Hike the Coastal Trails of the Italian Riviera

Marta Marinelli, raised in Italy’s serene Prosecco Hills, dreamed of global adventures, inspired by her father's travel stories. Her passion evolved into a career, backed by a decade of studies including degrees in international tourism and destination management. She’s worked in the adventure travel sector since 2012, living in Italy, the UK, and now sunny Portugal.

Over twenty years, Marta has explored over 60 countries, visiting remote areas like Ghana, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Haiti and Nepal’s Upper Mustang region. As a Senior Adventure Expansion Manager at Much Better Adventures, she focuses on creating life-changing experiences, ranging from multi-activity adventures and challenging treks to ultimate adventures in iconic places. She loves the challenge of finding the best local adventure hosts around the world, collaborating on adventures that offer genuine immersion, pushing beyond the beaten path and working on exclusive itineraries that challenge your comfort zone.

What makes her tick? Enabling people to live adventure-rich lives while positively impacting and empowering local communities around the world, generating sustainable opportunities for both the host, guides, community and the environment.

Overtourism is a growing phenomenon and one of the places in Europe where this is problematic is in the Cinque Terre, on Italy’s Eastern Ligurian coast. More than 2.5 million people visit this coastal area of Italy every year, attracted by the five famous, colorful, tiny villages and sublime coastal views. The majority are day-trippers or visit as part of a cruise excursion. The impact on the local communities is huge, creating issues such as overcrowding in the narrow streets and on local transport. Even traveling in the lower season or along the hiking trails doesn't provide much of an escape.

To avoid contributing to the issue, we've decided not to include the Cinque Terre area in our trip. Instead, you'll be based in a lesser-known but equally stunning part of the Italian Riviera, in the west. Despite being considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, Finale Ligure remains relatively unknown to foreign tourists and feels far more authentic and less crowded than the neighboring Cinque Terre (located on the Eastern Riviera). While it's impossible to guarantee a completely crowd-free experience, it's less likely you'll encounter as many hikers and tourists than in the Cinque Terre area. You'll be visiting lesser-known charming small villages, and will enjoy a more authentic experience and immersion in Italian culture.

Overall, weather conditions should be pretty favorable in the months when this trip is scheduled to run, with plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures ranging from 61-82°F on average. However, as always, Mother Nature is unpredictable so the best you can do is to be prepared for anything and come equipped with sunscreen, a hat and waterproofs. Your host will be monitoring the weather conditions during the course of the trip and may suggest alternative, safer routes or activities should the weather get particularly bad, or change the order and timings of the hikes. During the months of March, April and November you should expect some cooler temperatures, especially in the evenings, so it's important to come prepared with layers.

The local tap water is safe to drink. Please bring along your own reusable water bottle to fill up at the hotels, public fountains, and at restaurants to avoid buying single-use plastic bottles.

At Much Better Adventures, we work hard to accommodate dietary requirements and allergies so your trip is safe, inclusive and enjoyable. That said, options can vary by country, location and accommodation, and in some places options may be limited or unavailable. The information below has been provided by your host so you’re fully informed about what will be possible on your trip depending on your individual requirements. This information should be read carefully prior to your trip to ensure that you are adequately prepared for the situation ‘on the ground’.

Once you have booked on your trip, please fill out your passenger information form asap with any dietary requirements. Once you complete your passenger information, your dietary needs and any allergies are automatically shared with your host and, in turn, your guide. Please submit this as early as possible so they can plan accordingly and deliver the best experience. Please also remind your guide about your dietary requirements upon arrival, as mentioning these in person allows your guide to comprehend individual preferences and limitations as soon as you arrive.

BACKGROUND

Liguria’s cuisine is deeply connected to both the sea and its hilly inland landscape, and is known for its simple yet richly flavoured culinary tradition. It is based on the use of fresh, local ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil, aromatic herbs, seasonal vegetables, and oily fish.

Among its most iconic dishes is pesto alla genovese, made with basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil, as well as focaccia, which comes in many variations. Ligurian cuisine also includes vegetable-based savoury pies, light soups, and seafood dishes, often accompanied by legumes and grains. It is an essential Mediterranean cuisine, balanced and deeply rooted in both peasant and maritime traditions.

SPECIAL DIETS

Vegetarian Vegetarian diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance.

Vegan Vegan diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance.

Kosher Fully certified Kosher kitchens and supervision are rare and usually cannot be guaranteed unless expressly confirmed in advance by your host. Vegetarian or vegan options can often be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. Please read the related sections above.

Halal Certified Halal supply varies by destination and may not always be possible. Vegetarian or vegan options can often be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. Please read the related sections above.

INTOLERANCES

Gluten Free (for Coeliac, please see Allergies section below) Gluten-free diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance.

Lactose-free Lactose-free diets can be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance.

ALLERGIES

Our host has confirmed that they are able to accommodate mild allergies to the 14 allergens (opens in new tab) identified by the UK Food Standards Agency, where these are disclosed in advance. However, if you have a severe or life-threatening food allergy, please get in touch with our Customer Experience team prior to booking to discuss whether your requirements can be accommodated safely on this trip. This will allow us to carefully consider the sensitivity and severity of your allergy, the available provision on the trip and the accessibility of medical care should a reaction occur. Your safety is always our top priority.

Please note that when travelling overseas, local ingredients, food preparation methods and labelling standards may vary, particularly in remote areas. It is also worth noting that any allergies may result in more limited options and repetitive provision in some areas. Whilst your guide will help communicate dietary requirements where possible, customers remain responsible for managing their own allergies during the trip.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with (opens in new tab). You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers review the practical information available on the UK Government’s FCDO website (opens in new tab), where you can find up-to-date advice by searching for your destination(s).

If you are based in the United States, you can also check the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State (opens in new tab).

For customers joining from other international locations, we recommend checking the official travel advice issued by your country of residence, as guidance may vary.

We recommend checking out the country-specific information (opens in new tab) and also talking to a travel nurse.

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates daily, so prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips typically consist of a mix of solo travelers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset (opens in new tab); a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves, and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here (opens in new tab) for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

The Italian Riviera is well known for its mild climate year-round, mainly due to the favorable location within the Gulf Stream and mountainous regions. With 300 sunny days per year, it is one of the sunniest regions in Italy, making it a suitable hiking destination even in the shoulder season between March-April and October-November. The months between May and September have overall less chance of rain and much warmer temperatures. October can be equally pleasant with people still swimming in the seas on a warm day. Of course, adverse wind, sea, or rain conditions can be unpredictable with some disruptions possible at any time of the year. The best you can do is to be prepared for anything and come equipped with layers of clothing, sunscreen, and waterproofs.