Things to do
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Castello di Riomaggiore
A thirteenth-century fort on the ridge above the houses, built against Saracen raids and later used as a cemetery. The walk up is steep and the terrace at the top is the clearest view down the village's one street to the sea.
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Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista
The village church, set high above the harbour and reached through the upper lanes. A Gothic rose window survives on the facade; the interior was largely rebuilt after nineteenth-century damage. It is a steep few minutes up from the main street and the terrace beside it looks over the roofs.
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Sentiero Azzurro
The Blue Path is the coastal trail linking all five villages, and walking its full length is the classic way to see them. Sections close after heavy rain and the whole route needs a national park card, so check what is open on the day rather than assuming.
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Via dell'Amore
A walkway cut into the cliff between Riomaggiore and Manarola, the shortest and flattest link in the Cinque Terre. Rockfalls closed it for more than a decade and it reopened in 2024 on timed tickets, so a place must be booked rather than turned up for.
