As a 40th birthday present, a group of my high school friends planned a reunion in Tuscany, including a hike of the famous Cinque Terre trail along the western coast of Italy, just north of La Spezia.  Cinque Terre is literally translated as "Five Lands", referring to the five coastal cliffside villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso Al Mare (from south to north, as we hiked the trail--although you can easily hike all or a portion of this 12 kilometer trail in either direction).  In total, expect around five hours of hiking (at an average pace) across varying up and down terrain, with spectacular seaside views every step of the way. 

But, before hiking, you first need to get to the trailhead by either ferry or train from La Spezia, as you cannot drive into this region.  And, you will need to purchase a Cinque Terre national park permit, which includes a daily train pass, for Euros 8.50.  The park permit can easily be obtained at the La Spezia train station upon arrival.  At the same time, they will provide you with a very detailed trail map, which makes this hike foolproof on a self-guided basis.  If you prefer a guided hike, guides can easily be secured through iExplore.

Upon arriving in Riomaggiore, about a 10 minute train ride from La Spezia, your adventure begins!  After you collect your breath from the amazing first view of the Tyrrhenian Sea crashing into the rocky cliffs, here is what you can expect:

Riomaggiore
From Riomaggiore to Manarola:  Around 20 minutes.  Lots of other hikers.  Largely paved flat trail most of the way.  Stunning seaside views in this section known as "Lover's Lane"  The most touristy leg of the trail, as the easiest portion.  Manarola was a quaint town experience, but better towns to follow.

Manarola
From Manarola to Cornigilia:  Around 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Lots of other hikers.

Largely flat unpaved trail, that finishes with around 300-350 uphill paved stairs (best guess).  Corniglia was a quaint town experience, but better towns to follow.

Corniglia

From Corniglia to Vernazza:  Around 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Fewer hikers.  First half is going up an unpaved trail through terraced wine vineyards, and second half is coming down an unpaved trail.  The trail can be steep going up and coming down.  Definitely harder than the first two legs.  Vernazza was my favorite of the towns in terms of beautiful setting and restaurants, so a great place to stop for lunch.  There was also a small beach here.
 

Vernazza
From Vernazza to Monterosso Al Mare:  Around 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Fewest hikers, and clearly the hardest section of the hike.  This unpaved trail basically has four evenly split sections: up, down, up, down. 

Same experience as the last leg, except you do it twice in the same time frame, so the steepest part of the hike going up and down.  The last down that finishes the hike is coming down around 400-450 paved steps (best guess) through vineyards, before it winds down into Monterosso Al Mare.  Glad I was coming down these steps, instead of going up them.  Although many will say to take this hike in the opposite direction, from north to south, to get the hardest part of the hike out of the way first and end up with the easiest section into Riomaggiore.  But, Monterosso Al Mare had the most resort-like feel, with two large beaches, and plenty of restaurants and shopping.  For this reason, I really liked ending here and hanging out on the beach with my celebratory gelato!
 

Monterosso Al Mare
From here you take a 30 minute train ride back out to La Spezia.  Trains roughly leave every hour, so it is easy enough to take your own pace on the hike and come back at your leisure. 

If you get tired at any point on the full hike and want to stop at one of the middle villages, the train stops at each of these villages, as well, if you need to abbreviate your hike.
Worth mentioning, it is best to start your hike early in the day, as the temperature can get pretty hot by the late afternoon, with direct exposure to the summer sun.  So, plan accordingly and bring your sunglasses, sunscreen and lots of water with you while hiking between villages.

Below are some additional pictures to give you a sense of the trail itself.  I hope you find hiking in Cinque Terre exciting as I did.  Buona fortuna!