Last week I hiked from Levanto to Monterosso with some friends and our Jenni, as we always do on Friday afternoon
We didn’t follow the usual trail but passed through Sella Bagari, Colla di Gritta, and the lovely Soviore Shrine.
The itinerary
Until Punta Mesco, we followed the CAI SVA trail, but once on the peak, we climbed towards Sella Bagari and Colla di Gritta. After that, we took the AV5T path, but we visited the hermitage of San Antonio before that. We also stopped to admire the Cinque Terre coastline through the ruined windows of the former observatory!
Once at the Colla, we walked a few hundred meters along the state road 370 to the Sanctuary of Soviore because of the wild vegetation that unfortunately wrapped the path…
In Soviore, we decided to treat ourselves to a short break at the local bar! We had a well-deserved glass of Cinque Terre wine and a yummy slice of onion focaccia! We even sat at the stony table I used to play on when a kid! Yes, I was born in Soviore…
As the sun started to set down, we walked downhill to Monterosso. We took trail n° 509, the ancient Via Crucis, whose Stations, unfortunately, are in a terrible state of conservation …
Once downtown in Monterosso, you actually have several options, such as a drink, a relaxing swim, or even a little shopping. We stopped by at Cantina Miky for a typical dinner with anchovies and local white wine, and we really enjoyed it.
Getting back to Levanto is much easier as we took an evening train. We were back at the Oasi is not even ten minutes!
Hiking time: 4h
Difference in altitude: + 500 m
Difficulty: for expert hikers
Highly recommended to avoid this hike in case of rain or wet ground!
