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Brightly painted tall houses on a steep rock above a small rocky harbour of deep blue water, boats on the water and green terraced slopes behind under a clear blue sky
Manarola above its harbour · the vineyard terraces climb behind
Town brief · 44.1064°N 9.7281°E

Manarola

Pack water shoes as well as walking shoes: in Manarola you swim off the harbour rocks, and the Via dell'Amore from Riomaggiore ends in the village, entered by a half-hour slot you book ahead.

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Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Manarola

How long
Two or three nightsone each for the cliff path, the vines and the villages
Getting around
On foot and by trainsteep lanes and steps once you leave the harbour
When
Spring or autumnJune to August is the hot, crowded peak
Language
Italiantrails go by number: 506 climbs to Volastra
Money
The euroa Cinque Terre Card covers trains, trails and buses
Airports
Pisa PSAthen trains via La Spezia; Genoa GOA is the other
How long

How many nights do you need in Manarola?

Two or three. One day goes to the Via dell'Amore and the harbour rocks, one to the climb through the vineyards to Volastra, and a third to the other villages by train. A single night means choosing between the Volastra climb and the rest.

Getting around

Do you need a car in Manarola?

No. The village is closed to non-resident cars, and the station is about five minutes from the centre through a tunnel. Cinque Terre Express trains run from La Spezia Centrale and call at all five villages about every 20 minutes in season; Corniglia is about 10 minutes away. The ATC bus to Volastra leaves from the village, calls at the Manarola roundabout and Groppo, and takes about 10 minutes.

When

When is the best time to visit Manarola?

Spring or autumn, when temperatures are pleasant and the crowds lower. June to August is the peak, when the coast paths fill and the heat reaches 35 degrees. From 2 November the express trains drop to one or two an hour for the winter. Over Christmas a lit Nativity scene covers the hillside above the village each evening.

Language

What language is spoken in Manarola?

Italian. On the trails, the national park marks routes by number: 592 is the coastal Blue Path, 506 climbs through Volastra, and 531 is the Via Beccara over the hill to Riomaggiore.

Money

What currency does Manarola use?

The euro. The Cinque Terre Card is the main purchase: the Treno card covers unlimited trains on the La Spezia to Levanto line, the trails and the village buses, and the Trekking card covers the trails and buses without the trains. Ferry tickets are separate, sold online, at the ticket offices or on board.

Airports

Which airport do you fly into for Manarola?

Pisa, PSA. The People Mover reaches Pisa Centrale in about 5 minutes, trains run hourly to La Spezia Centrale, and the Cinque Terre Express continues to Manarola. Genoa, GOA, is the other option, under three hours from the Cinque Terre by train.

Manarola is one of the five Cinque Terre villages, painted houses stacked above a small rock harbour. You swim from the stone ledges of the marina platform into deep water with no lifeguard, so bring shoes with grip and stay out when the sea is rough. After sunset the view of the village from the cliff path toward Punta Bonfiglio turns pink.

The Via dell'Amore, a flat cliff path of 900 metres, reopened in 2024. In high season it runs one way, from Riomaggiore into Manarola, so you ride the train one stop south and walk home. Entry needs a Treno or Trekking Cinque Terre Card and a half-hour slot booked on the national park's site with the card; a slot is effectively fixed, so pick your time with care.

North, the coast path to Corniglia is closed after a landslide, with no date to reopen; check trail status on the national park's website the night before and that morning. Sandals are banned on the trails. On foot you take the high route: path 506 climbs steeply through the vineyard terraces to Volastra, then the path runs on to Corniglia, three and a half hours, graded for expert hikers.

Sleep in the upper village if you want the sea from your window, and expect a climb back up every night. The station has no left-luggage, so arrive with a case you can wheel uphill. Drivers park at the village entrance, before the barriers, ten minutes on foot from the centre, and the car park fills on summer weekends.

Book early for July and August, when rooms fill fast. The seasonal ferry from La Spezia and Levanto calls here too, but bad weather can cancel it, and the landing is an uphill walk from most rooms.

Things to do

6
  1. Chiesa di San Lorenzo

    Church · 30 min

    Your walk to the top of the village ends on this square, where the marble rose window on the church front is the detail to look up for.

  2. Groppo

    Village · 1 hr

    If Volastra is further than your legs want to go, getting off the bus here halves the height and still puts the vineyards all around you.

  3. Manarola Nativity Scene

    Landmark · 30 min

    After dark, take a torch up the Via Beccara to the viewing points and the lit hillside is laid out above the roofs.

  4. Punta Bonfiglio

    Viewpoint · 30 min

    Walk out here in your first hour to see the village in one view before you start on the lanes.

  5. Santuario di Nostra Signora della Salute

    Church · 30 min

    The vineyard walk needs an end point, and this church in Volastra gives you one to step into before the bus or the path back down.

  6. Volastra

    Village · 2 hr

    From the top of the terraces you look down the whole slope of vines to the sea.

Basemap Meridian · data © OpenStreetMap

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