Manarola is the second smallest village on the Cinque Terre, but together with Vernazza it competes for the unwritten title of the most beautiful town on the coast. More precisely, in many rankings Manarola is ranked as the most beautiful village in Europe and the world.
A dense cluster of pastel-coloured houses on a 30-metre-high rocky cliff towering over the Ligurian Sea and surrounded by mountains with vineyards simply makes Manarola one of Italy's most popular towns.
Sights and sightseeing
Beautiful views are what make Manarola so appealing to tourists.
They're among the most stunning on the entire coast, and you can enjoy views of the town's quirky centre, the wide sea from the top of the cliff, which is reached by a convenient walkway, and views into the distance along the entire coastline. On very clear days you can see all the way to the French Riviera.
Also head to Piazza Castello for a breathtaking view eastwards to Riomaggiore.
You won't find many sights in Manarola, but you'll soak up the atmosphere of an old fishing village, just turn off the single main street into the little side streets and you'll find yourself in another world.
The town's dominant feature is the aforementioned rock promontory on which most of the centre is located, as well as the small Genoese Gothic-style church of San Lorenzo dating from 1338.
Accommodation
Manarola is a tourist spot during the day, but usually empties out in the evening, leaving only a few restaurants and pizzerias. Therefore, if you are looking for a quiet place to stay with great views and the necessary facilities, Manarola will be the right destination, at least for one night.
Prices for the cheapest guesthouses or apartments here start at 110 eur for a night in high season, and you'll pay half that out of season.
Top places in Manarola include Affittacamere Piazza Castello in the centre at the top of the cliffs with breathtaking views or the Olimpo Affitacamare guesthouse just a few metres away.
Hiking
Around Manarola are the most beautiful and, until about 2024, the only open sections of the central hiking trail through the whole of Cinque Terre, called the Senitero Azzuro.
A secure path takes you along the cliffs just above the sea, but currently only about 1.5 km around Manarola, the rest of the path is being renovated.
You can also take a marked trail up into the hills through the vineyards to the backbone "forest" copy of Sentiero Azzuro, which follows the coast along a beautiful forest path high above the sea.
How to get there?
All the villages on the Cinque Terre are mainly reached by train, the track here is mostly sunken into tunnels. From the station to Manarola, you can reach it through a pedestrian tunnel about 150 metres long.
Only Trenitalia trains run here; you can find connections and buy tickets online at trenitalia.com or on the Trenitalia mobile app (Google Play / App Store). For regional trains, which are the vast majority to Riomaggiore, just buy tickets from the ticket machine at the station.
- Pisa - 1-2 times per hour always with a change in La Spezia, the journey takes 1 hr. 10 min. to 1 hr. 50 min. and costs from 8,60 eur, from March to November from 15,45 eur
- Genoa - 1-2 times per hour usually with a change in Sestri Levante, the journey takes about 1.5 hours and costs from 8,50 eur, from March to November from 14,80 eur
- La Spezia - 1-2 times per hour, the journey takes 10 minutes and costs 2,40 eur, from March to November 10 eur
- Riomaggiore - 1x per hour, the journey takes 2 minutes and costs 2,10 eur, from March to November 10 eur
- Corniglia - 1x per hour, takes 2 minutes and costs 2,10 eur, from March to November 10 eur
- Vernazza - 1x per hour, takes 6 minutes and costs 2,40 eur, from March to November 10 eur
- Monterosso al Mare - 1x per hour, takes 11 minutes and costs 2,40 eur, from March to November 10 eur
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Cinque Terre.
