The High Path of the Cinque Terre from Portovenere to the Telegraph

The high path of the Cinque Terre (ex-trail no. 1) is the path that reaches Levanto from Portovenere, through the ridge of the hills that separate the coast of the Cinque Terre from Val di Vara, tracing the ancient paths of the Ligurian inhabitants and then of the Roman and medieval militia. It reaches the highest point on Mount Malpertuso, 800 meters above sea level, and it takes about 12 hours on foot that can ideally be divided into four sections of 3 hours’ walk each  Portovenere-Telegraph, Telegraph-Cigoletta, Cigoletta-Soviore and Soviore-Levanto.

The starting point in Portovenere is from Piazza Bastreri, at the entrance of the old walled village, with a steep staircase that touching the Castello Doria,  through an ancient marble quarry  reaches Mount Muzzerone which is a natural gym among the most renowned in Europe for climbing.After Mount Muzzerone you walk along a stretch of paved road above the village of Grazie until you reach a spectacular rocky ledge called “Pitone” (python) beetling into the open sea, and then continue to the village of Campiglia, where there is a beautiful wind mill recovered in its original structure and that has become the symbol of the village.

From Campiglia you go up again with a staircase overlooking the sea, among orchards and vineyards, and then enter the forest consisting of pines, chestnuts, oaks and rare specimens of cork oaks up to the pass of the Telegrafo which is 513 meters above sea level.

From here you have a wonderful view of the Cinque Terre and its terraced vineyards sloping down to the sea, which struck the illustrious Florentine painter Telemaco Signorini, who visited this part of Liguria in 1860, when no driveways or rails were existing. The main street of the village of Riomaggiore has been named after him.