Campiglia: Terraces, Trails, and Panoramic Views

Campiglia is a hamlet built on a hillside, directly on the rock, with winding streets. As an important stopping point on the AV5T, the village lies where trails, terraced landscapes, and far-reaching vistas come together. From Campiglia, there are views of the Gulf of La Spezia and the Apuan Alps. The view also extends to the Tuscan Archipelago, Corsica, and the Maritime Alps.

Trails between panoramic views and local history

The area around Campiglia is crisscrossed by numerous trails connecting La Spezia, Porto Venere, and the Cinque Terre. Along the AV5T, the Pitone rocky outcrop offers views of the islands of Palmaria, Tino, and Tinetto, as well as the Cinque Terre coastline. Trail 535 begins in Campiglia at Vico Codemin and leads to an equipped viewpoint with a wooden bench.

Near Trail 535, Trail 504C branches off and leads to Schiara. Trail 536 reaches a junction with Trail 535, which comes from Campiglia. Another trail with a story of its own is the ancient Campiglia–Acquasanta mule track, CAI Trail No. 11: it begins in the center of Campiglia, was built at the end of the 19th century, and was the only connection between the village and the city. The route descends from an elevation of 401 m to 102 m. It is 1,480 m long, plus 1,250 m of asphalt; walking time is approximately 30 minutes, plus 15 minutes. These separate details about trail sections and duration support realistic planning for different hikes.

Terraces, a mill, and historical traces

The landscape around Campiglia includes terraces supported by dry-stone walls and used for growing grapevines and olive trees. Some of the well-preserved terraces along Trail 535 are used for saffron cultivation, which was reintroduced by the Associazione Campiglia. In this way, the cultural landscape can be experienced not only as a viewpoint but also through its agricultural use.

The Campiglia mill was restored between 2003 and 2006 by the Cinque Terre National Park together with the Associazione Campiglia. Its external sandstone staircase was restored with missing steps and a steel handrail for visitor safety. Along Trail 598-1 (AV5T 1), the Campiglia mill is one of the area’s ethnographic records.

The Church of Santa Caterina di Alessandria in Campiglia has also been documented since 1326. A probable menhir has been identified in the Tramonti area. The place name Campiglia is first mentioned for the Tramonti area in a document issued by Otto II in 991.

For an individually planned stay, the themes can be clearly distinguished: the viewpoints and island vistas represent the landscape, the trails movement and orientation, the terraces the agricultural character, and the mill, church, and place name historical connections. This combination helps you classify Campiglia according to the focus of your trip.

Compare other destinations

If you would like to compare other destinations for your trip to Italy, you can also consider Nicola, Lavaggiorosso, Framura, Carrodano, Piano di Follo, Beverino, Riccò Del Golfo Di Spezia, and Vernazza .

For the higher-level travel overview: La Spezia.