The Corniglia to Manarola hike might be our favorite hike in Cinque Terre, even though the weather was slightly overcast for most of our hike, so the colors of the scenery didn’t pop as much.
This hike is less popular than others, even though we can’t understand why. Sure – it is a bit harder and longer, but the views are incredible.
- Must read: What not to miss in Cinque Terre (guide)
Corniglia-Manarola (via Volastra) Hiking Stats
Distance: 5.4 km (3.3 miles)
Duration: 2.5 hours (it took us 3:15 hours, including taking photos and videos)
Elevation gain: 284 m (931 ft)
Difficulty: Moderate
Hiking fee: No hiking fee
Route: Corniglia – Volastra – Manarola – check it here
The trail is nicely marked for most of the route, so you shouldn’t have any problems. However, we always have offline maps downloaded just in case, including our AllTrail Plus membership (look it up).
Important to know: The Corniglia-Volastra-Manarola trail is not officially part of the famous Blue Trail in Cinque Terre. However, since the coastal route between Corniglia and Manarola has been closed for years due to a landslide, the route through Volastra is currently the only way to hike from Corniglia to Manarola.
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MUST-HAVE ✔
💳 Save money when changing currencies or taking out cash by bringing a backup travel card. Oh, and in case an ATM swallows your card. Yes, it happened to us. 🤦♂️
🔌 Bring a Universal Travel Adapter with fast-charging capabilities (45W and Power Delivery).
Hike Direction
You can do this hike in either direction, but we recommend starting the hike in Corniglia and finishing in Manarola since that’s a bit easier.
Although there are steep parts at the beginning of the hike in both directions, it is definitely steeper from the Manarola side.
However, there are also almost 400 stairs (called Scalinata Lardarina) that zigzag from Corniglia train station to Corniglia village (where the trailhead starts). This adds about 100 meters in elevation gain to the hiking stats we mentioned above. To avoid them, you can take a shuttle bus from the Corniglia train station to the Corniglia village.
We started two hikes in Corniglia, the hike to Vernazza and this one to Manarola. For this one, we walked the killer stairs. While it’s not that bad, it’s certainly not easy either, especially in the heat. So, you’ll definitely sweat before you even hit the start of the hike. 😁
If you’re starting the hike from Manarola, the official tourism site recommends a shuttle bus from Manarola up to Volastra to avoid steep stairs. However, we wouldn’t recommend that.
Starting in Volastra means you miss out on some of the best parts of the hike between Manarola and Volastra. This is the panoramic trail of Manarola with breathtaking views and perspectives, and it would be a shame to miss out on that. It’s one of our favorite parts of the hike.
Corniglia to Manarola (via Volastra) Hike Map
We created a map of the Corniglia to Manarola (via Volastra) trail with the main points. Access it here (you can also save it to your phone for future reference).
Step-by-step guide to the Corniglia to Manarola trail
Here is our experience hiking the Corniglia to Manarola trail, describing each section of the hike, so you can know what to expect.
You can easily do this hike on your own, but if you’re interested in a guided hiking tour, this is the best-reviewed one.
Getting to Corniglia
All the main towns in Cinque Terre, including Levanto and La Spezia (which are often a base for exploring the area), have a great connection by train, with a frequent schedule. So, use a train to get to Corniglia.
Read our guide about transport in Cinque Terre to understand it better (coming soon).
Starting the hike
After getting to Corniglia, we first took some time to explore Corniglia (travel guide with things to do coming soon!).
After exploring, we returned to the main square and started the hike (click for the map with location or find the trailhead here). You can also refill your water bottle at the fountain here.
Steep Ascent
The first part of the hike from Corniglia to Manarola is quite steep, and it involves some stairs. However, it is a pretty path with lots of greenery around you. Just don’t forget to turn around here and there, as you’ll get some fantastic views of Corniglia behind you.
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First views of Manarola
After about an hour into the hike, you’ll start seeing Manarola in the distance. It’s a beautiful sight, and if you have a good zoom lens, you can make some incredible photos of Manarola from here.
- Read next: How to hike from Vernazza to Monterosso
Forest section
Afterwards, you’ll enter the forest for a bit and see Corniglia again at some points. It’s amazing how often Corniglia views follow you on this path. 🙂
Open area – vineyards & wildflowers
Once you exit the woods, you’ll be back on the open, surrounded by flowers, gardens, and vineyards.
At this point, you’ll also pass a few houses. We felt like we were walking through someone’s backyard. 😁 But it was a pretty cool area.
Now, you can see you’re getting closer to Manarola, but it’s still quite far.
As you continue on the path towards Volastra, you’ll pass by the Cantina Capellini winery with tables in between the vineyard (just outside of town).
It looked so cute, but since we were chasing the sunset in Manarola, we didn’t have time to stop by. But according to the reviews we read, people seem to like it a lot.
Tip: If you put this winery in Google Maps, it won’t lead you to their winery in the vineyards, but rather their shop in Volastra. So, make sure to reach the church in Volastra and then follow the sign leading you to Cantina Capellini vineyards. You can also book a wine tasting here, but we recommend booking in advance.
Volastra
To enter Volastra, a small village with a few bars, restaurants, and a market, you’ll first pass by a small church.
Then, to continue from Volastra to Manarola, look for the Manarola sign. It’s in an alley between Minimarket La Bottega and L’Arcobaleno restaurant on Via Montello street. We got a bit carried away, so we missed it at first and had to retrace our steps a bit. 😁
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Last stretch – Volastra to Manarola
After 10 minutes of descending towards Manarola, you’ll see a road, but don’t go there. Follow the right side to stay on the trail, as this is where the most beautiful part of the hike starts – the panoramic Manarola trail we mentioned earlier.
Now, the hike gets much easier, as you’re lowering yourself down while getting closer and closer to Manarola. In this section of the hike, we stopped quite a lot since the views of Manarola were just getting better and better.
Once you’re at the top of the hill, just before Manarola, you can see a completely different perspective of Corniglia behind, and you’ll see the whole path you just hiked!
This area also offers the best views of Manarola, so it took us some time to take it all in before we made our way down to Manarola village.
Reaching Manarola
Just before we reached Manarola, we turned right and continued on this scenic path to the famous photo point overlooking Manarola.
We made it just in time, as Manarola bathed in the golden light. This is one of the best photo spots in Cinque Terre, so don’t skip it!
Coming soon: Our guide to everything you can do in Manarola. 🙂
After that, we circled around the viewpoint area, then went towards the village and got some more cool views with Manarola in the background.
If you want to watch the sunset, you have to turn to the other side, away from Manarola. There you’re looking towards Corniglia, and you can see the sunset better. We preferred watching the sunset colors illuminate the houses of Manarola.
Corniglia to Manarola Hiking Tips
There are no toilets along the trail, so we suggest using the toilet at the train station. The fee is 1 euro or free if you have the Cinque Terre Card. (read next: ‘Is Cinque Terre Card Worth It‘)
The path is mostly narrow, so in some parts, one side must give way to the other. We didn’t really have this problem at the end of May, as we started our hike pretty late, so the trail was quiet.
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We never travel outside our home countries before getting travel insurance. And sure, we don’t count on anything happening. But it can when you least expect it! 🤕
For example, Arijana twisted her ankle just because she took a wrong step when going down completely normal stairs. 🤦♀️
In those situations (and hopefully nothing worse), travel insurance comes in handy so you don’t have to pay the medical costs.
Plus, since it costs about 3 USD/EUR per day, it’s not a crazy expense, and definitely not something to ignore. 😷
Sometimes, the hiking trails can be closed (for various reasons, and especially outside the summer season).
Hike from Corniglia to Manarola, as that direction is slightly easier and the views towards Manarola are incredible! But don’t forget to turn around and also check out Corniglia.
There are lots of uneven stairs and rocks at some points, so wear comfortable shoes, preferably hiking ones. Although Arijana did this hike in running shoes, and it was absolutely fine.
Don’t forget water, especially if you’re doing this hike in summer. You can refill water at each town at public water fountains. Just search “water fountain” in Google Maps, and you should find it easily. Usually they’re labelled as ‘Fontanella acqua potabile’ in Italian.
A big part of the trail is open, and there is no shade, so wearing a hat and applying sunscreen is recommended.
Best time to do the Corniglia to Manarola hike
The best time to start the hike from Corniglia to Manarola is in the late afternoon, as you’ll get to Manarola in time for sunset. The town is gorgeous in the golden light.
We started our hike at 4:30 PM (sunset was just before 9 pm at that time).
The Corniglia to Manarola hike is usually possible year-round. Still, the best conditions for hiking are from April until October, with spring and autumn months being the most ideal, as it’s not too hot and the crowds are still manageable (especially if you do hikes in early morning or late afternoon).
We did this hike in late May, and it was already pretty hot on the trail.
Is the hike worth it?
Even with the slightly overcast weather, the hike from Corniglia to Manarola might be our favorite hike in Cinque Terre.
The trail is beautiful, with different sections making it more interesting, offering gorgeous views of Corniglia and even better views of Manarola. Plus, it isn’t as busy as other Cinque Terre trails.
Therefore, hiking from Corniglia to Manarola is absolutely worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, there is no fee for hiking the Corniglia to Manarola trail in Cinque Terre.
This can get a bit confusing. While the coastal path between Corniglia and Manarola is closed, the high path between Corniglia and Manarola via Volastra is open.
No, the coastal path between Corniglia and Manarola has been indefinitely closed. The only way to get to Manarola from Corniglia is by hiking the trail via Volastra or taking a train.
It’s better to hike from Corniglia to Manarola as the path is less steep, and the views are better while going towards Manarola (especially the last part). If you start from Manarola, you’ll have very steep stairs straight at the beginning, and you won’t be able to enjoy the views of Manarola as much.
Yes, the Corniglia to Manarola hiking trail is also suitable for trail running. But make sure to have a very early or very late start so you avoid most of the hikers. The trail is narrow for the most part, so it’s hard to pass people.
Italy Packing List
Without these things, we could not travel (comfortably or effectively)…
🔌 Universal Travel Adapter with fast-charging capabilities (45W and Power Delivery) – essentially covers us for the whole world.
⚡ We never travel without our 10.000 mAh powerbank, which is perfect for charging our phones multiple times.
💦 Filling up an insulated water bottle for days out exploring is a must.
☀🧴 We always buy a reef-safe sunscreen that applies well.
🤳 Forget selfies, having a phone tripod is the new game (easy to pack, carry around & set up).
🌦 After getting a travel-friendly raincoat (poncho), we never have to worry about staying dry.
🦟 Preventing bites with a DEET-free (picaridin) mosquito repellent is a great idea if you don’t want to cover yourself in poison.
🛄 We pack our stuff smarter with affordable packing cubes.
😎 We are active travelers, so sunglasses don’t survive long. So we bought these cheap polarized sunglasses that are travel-friendly and feel good to wear.
🔊 Countless times, we had trouble with noisy neighbors, loud streets, incredibly loud AC, rattling refrigerators, and more that kept us awake at night. Then, we finally bought some cheap earplugs – done!
📱💔 Slippery phone = broken phone. Get a phone case.
🎒 We love a good belt/crossbody bag, so we don’t always have to carry a backpack (fits our phone, wallet, tissues, candy, etc.).
📸 To capture some cooler photos and videos, a drone is a must (if used wisely). And for active stuff, our action camera – it’s so small and easy to use.
Final thoughts
While not the easiest hike in Cinque Terre, it is likely the most rewarding one. We thoroughly enjoyed it, and hope this guide will help you plan your hike!
If you have any questions or updates, feel free to leave a comment below and help fellow travelers.
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