Holiday apartment in Volastra – village culture, vineyards and hiking trails

Volastra is an old hill village on the Ligurian Riviera, situated at an altitude of 300 metres. Laid out in an amphitheatre shape, the village consists of small houses and paved caruggi. Vineyards and, in particular, olive groves characterise Volastra. If you view a holiday apartment in Volastra as a starting point for a trip combining landscapes, local culture and activity, this village structure provides the first way into the area.

Village character and history

Among Volastra’s cultural sights is the church of Nostra Signora della Salute, Our Lady of Health. It is considered to be a Romanesque church dating from the 10th to 11th century. In 1240, it was mentioned under the name San Lorenzo. According to local tradition, Volastra’s origins date back to Roman times. The village’s history therefore brings together a specific ecclesiastical tradition and a local tradition reaching further back in time.

Hiking through the terraced landscape

In the area between Riomaggiore, Montenero, Volastra, Groppo and Manarola, hikes through the terraced landscape can be arranged with varying durations and levels of difficulty. For families or travel groups with different interests, this range can be a helpful factor when planning days together.

Trail 586 runs from the village of Volastra to the junction with trail 587, just below the Case Pianca settlement. It passes through terraced vineyards with dry-stone walls that are still in good condition, and then enters a forest of Pinus pinaster. Within a small area, the character of the landscape thus changes from cultivated slopes to woodland.

Trail 585 is an old mule track connecting Volastra with the watershed between the sea and the Vara. From Volastra to Sella Monte Galera, it climbs the southeastern slope of Monte Le Croci through chestnut forest. This trail combines the character of a historic path with an ascent through a distinctly different woodland landscape.

Holiday apartment in Volastra: trails, landscapes and village culture

Trail 530 follows the road known as the Strada dei Santuari from its southern endpoint at Colle del Telegrafo AV5T to Volastra. From Telegrafo to Volastra, it is passable by vehicle along its entire route. At the same time, trail 530 has potential for use as a cycle route.

Trail 506 leads from Manarola through cultivated olive groves and then via the village of Volastra. There is a fountain in Volastra along trail 506. Together with the longer connections, this trail shows how the village is integrated into a network of paths, without every excursion necessarily having the same character.

When choosing between a holiday apartment and a holiday house in Volastra, you can therefore focus on the type of days you would like to spend there. Different hiking durations and levels of difficulty provide scope for planning a trip in which active stages and cultural discoveries stand alongside each other. The section of trail 530 that is passable by vehicle is a separate planning consideration; trails 585, 586 and 506 each place different emphasis on the landscape and connection with the village. In this way, your accommodation decision can be guided by your preferred mix of village, trails, vineyards and olive landscapes, and history.

Further places for planning your trip

Further places for planning your trip include Piana Battolla, Tirolo, Valeriano Lunense, Framura, Tellaro, La Spezia, Lerici and Riomaggiore.

To the higher-level travel overview: La Spezia.