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**This post is the 2nd of a 6-post series discussing what to see in Cinque Terre (You can check out the other parts in the list below, separated by each specific village (just click the village name to see the blog post. Everything is also summarized in another post here.**

• Riomaggiore (Blog Post: A Journey through the towns of Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore)

• Manarola (Blog Post: A Journey through the towns of Cinque Terre: Manarola)

• Corniglia (Blog Post: A Journey through the towns of Cinque Terre: Corniglia)

• Vernazza (Blog Post: A Journey through the towns of Cinque Terre: Vernazza)

• Monterosso al Mare (Blog Post: A Journey through the towns of Cinque Terre: Monterosso al Mare)

• Cinque Terre (Summary) (Blog Post: A Guide to the Villages of Cinque Terre)

The 2nd Southernmost town of Cinque Terre is Manarola and arguably one of the best villages of the 5. It is the 2nd smallest town of Cinque Terre with a population of 353. The name Manarola is thought to be derived from the latin phrase “magna rota". However, the local dialect has modified this to "magna roea" meaning ‘large wheel’. This is due to the presence of a mill wheel in town.

We ended up seeing Manarola on our first afternoon/evening on our Cinque Terre trip and even went back a later day since we enjoyed it so much. Also, a Google Map of all the places I will discuss can be seen at the end of this article for your convenience (green pins).

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After getting off the train platform, we were led down a tunnel that dumps you at the base of the town. From here you can venture West (or right, uphill) and see more of the town, or you can turn East (left, towards the water) to see the cliffside.

We opted to go right and spotted more gorgeously colored buildings on our way up to the Chiesa di San Lorenzo. Since these towns are so compact, these uphill walks never last for more than a few minutes and the view from up here was quite remarkable. This church was built in 1338 in a Ligurian-Gothic style and known for its numerous frescos in its interior.

Perhaps the most rewarding experience in this town is having lunch at the very popular restaurant of Nessun Dorma. I am not one to usually give into touristy places, or places that are so famously cliché, but I must say that this was an exception. 

I’m not so sure how this place became so popular but I imagine it was because of its guarantee for the best views of the entire town of Manarola, all while eating deliciously prepared Italian food and drink. As you can also imagine, getting a table here requires a BIT of patience.

Here’s how it works:

1.     Walk up to Nessun Dorma, which is situated along the cliffside to your right when looking out towards the water.

2.     Collect a ticket from the host, which includes a QR code that you can scan to see how many people are in front of you and a menu of what they provide. There are usually many people queueing in this spot since their numbers are most likely coming up soon.

3.     Feel free to explore more of Manarola if you have the time and keep a very sharp eye on the QR code reader, which you can refresh to show how many people are still ‘in front of you’.

4.     Once your number is about 10 away from who they are currently seating, head near the front entrance and wait until your number is up.

It’s a pretty simple process that is honestly probably the best thing they could do to keep track and organization of everyone. When we had our first number, there were 72 people before us (people in this case means tickets, so most likely more people). We walked around a bit more and went back when there were 15 remaining before us.

If you’re two people, you will get a seat next to the cliff edge. Even if you’re more, you’ll get a table that still has excellent views. Like I said, no bad seat in this entire place. As far as food, we tried a few of their drinks (an Aperol Spritz of course), their bruschetta, and a tray of burrata and meats and it was exceptional. So exceptional in fact that two days later, on our last night in Cinque Terre, we returned for dinner.

Like Riomaggiore, Manarola has a manmade boulder barrier, protecting the dock from the sea. Also like Riomaggiore, we took refuge on one of these boulders to catch some sun for a couple of hours. This swimming area is even larger so there were plenty of rocks to sit on and jump from. Best to get here at a decent hour to find yourself a good spot.

One cannot miss perhaps the best view of Manarola as from the ‘Manarola Scenic Viewpoint’. This is the photo you want to show family and friends back home to invoke jealousy and captures really the beauty of these villages.

Lastly, on the start of our 2nd day in Cinque Terre, we decided to undertake a hike from Manarola to Corniglia. Getting off the train in Manarola, we made our way up the cliffside where Nessun Dorma is situated and ventured past it to start the hiking trail. 

This is the Blue Trail which connects all five towns together. There is a fee for accessing this trail, but this fee is covered if you purchase the Cinque Terre Train Card (the 3 day card is the best value).

The first 30 minutes are absolutely brutal since you are ascending up the mountainside. But I must say, despite the exhaustion, the photos of Manarola I was able to get were totally worth it. The way the town looks from further away or from directly on top, all the colorful buildings clustered together with the vineyards around it and rocky coastline below, proved to be striking. Two hours total and we found ourselves in the town of Corniglia. 

Check out my other blog posts on the other villages that make up Cinque Terre! You can find the links at the beginning of this blog post!

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