Hiking from Bonassola to Framura and Back, Then on to Levanto (Liguria, Italy)

We start the day with the intention of hiking from Bonassola to Framura and having lunch at a favorite spot overlooking the sea below the Framura train station.  Bonassola is two villages north of Monterosso al Mare in Cinque Terre, just after Levanto.  Framura is the next stop up the coast and consists of five tiny villages (Anzo, Ravecca,Setta, Costa, and Castagnola) located on a steep hill and connected to each other by stairs).  We don't plan to walk up the stairs today, just to walk to the station at the base of the hill and on the edge of the sea.

We take the train two stops from Monterosso, descend at Bonassola, and walk through town to the beach, where we spot people paragliding from the nearby hills to the open sand.

Walking from the train station through town to the beach

Passing the focaccia shop

Paragliding to the beach

At the beach, we enter the former railroad tunnel that has been paved and turned into a hike and bike trail connecting the villages of Levanto, Bonassola, and Framura.  We follow the tunnel 2.4 km (1.5 miles) to Framura, with occasional breaks in the tunnel granting us glimpses of the sea (and small beaches).

Into the tunnel we go

Glimpses of the sea

Continuing to the end

We wander through the small harbor in Framura, pass through another short tunnel to the train station, then find that we are too early in the season and our destination cafe is not yet open on weekdays.  We turn around and return to Bonassola to track down lunch at a small sandwich shop just off the beach, where we have speck and brie paninis (and glasses of wine).

Passing through the harbor

Returning to Bonassola

Speck and brie panini

There are two routes from Bonassola to Levanto:  continue in the old train tunnels for 2.5 km (1.6 miles) or hike over the hills between the towns.  We've already done two tunnel trips today (Framura and back) and elect to hike over the hills and enjoy the sights.

Heading up into the hills

Looking back at Bonassola

The trail wanders through the forest, then emerges on the ridge between the towns and we hike out in the open, taking in the expansive views.

Through the forest

Emerging on the ridge

With broad views of sea and mountains

Soon, we descend into Levanto, continuing into town, along the beach, and then passing through the town to the train station for our return to Monterosso.

Descending to Levanto

Walking along the sea in Levanto

Returning to Monterosso

We didn't get the intended lunch in Framura, but we had a great walk and found yet a new place for lunch in Bonassola.  Quite a  great day!

Arriving in Monterosso al Mare

We leave Sanremo, Italy, on our journey through Paris and Nice and into Italy, arriving in Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy, one of our most favorite places on the earth.  We emerge from the train station to view the beaches on a beautiful spring day.

Beaches in the spring

We check into Hotel Villa Steno and enjoy the view of the Ligurian Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean stretching from the French border to the Italian Riviera and down to the islands of Corsica and Elba) across the rooftops of the town.

View from Hotel Villa Steno

We drop our luggage at the hotel and wander down to Piazza Giuseppe Garabaldi, the main square in Monterosso's old town, to stop at the Midi Bar for an aperitivo.

Midi bar

Monterosso in the spring is incredible, with flowers freshly blooming and citrus trees bringing new lemons and oranges out for all to enjoy.  We wander back to Hotel Villa Steno and stroll through the gardens to enjoy the new fruit and flowers.

Gardens at Hotel Villa Steno

Inside the hotel, lemons that have already ripened decorate the lobby, near the mortar and pestle collection for classes in making traditional Genoese pesto from scratch (a fabulous, educational, fun, and tasty experience).

Lemons and pesto-making tools

We share sandwiches (and a bottle of wine) for dinner at Pan e Vino Stuzzicheria (mortadella and stracciatella, salami and gorgonzola, and the anchovy special), then retire for the night, rising the next morning to find that the weekly market is just down the street.

Dinner at Pan e Vino

Nighttime view

Thursday is market day in Monterosso and Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, in the old town, is filled with a bustling open-air market featuring fresh produce, local and specialty foods, and general clothing, kitchen, and household goods.  We wander down to the piazza, explore the market, and purchase a shirt and a few kitchen utensils to take home with us.

Market day in Monterosso

We're back in Monterosso al Mare for a week and are looking forward to enjoying old favorites and finding new adventures in Cinque Terre.