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Cinque Terre on the Ligurian coast is one of the most beautiful places in Italy, with five colourful villages perched on a dramatic coastline.
I’ve been visiting since I was a teenager on an Italian exchange trip, but in recent years, this stunning place has become incredibly crowded. Even in early May, on our most recent visit, the crowds made it hard to enjoy.
For us, Cinque Terre is still worth visiting, but we prefer to hike the trails that connect the villages and enjoy the views from above.
We loved the Corniglia to Manarola hike via Volastra that we did on our last trip.
We walked up through forest and along terraced vineyards with magnificent sea views before descending to picturesque Manarola. It’s also free, unlike some other trails in the area.
In this guide, I share all the details of the hike, including how long it takes, how to get there, and other tips for hiking in Cinque Terre.
Contents
- Hiking The Blue Trail in Cinque Terre
- Corniglia to Manarola via Volastra Hike Details
- Getting to Corniglia: The Start of the Hike
- Corniglia to Volastra Trail
- Volastra
- Volastra to Manarola Trail
- Corniglia to Manarola Hike Map
- Final Thoughts
- More Liguria Posts
Hiking The Blue Trail in Cinque Terre
The most famous trail in the Cinque Terre is the Blue Trail (Sentiero Azzurro) that used to connect all five villages from Monterosso to Riomaggiore and took a full day.
You can easily hike just a section of the trail by using the trains (or ferries) that connect the villages.
Landslides caused sections of the trail to be closed for many years, but as of 2025, all sections are open except for the Corniglia to Manarola hike. This was an easy 2.2km (1.4 miles) along the coast, and it seems to be closed indefinitely.
You can still walk between the villages, but it’s a much longer, steeper trail up into the hills via Volastra. It’s the hike I describe below.
See this Cinque Terre hiking trail update for the current conditions of the trails.
Other sections of the Blue Trail are also beautiful. We’ve hiked the 7km (4.3 mile) trail from Corniglia – Vernazza- Monterosso before (I wrote about it in our Italian Riviera guide), but it’s busier than the other direction from Corniglia – Volastra – Manarola.
You also need to purchase a Cinque Terre Trekking Card to walk Corniglia – Vernazza – Monterosso. This costs €7.50-€15, depending on the date (no charge from November to February).
You can buy a more expensive card that includes unlimited train travel on the La Spezia – Cinque Terre – Levanto line. This saves you money if you plan to take three or more train journeys.
In addition, on certain peak dates, you are only allowed to start in Monterosso and walk towards Vernazza (not vice versa) between 9am and 2pm.
Luckily, you don’t need to pay for the Corniglia to Manarola hike described below. Technically, it’s not the Blue Trail (despite what Alltrails says), although it has functionally worked as part of it for anyone wanting to walk between all five villages.
Corniglia to Manarola via Volastra Hike Details
- Location: Cinque Terre in Liguria, Italy – 112km (70 miles) from Pisa Airport
- Length: 6.65km (4.1 miles) one way from Corniglia Station to Manarola
- Time: 2.5 hours (3 hours including breaks)
- Elevation Gain: 376 metres (1234 feet)
- Difficulty Rating: Intermediate
- Terrain: Stone stairs and rocky, narrow dirt paths
- Highlights: Coastal views, terraced vineyards, pretty villages
- AllTrails Page: Corniglia – Manarola via Volastra
The stats above are taken from my Apple Watch, starting at Corniglia Station rather than the trailhead.
You can also hike it in the other direction from Manarola to Corniglia, but the trail out of Manarola was very steep, and I’m glad we did it this way for a slightly easier ascent. The views of Manarola when we descended were also lovely.
Another option if you want to avoid going up big hills entirely is to get the bus from Manarola to Volastra then hike from there to Corniglia (you’ll still have a steep descent). I recommend the full hike if you are able.
Walking in the spring or autumn is best to avoid the summer heat. In early May, it was 17ºC (63ºF) and sunny—perfect hiking weather. We also found September a good time.
Hiking shoes, or at least running shoes with good traction, are recommended for the trail.
If you are looking for a quieter hike on the Italian Riviera, we also love the walk from Camogli to San Fruttuoso.
Getting to Corniglia: The Start of the Hike
The easiest way to get around the Cinque Terre is by train. It takes just five minutes and costs €5 between each village on the regional trains.
We were staying in the nearby city of La Spezia (at this lovely Airbnb). The train to Corniglia took 15 minutes.
The train stations in the area are very busy with long queues to buy tickets from the machines or counters.
We used the Trenitalia app to buy tickets instead. Note that you have to buy more than five minutes before departure. We didn’t have signal at Manarola station so buy in advance.
I highly recommend getting an early start on this hike (ideally 7-8am). We weren’t able to and arrived in Corniglia at 10.30am. The hike was busier than we would have liked. An early start is even more important on hot days.
Corniglia is the middle village of the five. It’s also the smallest and the highest at 100 metres above the sea.
Unfortunately, this means there’s a steep walk up 382 stairs (called Scalinata Lardarina) that zigzag up the hillside from Corniglia station to the village. You can also take a bus, but there are long queues.
The walk up took us 15 minutes. At the top, we walked a little past the trailhead to A’Caneva Bar for a quick espresso and to use their toilet.
There are also public toilets (bagni pubblici) in the village, but they cost €1 and don’t have great reviews. This is your last chance to use a bathroom until Volastra.
If you haven’t visited Corniglia before, it’s the quietest village and worth having a look around.
We were keen to get going, so we headed two minutes back to the trailhead, which is marked Sentiero 7A Corniglia-Volastra-Manarola on Google Maps.
We used AllTrails for directions (we have a Plus membership, so we can download hiking routes offline), but the trail is fairly well marked with signposts and red and white stripes.
Corniglia to Volastra Trail
There’s a sign at the trailhead estimating that Volastra is 1 hour and 45 minutes away and Manarola is 2 hours and 30 minutes.
There’s also a water fountain here, but it’s best to come with a filled water bottle.
The beginning of the Corniglia to Manarola hiking trail is the hardest part. You have to climb up stone steps for some time (it was about 40 minutes before it started to level off).
While it’s not as steep as the ascent from Manarola, it will still get your heart rate up. We took a short break every 10 minutes and found it manageable.
This part of the trail is mostly through trees with the occasional view back to Corniglia village and the sea.
The highest point of the hike is about 400 metres (1312 feet) above sea level. There’s no obvious summit (the mountains go on above you), but the views get better, and you can gaze at Corniglia far down below.
From here, the trail levels out with just gradual ups and downs. It’s much easier, although the path is still narrow and uneven in parts.
At first, you walk through the forest with just occasional glimpses of the sea, but about an hour into the hike, the trail opens up and the views are stunning!
This is the highlight of the hike as you walk along a ridge amongst terraced vineyards with the sea stretching expansively below.
Eventually, Manarola pops into view—still a long way down.
By now, it was around midday, and after walking most of the way up alone, the trail became uncomfortably busy at some points. We had to wait for a few tour groups to pass, as the trail is so narrow, it’s single file only sometimes.
If you are afraid of heights, you might find the narrow trail and steep drop-offs a little disconcerting.
Otherwise, it’s an easy and glorious section of the trail.
Volastra
Even better, just before Volastra, we discovered a little rustic bar amongst the vines—Cantina Capellini – Agrivino.
We couldn’t resist stopping for a glass of delicious Cinque Terre DOP white wine.
We also got the mixed bruschetta (we asked for a vegetarian version without anchovies). The toppings were nice, but weirdly, the bread wasn’t toasted (presumably, facilities are limited up here).
About five minutes further on, we descended to Volastra (at 335 metres) and entered the village by its tiny church.
It took us about 1 hour and 40 minutes from the trailhead to Volastra (two hours from Corniglia Station), including our 20-minute wine break.
Volastra is a tiny village, but there are a few places to stop for food and drinks. As we’d had our impromptu wine stop, we just grabbed a coffee at Chiosco del Sole and used their toilet (awkwardly located behind the counter).
It’s a cute little place with garden seating and a snack menu of sandwiches and burgers (with vegan options). They did seem to have run out of a lot of menu items, though. Order at the counter before taking a seat.
In May, their hours were 11am – 6pm every day (closed in bad weather).
Other options in Volastra are the Minimarket La Bottega (a shop advertising focaccia and sandwiches) and Arcobaleno, a bar-restaurant with sandwiches and gelato or for a more substantial meal, pasta and fish.
There’s no public toilet, so you’ll need to buy something at one of the bars.
There’s a water fountain in the village to refill your bottle.
Volastra to Manarola Trail
To find the trail from Volastra to Manarola, look for the Manarola sign down an alley off Via Montello between La Bottega and Arcobaleno.
From here, it’s downhill on stone stairs that really work your legs.
After about 10 minutes, you come across a road—don’t head that far, but go right to continue on the trail, leaving the road behind.
Thankfully, the dirt path from here is a bit flatter.
A highlight for us was seeing one of the little vineyard trains come past. They are used by farmers to transport tools and harvested olives and grapes up and down the steep terraces.
The closer we got to Manarola, the better the views got. Wildflowers, vineyard terraces, that vibrant blue sea, and the pastel-coloured village from above—wow!
We did have to walk down steep steps again, but the views were worth it.
Finally, we reached Manarola at 1.30pm (three hours after we started at Corniglia Station). The village was rammed, and we couldn’t find anywhere to sit down and eat without a long wait (I recommend eating in Volastra).
It was rather overwhelming, so we headed to the train station (reached through a tunnel) to take the train back to La Spezia.
Corniglia to Manarola Hike Map
I’ve marked the key points mentioned on the hike on this Google Map.
Final Thoughts
We absolutely loved the Corniglia – Volastra – Manarola hike. This varied trail has stunning views of the sea and villages, and it’s fun to get up close to the vineyards, impressively grown on the steep hillsides.
While the beginning of the hike is a workout, and you’ll struggle if you aren’t fairly fit, overall, we didn’t find the walk too hard. It was nice to have the option of a break in Volastra, too.
Hiking is still our favourite way to enjoy Cinque Terre, and I definitely recommend this route for a taste of the beautiful area. Just start early if you can!
More Liguria Posts
There is a lot more to the Liguria region than Cinque Terre. Here are more of our tips on the area:
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