After almost nine years, one of the Cinque Terre’s most famous hikes finally has a reopening date. The Path of Love is one of the most beloved routes within the Cinque Terre, that part of Italy’s northwestern coastline that’s both a National Park and a Unesco World Heritage Site.
It’s not hard to see the reason why tourists love this particular part of the Italian Riviera - the multi-coloured houses, the terraces looking out onto the Mediterranean, the jugged shoreline, great food and wine...it all makes for a perfect recipe.
The Path of Love runs for around one kilometre from two of the Cinque Terre villages, starting in Riomaggiore and ending in Manarola. The route is full with breathtaking views of the sea and the last part of the Alps diving directly into it, a landscape that’s uniquely Ligurian, but sadly it’s been closed for the most part to tourist ever since 2012, when a landslide fell down directly onto the path - luckily without seriously harming anyone.
Now, a project for the complete reopening of the route has been finally put in place, with a date for the year the Path of Love will once again welcome tourists - 2023. The renovation works will happen thanks to funds from both ministries of environment and culture, and they include ensuring the safety of the route as well as lengthening the artificial gallery already present on the path to cover the precise spot of the 2012 landslide.
The day when locals and tourists alike can enjoy this historic route, one that has been open since the 1920s, is drawing closer and closer. In the meantime, you can check for any updates on Cinque Terre’s official website here.