Exploring Cinque Terre (Part II): Manarola, Corniglia and Vernazza

Intro

This is Part II of my exploration of Cinque Terre, an incredible conglomerate of 5 little towns in the rough western coast of Italy. So far, I had explored Monterosso al Mare and Riomaggiore, and I was blown away, but now, I was rushing to see Manarola, Corniglia and Vernazza, using my Cinque Terre Pass, that allowed me to go freely between towns for this day.

Arriving to Manarola

I was coming from Riomaggiore on a 10 min ride on the train. It was possible to do the Via dell’Amore trek, but the upcoming rain had me thinking it could get messy. If you decide to do that, it’s a 20-30 min walk on a romantic, scenic cliffside path connecting Riomaggiore and Manarola.

As soon as you get out of the station in Manarola, you see the busy Via Renato Virolli full of restaurants, cafes and other stores, and of course a multitude of residential buildings.

Manarola is a dreamy, colorful fishing village perched on dramatic cliffs, famous for its sunsets, vineyards, and postcard-perfect harbor — a true Cinque Terre gem that feels timeless and impossibly romantic.

I was not going to make the same mistake I did with Riomaggiore, so I actually checked what was the best view of this town, and told me to go northwest up the hill for better vistas. And slowly but surely, an amazing view of Manarola showed up in front of my eyes.

The colorful houses, one of top of each other and then on top of this gigantic cliff, was definitely one of the most amazing things I had ever seen. It felt surreal to be here, just like a few days ago when I was in the Amalfi Coast. On the other site of this hill, I was able to see Corniglia, the next town in my itinerary, and that was located on top of a hill and had no connection with the sea at all. Monterosso al Mare was visible way on the back.

I was lucky and was able to pull a table at Nessun Dorma, one of the most famous restaurants in Cinque Terre, because of the great views it offers, and the food is not bad either. Famous also for its bruschettas, I got the Manarola one of course, which included salted anchovies, diced tomatoes, olives, oregano and olive oil. I also got some Aperol Spritz, that I had started to enjoy more ever since my Rome adventures.

I would recommend to do a reservation in advance. I just happened to be lucky because it was kind of off season, it was raining, and I was by myself. It started pouring while I was there, so they switched me to another table and the view was even better. Just amazing. I felt I was inside of a postcard. This had been the impression of Cinque Terre so far.

Exploring Manarola

I finished my meal, but be aware that there is no bathroom in this restaurant. They recommended going up the hill closer to the public park Parco giochi Punta Bonfiglio – Manarola, but this was a paid bathroom. With so many restaurants and cafes in Cinque Terre with free bathrooms, I would not recommend paying for them, unless of course, it is an emergency.

Made it back into town, and now it was to get to know more of the street level of this beautiful and colorful town.

The visual effect of the houses stacking one over another was still present, even on a street level view. I was amazed.

I continued walking up the hill, and I found this little plaza with the Chiesa di San Lorenzo…

The view from up here was incredible of course, with the hills covered in different types of crops, but one recognizable one was the lemons.

Inside, the Church offered a nice view of the Catholic faith, very present in every single spot we visited during this trip, starting with Naples. But now it was time to get back down, and continue exploring the remaining 2 towns.

Arriving to Corniglia

Corniglia is a charming, quieter Cinque Terre village perched high above the sea, offering stunning panoramic views, narrow alleys, and a more peaceful, authentic atmosphere away from the crowds.

I would say it is the least visited just because it does not offer sea access, so whoever gets the ferry pass will not be able to visit this town. It has to be done by vehicle or train. I continued using my Cinque Terre train Pass, and getting to the town was an odyssey.

You have 2 options once you get off the train: wait for the shuttle that takes you to the town, or go up approximately 400 steps using the Scalinata Lardarina. The views from the stairs are amazing, and of course I had to take them. I was able to see Manarola way on the back. It was still very beautiful, but soon I would not be able to see it at all, since it started raining once again. The weather had not been good with me, delaying my exit from the Amalfi Coast by cancelling the ferries, or basically being rained on in every place I had been in Italy so far. But the worst of the weather related problems was yet to come, but that will be a story for another post.

Once up the hill, and after surviving 400 steps, I was able to see where the little shuttle would drop you off. It seemed difficult to get, so I would just recommend to walk the stairs if you are able to.

Corniglia was probably the most different of the 5 towns, not only because it is the only one with no sea access, but also because the buildings seemed very scattered, and almost the same level (?).

But do not get me wrong, the town itself was still very colorful, and the greenery around gave it such a touch that had me enamored of it so fast.

Up in the hills, and from Corniglia, you are able to see San Bernardino, another little town, although not part of the Cinque Terre Circuit.

Exploring Corniglia

Now, finally inside of the old town of Corniglia, walking the narrow but famous Via Solferino, I was seeing everything that attracted tourists into this little town.

And with no hesitation, after drinking all my water walking up the stairs, in this humid day, I got to get myself a Granita di Limoni di Corniglia from Gelateria Corniglia. It felt so refreshing, I definitely needed that at this point of the day.

The narrow paths were definitely a surprise for me, but a welcome one. I liked the perspective plays on my eyes.

And odd potable water fountain and a mysterious staircase? Sign me in.

After walking up to the cliff, I got to this little unexpected plaza, which had the church of the town: Oratorio dei Disciplinati di Santa Caterina, probably the smallest of the 5 towns of Cinque Terre.

The views from the sides of this main road definitely showed how the northeast side of the town worked as an expansion of this narrow old town, surrounded by cliffs and impossible to grow horizontally.

With slushy in hand, now it started raining pretty hard. I fortunately had my umbrella, but after getting to the end, now it was time to go back down to the station. It was a long road, but I preferred to walk instead of taking the shuttle. After looking for coverage while the heaviest of the rain ended, I was just appreciative of where I was. And that I had to come back one day on a very hot summer day to enjoy a different side of Cinque Terre. But for now, I had to go to my last town: Vernazza.

Arriving to Vernazza

The train ride from Corniglia was almost completely under the ground, but here we were, in the last town of Cinque Terre.

Vernazza is a picturesque, lively village with a colorful harbor, medieval tower, vibrant piazza, and stunning sea views — a perfect blend of charm, history, and laid-back coastal beauty.

It was almost the end of the day, and the heavy rain had made this a ghost town.

Exploring Vernazza

I was back at sea level, and the streets were not too narrow anymore, at least the main one: Via Roma. It was still raining a little bit, so doing all of the exploring under the umbrella was challenging.

But the colorful buildings, and the clouds touching the surrounding hills gave this town an iconic splendor, that really helped it position among the other 5 towns. And yes, stay tuned to the end of this blog cause I will rank all of them.

This one was the one that felt the most like an old city in Italy, like Naples or Rome. Which made me think when were these towns started to being inhabited:

Monterosso al Mare — First mentioned around 1056, though settlement likely existed earlier.

Vernazza — First recorded in 1080, considered one of the oldest and most important.

Corniglia — Documented around Cornelia family Roman times, but first mentioned in 1211.

Manarola — Dates back to around 1261, though the area was settled earlier.

Riomaggiore — First official record in 1251, but likely settled earlier in the early 13th century.

Under the rain, I made one of the most important decisions of this part of the trip: should I go up the Castello Doria? Would it make a difference? And yes it would!

This medieval fortress had an amazing view of Vernazza. They only accept cash to enter, and they make it very clear at many instances during the hike up.

The view was incomparable. Only today my eyes had seen so much beauty. The clouds up the hills, the colorful buildings, the cliffs, and the rough seas, all gave an impression in my mind that I will never forget. It was giving the coffee region in Colombia but like at sea level.

The tower was very narrow to climb up, but once up there, and still under the rain, the view was even more dramatic.

The day was ending for me, and I had more to do, but I went down and back up to the Chiesa di Santa Margherita di Antiochia, hoping it would be open, but it was not. At least the views from around were also amazing.

And I left Vernazza wirh the postcard view of the port. Incredible view nonetheless. And this is how I said by to Cinque Terre. After here, I went back to Monterosso al Mare, where I finished the day by getting a nice local meal. I was happy I got to explore the five towns, and that I checked this out from my Travel Bucket List. Like I said before, I have to come back during warmer months and enjoy more at the sea level, and other things these towns got to offer.

Conclusion

Cinque Terre is more than just five villages — it’s a coastal dream brought to life in vivid color, dramatic cliffs, and unforgettable views.

Each town had its own charm: Riomaggiore’s energy, Manarola’s romance, Vernazza’s history, Monterosso’s convenience, and Corniglia’s quiet authenticity. Even with rain and stairs, the experience was magical.

This journey reminded me why I travel: for the unexpected beauty, the flavors, the feelings. I’ll be back — hopefully under sunnier skies.

And now, I will rank the 5 towns, which I think many people would agree with me:

🥇 Riomaggiore

Its dramatic cliffs, colorful stacked houses, and unexpected panoramic views completely captivated me, leaving me genuinely reluctant to leave.

🥈 Manarola

Its dreamy, postcard-perfect scenery, romantic atmosphere, and unforgettable meal at Nessun Dorma made it feel almost magical and timeless to me.

🥉 Vernazza

Its historic soul, castle-top views, and classic Italian coastal charm reminded me of bigger cities I love, despite the rain.

4️⃣ Monterosso al Mare

Convenient and lively with a great beach, but it felt less picturesque and lacked the vertical, cliffside drama that moved me in the others.

5️⃣ Corniglia

I appreciated its authentic and peaceful vibe, but the lack of sea access and the long climb made it feel less special and memorable.

Hopefully you loved this series of Cinque Terre. In the next blog post I will continue in Italy, but surely would go north to another snowy adventure!