How seniors can spend their time in the Cinque Terre
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A lot of people prefer to stay in Monterosso because there are fewer steps in this village, but some like to spend their vacation in a more peaceful and convenient place, Levanto, a small town located on the border of the Cinque Terre. This choice is not to be disdained, because it takes only three minutes to reach Monterosso by train! You can also walk to Monterosso (if you’re up to it), and what’s more you won’t find as many tourists in Levanto.
Discounts for pensioners
The Cinque Terre card is discounted. In recent years the age limit has been increased from 65 to 70 years. The discount is up to 20%.
Walking trails for seniors
The trails in Cinque Terre are not easy because of the large number of steps (except in some stretches of the Blue trail). But if you like walking in the mountains and don’t have any mobility problems, you will be able to walk some of the trails. The most important thing is to follow these rules:
1. Do not walk at lunchtime in the hottest hours of the day.
2. Do not go too fast at the beginning, when the trail begins to go uphill, as it will expend all your stamina and put a strain on the heart. You need to make the ascent slowly with frequent stops.
The easiest trails for seniors in the Cinque Terre:
1. Via dell’Amore (The Path of Love). You can’t really call this a mountain trail; it’s really a path along the sea which anyone can walk, and there are also facilities for the disabled. Also the stretch between Manarola and Corniglia is very similar to the Path of Love.
2. The road from Volastra to Corniglia. The main thing is not to start this trail from Manarola (there are lots of stairs): the bus can take you as far as Volastra.
3. Corniglia – Vernazza. Since Corniglia is located at 100 meters above sea level, the climb will be much easier to do from the Corniglia side.
The best places for seniors staying overnight in the Cinque Terre
Do you dislike steps? Then stay in Monterosso al Mare, but you should also attentively read the description of each hotel on this site, because only the coastal part and the center of the village are on flat terrain. There are many comments here, left by tourists who have stayed in the hotels in Monterosso.
How seniors can move around in the Cinque Terre
Take the train to move between one village and another. It is easy to reach the platforms at the stations and most of the stations are equipped with elevators. If you wish to walk, it's easy to explore the center of the villages and the waterfront. You’ll need to take the bus from the station to the center of the village only in Corniglia. But that presents no problems.
By boat to the Cinque Terre, position of the ports
Even though the little ports are located close to the center of the villages, often it can only be reached from the port by a narrow path along the cliffs and climbing as many as 100 steps. This is the case in most places, with the exception of Monterosso, Portovenere and La Spezia. Therefore, if this creates problems, it is best to make use of the more comfortable trains, rather than arrive by boat.