Monterosso al Mare

The next day, we discovered the Blue Trail to Monterosso was open. Monterosso is a resorty town with a charming old town, a modern new town and beaches.

Leaving Vernazza, you have a beautiful bird's-eye view of Vernazza's harbor.

It was a 1 1/2 hour walk to Monterosso--30 min straight up, 30 min traverse then 30 min down. There are a lot of stairs.

Great views of the coast on the trail.

You'll also pass vineyards hugging the coast.

View of Monterosso as you approach the town.

The trail ends in the Old Town (Centro Storico). The City Hall is the bright orange building.

The City Hall sits in Piazza Garibaldi, which has a statue honoring its namesake. Garibaldi was a revolutionary who helped Italy unite into a modern nation in the 1860s.

From Piazza Garibaldi, you can see the bell tower that marks the Church of St. John the Baptist. More on this below.

Heading west, you'll see a nice sandy beach.

From the beach, head north into the heart of the Old Town. Stop at Il Golosone, located at Via Roma, 17 for a gelato break.

We sampled the Limone, Bacio (chocolate with hazelnut) and Nociola (hazelnut).

During the Counter-Reformation, religious clubs were set up by Lutherans. Monterosso had two of these clubs--White and Black. The Black Club was housed in the Oratory of the Dead (Oratorio dei Neri). It's mission was to arrange for funerals and take care of widows and orphans.

The interior is pretty macabre.

Nearby is the Church of St. John the Baptist (Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista). The facade is made of white marble from Carrara and green marble from Punta Mesco. The stripes get narrower the higher they go, giving an illusion that the church is taller than it actually is.

The marble columns inside are original.

The Old Town is not large. Wander around and you'll find hidden gems. This square is named after Sandro Usai, a 40-year old volunteer, who in the flood of October 2011 died while trying to open a grate to increase canal drainage. He was the only casualty in Monterosso.

The Old Town has arcades covering streets.

Walk out to the coast and stand on the breakwater. Look back at the elevated train tracks.

Look west to see the new town.

Walk along the beachfront promenade--Via Fegina.

On the western end of the free beach is Il Gigante--a 45-foot tall statue that once supported a dancing terrace for a villa. A storm destroyed the terrace, leaving the giant holding nothing.

Looking east you can see all five towns of the Cinque Terre.

The walk back to Vernazza, retracing our steps. Alternatively, you could take the train or a boat.

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