New rules against mass tourism
If you want to explore the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera in the high season, you have to be prepared for a new regime. The national park has introduced several measures to better manage the flow of tourists.
Cinque Terre, which is made up of five picturesque villages on the Ligurian Riviera, have issued new rules for travelers. Among other things, higher prices are intended to stem the flow of tourists.
This means that train tickets are more expensive in the high season. At weekends, on public holidays and generally in summer, tourists will pay twice as much for train travel between villages as before. Specifically, the regional ticket for the six-kilometer (4 miles) route between Riomaggiore and Manarola now costs ten euros instead of five. Locals, on the other hand, benefit from discounts.
In the fight against mass tourism, the Cinque Terre National Park has also taken countermeasures. Around the Italian public holidays, the “Sentiero Verde Azzurro”, one of the most popular hiking routes in the region, is now subject to a “one-way system” – from 9 am to 2 pm. The new regime was implemented for the first time in April and early May.
Shoes will also be checked
The measure, which was tested last year, concerns the route from Monterosso to Vernazza. In order to regulate access to the hiking trail, there are checks at the entrance to Monterosso. Among other things, they check whether visitors are equipped with the right footwear for the hike on the steep paths. If the crowds on the “Sentiero Verde Azzurro” are too big, the excursionists are diverted to alternative routes.
The initial assessment of those responsible is positive. Donatella Bianchi, President of the National Park, says: “I took a look for myself on the path between Mᴏnterosso and Vernazza. It was orderly and respectful tourism, which is good for the Cinque Terre.” The measures against mass tourism apply in the national park 19 days a year.