Visiting the Cinque Terre soon? Lucky you! Here are 7 things to do in Manarola, my favorite village in Italy’s beautiful Cinque Terre!
Years ago, I fell in love with the colorful dream that is Manarola, my favorite seaside village in Cinque Terre. At the time, I was captivated 4,000 miles away by dramatic scenes in a coffee table book. I spent subsequent hours Googling dazzling photographs of pink, yellow and orange homes piled one above another – atop a sheer cliff overlooking the Ligurian Sea.
Professional photographs – taken undoubtedly at golden hour – do Manarola a decent amount of justice. But actually seeing this fairytale town in person? It’s like nothing I could’ve imagined.
We arrived on a rainy night, meaning I was in my dream destination … but couldn’t actually see it. Talk about painful. I went to bed immediately after dinner so I could wake up, sip coffee on our balcony and finally greet the place I’d been dreaming of for a lifetime.
What a wake-up call it was.
I sprung out of bed, ran to the top floor and didn’t just get my first look at the Cinque Terre – I was graced with a view of colorful Manarola shining brightly beneath a half rainbow. I didn’t need a leprechaun, and screw the pot of gold. In that moment, I knew I’d found one of my best travel treasures of all time: Manarola, Italy – my favorite town in the Cinque Terre.
OK, OK. You understand I’m semi (well, super) obsessed with this terre – but it’s more than just looks! Here are 7 things to do in Manarola to ensure your experience is as perfect as mine!
1. Wine at Nessun Dorma
Catch my darling town while devouring local wines by enjoying an epic sunset at Nessun Dorma, a scenic bar overlooking Manarola. The views are incredible, the food is top-notch (we even got free bread with pesto!) and the wine? Well, it’s Italian wine so obviously it’s good – but up here, the wine’s also photogenic. I couldn’t stop photographing…
2. Dinner at Il Porticciolo
When it comes to food, Cinque Terre is known for two (absolutely delicious) things: pesto and seafood. You can find pesto pasta at pretty much any restaurant in Manarola, but for the best seafood, make a stop at Il Porticciolo. We started with the seafood sampler platter (yes, I realize that oh-so-American “sampler platter” makes it sound less fancy, but bear with me). It had all sorts of seafood, including some I’d never tasted – such as raw shrimp.
Surprisingly, the anchovies both at Il Porticciolo and around Cinque Terre are prepared differently – less salty, and super fresh. They were actually my favorite part of this sampler, next of course to the fresh oysters … because fresh oysters.
For the main course, I added onto my seafood overload, ordering spaghetti with mussels in red sauce. Given I spent my entire Italy trip in “carbo-load mode,” I finished the entire meal. Oops.
If you have more days to fill up, give Trattoria dal Billy a try!
3. Early morning strolls
We visited in the offseason (late March), which meant we woke up and strolled through town alongside locals – and only locals. By waking up early, there were no tour buses and no hikers – we had Manarola and its amazing vantage points entirely to ourselves.
So, our mornings went a little something like this:
Wake up, try to figure out apartment’s hot water machine, opt not to shower because I can’t figure out hot water machine, stay grungy, throw on sweats, stroll down to the waterfront, climb on the rocks, nearly drop my camera in the ocean, photograph with said camera I saved, survive climbing back ashore, find foccaceria for pizza breakfast (more on that below), grab coffee, go back to apartment, give hot water machine another try, inevitably give up, face the world grungy yet again …
Long, uber-cool story short? Manarola is my favorite, but mornings in Manarola are my favorite favorite.
Quiet streets of Manarola
4. Sunset at Punta Bonfiglio
To get the iconic Cinque Terre shot – you know the one – take a stroll down to the waterfront in Manarola. Walk down the main street toward the waterfront (you’ll know you’re going the right way if you’re walking downhill). Once you reach the dead end, take a right and follow the trail up until you reach that perfect lookout spot (you’ll know it when you see it). This is right below Nessun Dorma, so if you already checked out the fabulous happy hour spot, just retrace your steps!
Nighttime views from Punta Bonfiglio
And here’s what the Punta Bonfiglio looks like during day time!
5. Focaccerias
Let me preface this by saying I ate pizza for breakfast every single day in Manarola. Said differently: I was living my best life. In Cinque Terre, focaccerias – cafés serving pastries and focaccia-style sandwiches like pizza – are a mainstay, meaning pizza for breakfast isn’t only acceptable. It’s cool.
So I ate it for breakfast, and in most cases for lunch. My favorite spots in Manarola are Pan & Pumate (on Via Antonio Discovolo) and Bar La Plancia, further down toward the water.
6. Hike into Manarola
All Cinque Terre visitors want to get the iconic shot of Manarola’s colorful cliff-side homes, but few actually walk into that part of the village. While it’s mostly residential, it’s an interesting way to see the other side of Manarola – and I always love overlooking your go-to overlook spots, in this case Punta Bonfiglio. (No? Just me? Well, moving on…)
Hiking through inner Manarola. Hi, Frank!
7. Explore the rest of Cinque Terre
While I love Manarola with all my heart (to the point I get butterflies when I look back at photos), I would never condone just going to Manarola. You’re in Cinque Terre, you obviously have to visit all five terres! See here for my “wish I’d known that” guide to hiking through Cinque Terre.
Now, let me leave you on a rather boring note: Manarola logistics. {Yawn.} But seriously. Logistics are your lifeline!
- The Manarola train station is really close to town; if you’re walking toward the water, turn left after you pass the restaurant Scorza Cesare; it’s just a few minutes walking to reach the station. If it’s your first time taking the train, purchase a ticket from the train station cashier and don’t forget to validate it using the green machines before you board! (For tickets, you can do day or multi-day passes that include Trail 2 hiking fares and free WiFi in the stations – plus unlimited train rides. This is a good deal, so take them up on it!)
- There’s little to no parking in Manarola, so if you’re visiting via road trip, either leave your car at La Spezia train station garage, or find an apartment rental or hotel that has parking outside the main town. Our apartment had a free parking garage just outside town (about 10 minutes walking); this was the perfect way to keep our rental car safe and out of the way. If you’re road tripping to Manarola, let me know in the comments below and I can tell you where we stayed!
- Consider visiting in the off season. I know I mentioned this in my hiking guide to Cinque Terre, but I can’t stress it enough. When we visited, we’d end the nights and begin our mornings as some of the only travelers in town. From what I hear about the peak season (after Easter through summer) that changes drastically. Obviously, you can’t always control timing, but if you can, go off season! Weather can be iffy, but we ended up with three days of sun (only a few short rain showers).
- Restaurant staff and shopkeepers know English for the most part; just be ready to pick up on point-and-guess cues and try to speak Italian if you can!
And… that is all! Are you heading to Manarola or elsewhere in the Cinque Terre? Leave your questions below!
We LOVED Manarola! Amazingly, despite the tourists bombarding their town, the locals were so friendly to us. We had two favorite parts to our day – the mornings and the evenings. Morning coffee on our balcony was idyllic, watching the village come to life with roosters crowing and the old guy in the house below us humming happily beneath his lemon tree. After siesta, when the church bells woke us for the daily prayers, we strolled down to the little grocery store where Antonio helped us pick out our cheeses, salami and olives to have with our wine while we watched the sunset over the sea. The villagers headed up to their terraces as the day cooled and we watched them planting and watering and harvesting. We spotted a matronly woman in a red dress harvesting lettuces on the opposite slope. She put them in her basket and we were able to follow her red dress all the way across the terraces and down several stairs until she appeared in the main street where she delivered her lettuces to our little grocery store! Then we would take another leisurely stroll down into the village to find some dinner. It was a little piece of la dolce vita!
This sounds like such a lovely experience! How long were you there? I could’ve spent a month if I had the time! Everyone was so friendly and it was such a warm, welcoming community and I just couldn’t get over the charm. Here’s to hoping we both get back there some day! 🙂
I am planning to make a day trip to Manarola from Milan during my Spring Break. I have always wanted to visit the terre ever since I planned moving to Italy. Do you think going in the first week of March is a good time to visit? Also, in a duration of 5 hours, can I visit Manarola and Riomaggiore? I will reach at 12 noon and have my bus back at 5.30 in the evening.
Thank you for reading! Yes, I think early March is a great time because you’ll have the terre almost entirely to yourself (plus locals). We visited in early spring and had an amazing time. You do risk the chance of rain, which we had on and off one day, but I’d trade that for the quiet and solitude without gobs of tourists any day. And yes, I definitely think you can do both. To be honest, there’s a not a *ton* to do in Manarola, it’s really about soaking up the scenery and strolling around. Riomaggiore has a bit more to see, so I’d recommend starting there first for lunch (we had delicious fried fish in a cone from a tiny hole in the wall, so I’d recommend that if you can find it!) then heading to Manarola to grab a cappuccino, stroll around and catch the waterfront view of Manarola as it gets closer to golden hour. You’ll have so much fun; please let me know how your trip goes! 🙂
Hi, I plan to visit Riomaggiore and Manarola as well. Can I do one day trip to these villages and using Bologna as my base of staying?
I do research of the bus, it says only once daily so I’m not sure how to go back from Manarola to Bologna.
Any thoughts or suggestions will be appreciated.
Thank you.
Thank you for reading! I think it may be a little tight timing wise … we did a road trip and drove from Manarola to Verona but spent 3 nights there to have enough tine. If it’s possible I’d recommend one night in Cinque Terre so you have a little more time. Hope this helps!! Happy to answer further questions! 🙂
Hi there thanks for this.
I have just booked to go there on holiday for our (gay honeymoon) from July 16-20th (the 17th being my birthday). Just wondered with it being on the coast and harbour town, as someone who doesn’t like fish is there plenty of choice in the restaurants. I think we will day trip out most days to other terre towns on the train…is la spezzia worth a trip? Perhaps one day we might have a long day out to Florence??
I’m hoping the weather will be nice and hot for July and that we enjoy it as much as you clearly have
Hi Jon – congratulations on your upcoming wedding/ honeymoon! There are definitely options for non fish eaters, but it will be a little more limited than other spots in Italy. That being said, you definitely won’t go hungry! In terms of La Spezzia, you should absolutely go if you have time. We really wanted to get there but decided not too just so we weren’t rushed. I’ve heard great things, though. And for Florence, if you plan right I believe you could do it, you’ll just have to get up really early and come back late to fit in all you can in Florence (there’s so much to do!). The terres won’t take a TON of time (there isn’t a lot to see in each, it’s more just exploring and lots and lots of eating), so I do think you should try to fit in Florence if you can… it’s a once in a lifetime, and if you love it, you can come back to explore it more in depth on another trip. Enjoy!!
Hi there! We are in beautiful Manarola right now…which is June 10 2018….as I send this to you I am looking out at the hills here as the locals tend to their gardens..I am watching locals and visitors walk up and around the hills to catch an amazing view of the Ligurian sea and the ever so breathtaking views of this village….we are truly blessed to be here…I’ve dreamt of visiting Tuscany, which we did on a day trip from our cruise ship, and I thought I’d literally died and went to heaven…until now…..we have left the cruise we were on for a week on the Mediterranean and disembarked in Rome and took a train north…to God’s country… now, I’m sure I’m in heaven!! So pretty with all the different coloured homes…the locals here are so kind…they do speak English and we did try our best shot at Italian, haha … the apartment we rented is next to Billy’s which we will be dining at later today..we are off now to go pick up a few groceries and walk the village…it was a bit of a shock when we arrived as far as the walking here was concerned….I don’t think I could have picked a higher place to rent…100 steps I think? worth every step when you reach your apartment though…I truly enjoyed reading your blog and will visit the restaurants and shops you mentioned…oh…there’s a pigeon just at my door entrance…lol…he’s welcoming us!! 🙏
Hi Deborah! Your trip is making me SO nostalgic for Italy… especially Manarola! It sounds like you’ve had the most magical time, and I totally remember those long walks (and climbs!). I hope you have a lovely trip and thank you so much for reading and commenting! <3
Thanks for the recommendations! My partner & I went to both Nessun Dorma and Il Porticciolo on your advice… both were perfect! It was our favorite town too, although I would say the lobster pasta at Vernazza’s Il Gambero Rosso was the beat single dish in the Cinque Terre! We really appreciated your post, it was a great way to enjoy the area.
Thank you so much for sharing, I’m glad you two enjoyed it! I miss Nessun Dorma so much (and Cinque Terre in general); I’ll have to plan a trip back soon! Thank you again so much for reading.
-Stephanie
Where did you stay in Manarola? How many steps to the place u stayed. If many steps, can u recommend any place with fewer steps? We r in our 60’s so our knees r better with less steps. Thanx!
Hi Amy! We stayed at an Airbnb type of place that was pretty far up on the hill, so I’d recommend a place close to the train station so you’re centrally located and don’t have to walk up and down too much. Here is an option: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187819-d1061745-Reviews-Ca_de_Capun_Camere_Franco-Manarola_Cinque_Terre_Italian_Riviera_Liguria.html
I’d also make sure you take the bus up into Corniglia when you arrive. There are a LOT of steps but the bus gets you up and down so you can avoid them.
Enjoy!