Via della Costa - Stage 11: Levanto - Volastra

From Levanto to Fontona

The stage starts from Piazza del Popolo in Levanto. After passing through Via Guani and Via Martiri della Libertà, the route goes under the railway bridge, reaches the Albero d'Oro district and continues towards Ridarolo and Piè di Legnaro. From here it proceeds towards Fontona and takes trail no. 12, crossing an old bridge and climbing through woodland on a cobbled path.

From Fontona to the Sanctuary of Soviore

From Fontona the route continues towards Madonna del Soccorso and Colle Gritta, alternating cemented road, unpaved track and a dirt road through woodland. From Colle Gritta it crosses the main road and continues for about 2 km to the Sanctuary of Soviore.

From Soviore to Madonna di Reggio

From the Sanctuary of Soviore the route follows the direction of Vernazza and takes trail no. 582, formerly 8b, towards Madonna di Reggio. The path runs along the hillside, alternating panoramic ascents and descents, until it reaches the road and the Sanctuary of Madonna di Reggio.

From Madonna di Reggio to San Bernardino

From Madonna di Reggio the route returns to the road and then takes a steep, narrow rocky stairway marked as trail no. 581, formerly 8a. It crosses vineyards, woodland and streams, with some passages requiring particular care, until the San Bernardino area.

From San Bernardino to Volastra

From the San Bernardino area the route follows trail no. 507, formerly 7, then continues towards trail no. 587, formerly 7a, and trail no. 586, formerly 6d. The final section crosses woodland, vineyards and house courtyards and ends in the church square of the Sanctuary of Volastra.

High-level variant and preliminary checks

The official source also describes a higher variant on trail no. 598, formerly 1, to consider when the Sanctuary trails may be closed. The variant follows the watershed between the coast and the hinterland, reaching Foce Drignana, Passo della Cigoletta, Sella Marverde and Sella La Croce. Before departure, check the updated trail accessibility with the Cinque Terre National Park.

Demanding stage: the official source indicates high difficulty, 21.500 km and an indicative walking time of about 5 hours 30 minutes. Take particular care on steep and narrow rocky steps, muddy stretches, dry-stone walls, streams and passages through vineyards and woodland. Accessibility may change over time: always check the updated trail status with the Cinque Terre National Park before departure. The higher variant on trail no. 598, formerly 1, is not recommended in rain or fog.