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Cinque Terre, Italy – Porto Venere to Manarola

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

In 2010, I hiked the famed Sentiero Azzurro aka Verde Azzurro path, or “Blue trail”.

It connected the 5 main villages of the the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Riomaggiore to Monterosso al Mare.

Sadly, since 2011 sections of the classic have been closed.

Returning in 2023, I decided to do part of the most popular alternative, the Sentiero Rosso aka Cinque Terre High Path.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.

A LOT of ascent and descent. But gorgeous vistas from high up.

Took the train to La Spezia. Then the local bus to Porto Venere.

A pretty town.

Starting the hike north, immediately you find the impressive Doria Castle.

EPSON DSC picture

The trail takes you high above the ocean with terrific views in each direction. There are some very narrow pathways, but no real exposure.

I found a quiet spot, just before dark, to put up my tent.

Early next morning I arrived at the impressive Santuario di Montenero. The priest came out, interested in my drone. I showed him how it worked and later sent him this video.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Flowers bloom in profusion in June. You can see why everyone loves these trails.

I climbed WAY DOWN to Riomaggiore. A charming seaside town.

At tourist information, I confirmed that the original Blue trail was still closed. Got a map and directions for the best high route.

The tunnel by the railway station was a highlight for me.

Up, up, up.

More amazing vistas from up high.

Finally, I caught the train in Corniglia, a little further on from Manarola. It was nice to have the freedom to finish the day whenever I wanted.

YES, the Cinque Terre is touristy. But taking the high trails mostly gets you away from the mobs.

I highly recommend this hiking destination.

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35 Great Hikes Worldwide

Explore! posted this list of their top hikes in the world according to:

  1. Length (Distance)
  2. Elevation
  3. Duration
  4. Weather
  5. Instagrammability

I find it a strange mix of short day hikes, multi-day adventures, and even one technical mountain climb (Huayna Potosi).

#2 is the Scenic Drive, Zion National Park. Zion is beautiful โ€” but a drive is in a vehicle. I’m assuming they mean to day hike from that vehicle.

  1. Perito Moreno Glacier Trail, El Calafate, Santa Cruz, Argentina
  2. Aoraki/Mount Cook Loop, Canterbury, New Zealand
  3. Scenic Drive, Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah, USA
  4. Continental Divide Trail From NM 547, Grants, New Mexico, USA
  5. Lower Yosemite Falls Trail, Yosemite Valley, California, USA
  6. Carnarvon Gorge, Carnarvon Park, Queensland, Australia
  7. Colca Canyon:Cabanaconde – Llahuar, Cabanaconde, Arequipa, Peru
  8. Wineglass Bay, Tasmania, Australia
  9. B’nei Hamoshavim Ascent Loop from ืŸื™ืข ื™ื“ื’, Ein Gedi, Israel
  10. Jaffa Port โ€“ St Peter’s Church Loop from ื™ื–ื‘ืฉ, Tel Aviv, Israel
  11. World’s End โ€“ Baker’s Falls Loop from Ohiya, Horton Plains National Park & World’s End, Sri Lanka
  12. South Kaibab Trail to Ooh Aah Point, Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
  13. Okatse Canyon Loop from แƒ–แƒ”แƒ“แƒ แƒ’แƒแƒ แƒ“แƒ˜, Banchueti, Georgia
  14. Western Wall, Jerusalem ื™ื ืžืจืื” ืขื‘ื•ืจ from Loop, Jerusalem, Israel
  15. Catbells Circular, Lake District, Cumbria, UK
  16. Piatra Craiului Ridge Walk, Magura, Brasov County, Transylvania, Romania
  17. Mirador Loop, Cotapaxi, Mejia, Cotopaxi, Ecuador
  18. Path of the Gods, Bomerano, Campania, Italy
  19. Balcony Trail, Madeira, Portugal
  20. Offa’s Dyke Trail, Chepstow, Monmouthshire to Prestatyn, Denbighshire, UK
  21. Kaieteur Falls, Chenapau, Potaro-Siparuni, Guyana
  22. Birtvisi Canyon Viewpoint and Ruins Hike, Tbisi, Kvemo Kartli, Georgia
  23. El Tepozteco, Tepoztlan, Mexico
  24. Grand Canyon Track, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
  25. Shulamit-Quelle Loop ื™ื“ื’ ืŸื™ืข from, Wadi David, Israel
  26. Berber Villages, Atlas Mountains, Asni, Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz, Morocco
  27. Robberg Peninsula, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa
  28. Montfort Castle Loop from ื”ืคืฆืž ื”ืœื™ื”, Upper Galilee, Israel
  29. Cecilia Waterfall via Cecilia Forest, Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town, South Africa
  30. Inca Trail (Mollepata), Aguas Calientes, Peru
  31. Huayna Potosi, La Paz, Bolivia
  32. Mt Rosea Loop, The Grampians, Halls Gap, Victoria, Australia
  33. Dschelada Pavian Loop from Gich, Simien National Park, Ethiopia
  34. Annapurna Circuit, Besi Sahar, Nepal
  35. Kilimanjaro, Lemosho Route, Arusha, Tanzania

Like most of these meaningless lists, it’s effective in getting me thinking about future hiking trips. I looked up the Birtvisi Canyon Viewpoint and Ruins Hike, for example, but found it’s only 1.8-km long.

Perito Moreno glacier photo
my Perito Moreno photos
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Surviving the Kalalau Trail, Hawaii

I met Blake and Eli cycling the Tuscany Trail in Italy.

World travellers, they’ve been living and working online from locations like Hawaii, Australia, Bali & Thailand.

Living the dream.

Click PLAY or watch one of their hikes on YouTube. Subscribe to the channel if you enjoy it.

Kalalau is one of our Top 10 coastal hikes in the world.

Details.

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BestHike #6 – Glacier North Circle, USA

Glacier North Circle in Montana is one of our top 10 hikes in the world. Even better if you add a side trip to Waterton National Park in Canada.

Click PLAY or watch a 1 minute introduction on YouTube.

Glacier North Circle

Of the many great American Rocky Mountain hikes, this is our favourite.

Highline Trail vista

AT A GLANCE

  • 7 days, 6 nights recommended
  • 65miles (104km) plus side trips
  • best months July-Sept
  • well-signed
  • medium difficulty hiking
  • recommended for experienced multi-day hikers

Read more on our Glacier North Circle information page.

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Cinque Terre, Italy – Riomaggiore & Santuario di Montenero

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Riomaggiore is 1st of the famous 5 villages of Cinque Terre.

Hiking in from Porto Venere, the highlight for me was the Santuario di Montenero, a Catholic church & monastery perched overlooking Riomaggiore.

I met the priest who was keen to see how my drone worked. I put this short video together for him.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Mathew conducts service in all 5 villages. I told him he had the best congregations in Italy.

He didn’t disagree.

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Hiking the Walls of Lucca, Italy

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

The Walls of Lucca (4.3km loop) is the most popular hike in one of the terrific Tuscan tourist towns.

This is an asphalted path. Easy for everyone.

There are plenty of opportunities to sit on benches or picnic under large trees for breaks.

There are also many exits to go sightseeing if you want to leave the walls for a while and explore the historic centre.

Click PLAY or watch my hike on YouTube. Spaghetti Western theme. ๐Ÿ˜€

Lucca, near Pisa, has a population of about 90,000. No matter how many tourists arrive, it doesn’t feel crowded.

There’s much to see. But the highlight for most are the walls encircling the old town.

Initially built as a defensive rampart, it’s become a pedestrian promenade.

Click PLAY or watch Rick Steve’s highlights on YouTube.

Alice Pizza is a super popular chain. Light, airy dough made with little yeast. 

Of 60 varieties, my server in Lucca recommended something unique. Like a pizza ham sandwich. Served cold, not hot. Delicious. 

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The Bear Grylls Story

One of the most important spokesmen for outdoor adventure.

Edward Michael “Bear” Grylls is a British adventurer, writer, television presenter and businessman.

He first drew attention after embarking on a number of adventures, and then became widely known for his television series Man vs. Wild (2006โ€“2011).

He is also involved in a number of wilderness survival television series in the UK and US, such as Running Wild with Bear Grylls and The Island with Bear Grylls.

In July 2009, Grylls was appointed as The Scout Associationโ€™s youngest-ever Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories at age 35, a post he has held for a second term since 2015. …

Click PLAY or watch his story on YouTube.

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NEW – Pamir Trail, Tajikistan

Theย Pamir Mountainsย are aย mountain rangeย betweenย Central Asiaย andย Pakistan. It is located at a junction with other notable mountains, namely theย Tian Shan,ย Karakoram,ย Kunlun,ย Hindu Kushย and theย Himalayaย mountain ranges. They are among the world’s highestย mountains. …

Theย Pamir Highway, the world’s second highest international road, runs fromย Dushanbeย inย Tajikistanย toย Oshย inย Kyrgyzstanย through theย Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province, and is the isolated region’s main supply route. …

The Pamir Trail is a proposed 1000km+ route. A work in progress.

Jan Baaker, author of Cicerone Trekking in Tajikistan, hopes to connect the entire route in 2024.

We wish him luck. Some of the rivers can be impassable.

To learn more, click through to the PamirTrail.org.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Hole in the Wall, Port Alberni BC

Hole in the Wall, a short day hike, is a is fast becoming a major attraction for the Vancouver Island community.

The hole is all that remains of a decades old water line.

Click PLAY or watch my 2023 video on YouTube. At dawn I had the waterfalls to myself.

Check in at the Port Alberni Visitor Centre for directions.

Parking can be difficult though the trail itself is only an easy 1.3km return walk.

Rather than following the normal route as posted on AllTrails Port Alberni Hole in the Wall, I walked instead from an industrial park end of Sherwood Road.

Definitely muddier and less traveled, I did find it interesting. Nobody else parked there.

Here are the rough trails as shown on Maps.me.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse of my 2021 hike on YouTube.