Holiday apartment in Manarola: Hiking, churches and coast

Holiday apartment in Manarola: Experiences to help you choose your location

Manarola combines churches, historic towers, paths through vineyards, dry-stone walls and water channels, as well as maritime connections.

Regional trains stop in Manarola. During the spring and summer season, local shipping lines serve Manarola throughout the day. You can take these different transport connections into account when planning your excursions and deciding on accommodation.

Churches, towers and living tradition

The Chiesa di San Lorenzo was begun in 1338 by the populations of Manarola and Volastra. It contains a 15th-century tempera painting depicting the Virgin Mary and Saints Matthew, John the Baptist, Lawrence and Catherine. Characteristic features include a portal depicting the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, a decorated rose window and a square 14th-century bell tower. The Oratorio dei Disciplinati della Santissima Annunziata dates from the 15th century.

The Campanile Bianco is a bell tower with a square ground plan dating from the 14th century; it was formerly a watch and defensive tower in Manarola. In the lower part of the village, the old mill or oil mill was restored by the Cinque Terre National Park. The tradition of the Presepe Luminoso di Manarola is continued by the Associazione Presepe di Manarola – Mario Andreoli.

Hiking trails between vineyards and sea

The «Manarola di acqua, pietre e vigne» route is a circular hike starting and ending in Manarola. It is 8.32 km long and is considered a hike for experienced hikers. It passes through a landscape where vineyards, dry-stone walls and sophisticated water channels are still clearly visible.

Trail 531, the Via Beccara, connects Riomaggiore and Manarola; the walking time is one hour. The «Manarolino» trail leads from Via Discovolo to Punta Bonfiglio and Marina di Manarola. Hiking trail 502 begins at Piè di Fiesse near the first hairpin bend on the paved SP 51 road between Manarola and Groppo. The Via dell’Amore, also known as Via de l’Amùu in Ligurian, is an 800-metre-long path carved into the cliff above the sea, connecting Riomaggiore and Manarola, two of the largest villages of the Cinque Terre in Liguria. The different trail lengths and route characteristics help you adapt your excursion planning to your personal hiking preferences.

Maritime impressions and orientation in the village

In the park’s 2025 summer programme, a buoy-marked swimming route near Manarola connected Punta Bonfiglio with the beginning of Corniglia beach and was approximately 400 metres long. The swimming route near Manarola is considered suitable for swimming and snorkelling in the marine protected area.

The sedimentary rocks of the Montenero Unit, a geological formation consisting of clay-rich rocks with interlayers of marl, limestone and sandstone, support the villages of Manarola and Riomaggiore. The Belvedere of Manarola is located above the old castle gate. Advance reservation is required for the activities of A Piè de Campu.

Further places for planning your trip

If you would like to consider destinations other than Manarola, you can also include Levanto, San Terenzo, Portovenere, Framura, Arcola, Ortonovo, Tavarone and Santo Stefano Di Magra in your planning.

For the overarching travel overview: La Spezia.