cinque Terre, however, is the Levanto-Monterosso path, in the opposite direction, which is free all year round.