Before starting our journey we want to thank Moutrahu.
Who?
Moutrahu is a brand in the field of human wear, accessories, and dog supply.
We won the Gadget Lottery in January here in Traxplorio and they sent us these two splendid hats, which would have been very useful in our trek that we will talk about.What we like most about Moutrahu is their credo:
They say “We go against the tide. We love freedom. We love traveling. We love flexibility” and again “Surely you know the feeling when:
You are on the mountain at dawn and the sun rises behind the peaks.
You sit at the campfire at night and look at the stars.
You smell the scent of the ocean or the forest.
Whatever you associate with our wonderful nature … Our goal is to give you this feeling through our products. Be it in the form of clothing, accessories or dog supply, our constantly growing collection is small but fine“.You can get to know them by connecting to their site: Moutrahu
Now we will talk about this trek which, in addition to making us sweat and toil, amazed us with its wonders 😍!
We start our tour in Campiglia that counts the hamlets of Persico and Navone. It is a truly tiny village, poised between the sea and the mountains that form the Costa di Tramonti 🌆.
Due to the high number of steps and the difference in height, this excursion is suitable for well-trained people who do not suffer from vertigo❗❗. For the bravest, the effort will be rewarded by a landscape that is wonderful for us.
How to get there 🔽
Leaving La Spezia, proceed along the seafront towards Cinque Terre-Portovenere, after passing the Military Arsenal and the Stadium, keep left towards Portovenere. After a few km, you will find on your right the signs for Campiglia. It is a narrow road with many hairpin bends. Campiglia there is a pretty square, a church overlooking the sea, a shop and nothing more.
Go to Ventimiglia, next to the Locanda Tramonti, and follow the old mule track that for a hundred meters enters the woods and then comes out again on vineyards and terraces that descend to the sea. After a few minutes, we are immersed in the typical landscape of the 5 Terre 🌈.
At a certain point, the road divides: on the left, you go down to Schiara, if instead you continue you will arrive as far as Riomaggiore (We will talk about it in another post).
It is thought that Schiara owes its name to the fact that it is the first town to receive the sun 🌞 in the morning, and also the first to remain in the dark in the evening. Schiara is the largest town on the Costa di Tramonti and the verticality of this town, clinging to the mountain, is clearly visible from his San Antonio church. Here there are the houses of the fishermen and farmers who once populated these lands, today most are used only for short periods of the year or as a base for growing vineyards, others seem uninhabited.
Here time seems to have stood, the peace and tranquility that these places infuse is not easy to describe 🤗.
At this point, leave the path to Riomaggiore and take the path 4b to Monesteroli.
We found, unfortunately (or fortunately) a day particularly gray ☁, but the clouds were not enough to dampen the beauty of the place and the sea!
Take advantage of the “Nozzano” fountain to refresh yourself a little. Sandstone fountain built in 1805 by the Napoleonic army to meet the water needs of the camp below.
With the Ferale rock as a reference, proceed in the direction of Monesteroli. The Ferale rock is a pyramid-shaped rock, on the top of which there is a cross, which in the past represented the devotion of sailors.
The path overlooking the sea is located between vineyards and cultivated terraces, with the exception of a few steps that make us go up, now down, the stretch is mostly flat. The path will take you directly to path 4b which leads up to the spectacular staircase of Monesteroli.
The view is splendid but you must always pay attention to where you put your feet, THERE IS NO PROTECTION.
Try to reach the beach of Monesteroli: we warn you that the ground is slippery and very unsafe in some places. Beyond the difficulties to reach this hidden corner, once there you will feel like paradise.
Try it to believe it!
Length: about 6/7 km A / R
Time: about 3 hours
Difficulty: medium with challenging final stretch
The difference in altitude: about 650m uphill and 650m downhill
Provisions: bring at least a 1L bottle of water each and plenty of sandwiches.