The Cinque Terre is one of Italy’s most beautiful and famous regions, and walks along the coastal paths with stunning panoramic views are a must for tourists.
But anyone planning this experience in the coming days should be careful – Italian authorities are restricting the direction of travel, meaning the paths between the five former fishing villages will only be accessible in one direction.
The move is aimed at preempting the huge number of visitors that Italy expects for the weekend after Liberation Day, a national holiday celebrated on April 25 (commemorating the country’s liberation from fascist rule).
The restrictions will also apply to April 26, 27, 28 and May 1, when millions of Italians will be on holiday along with foreign tourists.
Park officials and police will be enforcing the rules between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., so don’t try to walk from Vernazza to Monterosso, Timeout adds.
Donatella Bianchi, head of the National Park Authority, told the Telegraph:
“We are trying to control the flow of people on the trails to protect the environment in the area as well as the safety of visitors.
In order to control the crowds, not only a one-way system is introduced – everyone who wants to pass along the route has to pay a 15 euro entrance fee.
These rules are expected to apply for the weekend of May 4th and 5th, but this information has not yet been confirmed.
Italy has been bending under the weight of overtourism for quite some time, Timeout recalls. Florence has limited the number of Airbnb properties it can host in the city, and Venice has already started charging day-trippers an entrance fee. It is also planned for visitors to Lake Como.
Against this background, not only the famous trails, but also other areas in the Cinque Terre region are in need of restoration, requiring huge amounts of money.
A successful example in this regard is the Via dell’Amore (known as the “alley of lovers”) – a project worth 25 million dollars. It connects two of the five villages – Manarola and Riomaggiore.
Originally built by locals who wanted to avoid walking on the cliffs, the walkway has been closed since 2011 after a landslide. But after renovations, the popular walking route reopened to visitors last year.
Cinque Terre is visited by about three million tourists a year, and overcrowding at peak times poses a risk of safety issues. Therefore, the purpose of the popular area is not to turn tourists away completely, but to help preserve the unique nature along the beautiful coastline.
