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Walk the Sentiero Azzurro cliff path, Cinque Terre

Nature & Hiking

Walk the Sentiero Azzurro cliff path

Cinque Terre · Liguria

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
Nature & Hiking
COUNTRY
Italy
REGION
Cinque Terre · Liguria
DURATION
A full day to walk the whole path, or a few hours for a single stretch
DIFFICULTY
Moderate — steep in places, with steps and cliff edges; sturdy shoes essential.
BEST TIME
Spring and autumn; the path is hot and crowded in midsummer.

ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE

The Sentiero Azzurro is the classic cliff path of the Cinque Terre, the route that links the five villages along the coast and that more than any other made the landscape famous. It runs from Monterosso in the north to Riomaggiore in the south, with the most spectacular stretch between Vernazza and Monterosso, where the path climbs over the headland between the two villages with the sea far below. The southern stretch, the Via dell’Amore between Riomaggiore and Manarola, is the most famous and the most recently reopened after a long restoration. The path requires a Cinque Terre Card, and sections are sometimes closed after rain — check before you walk.

WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE

What you’ll experience

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL

What it’s really like

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

HIGHLIGHTS

Moments worth savouring

01

The Vernazza–Monterosso stretch — the most spectacular section, climbing over the headland with the sea below.

02

The Via dell’Amore — the famous cliff path between Riomaggiore and Manarola, carved into the rock.

03

The vineyard terraces — the dry-stone walls and the vines that hold up the whole coast.

04

The village-to-village walking — arriving at each village on foot, the way the path was meant to be used.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Good to know before you go

More here soon — the road is still being mapped.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Access
The path requires a Cinque Terre Card, bought at the village stations; sections close after rain, so check the current status at the park offices.
Best Time
Spring and autumn; mornings before the heat and the crowds.
Context
The Sentiero Azzurro is the lower, coastal path; the higher Sentiero Rosso and the sanctuary paths are free and open year-round.

MAP & LOCATION

Walk the Sentiero Azzurro cliff path

Walk the Sentiero Azzurro cliff path, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy

44.1361, 9.6842

Open in OpenStreetMap

ATTRACTIONS NEARBY

Pair it with these sights

Vernazza, Cinque Terre
Village

Vernazza

The most photographed of the five villages — a natural harbour with a small piazza on the water, a Doria castle above and the church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia beside the bay.

View attraction
Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre
Village

Monterosso al Mare

The largest of the five villages and the only one with a proper sandy beach — a split village of an old town and a newer Fegina quarter across the hill, with the Capuchin monastery above.

View attraction
Manarola, Cinque Terre
Village

Manarola

A village of pastel houses tumbling down a steep gorge to a tiny harbour, with vineyards above and the classic Cinque Terre view from the cemetery road.

View attraction
Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre
Village

Riomaggiore

The southernmost of the five villages, a steep gorge of pastel houses running down to a small harbour, and the start of the Via dell’Amore cliff path.

View attraction

MORE EXPERIENCES

More to do in Cinque Terre

Ride the Cinque Terre Express train between the villages, Cinque Terre
Scenic & Viewpoints

Ride the Cinque Terre Express train between the villages

The local train that runs along the coast through the five villages in tunnels and on viaducts — the easiest way to move between them and to see the coast from above.

View experience
Swim and watch the sunset from the Monterosso rocks, Cinque Terre
Nature & Hiking

Swim and watch the sunset from the Monterosso rocks

An afternoon on the Monterosso beach and a swim off the rocks, ending with the sunset over the Ligurian Sea — the most relaxed way to end a day in the Cinque Terre.

View experience

FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

01

Nessun Dorma — a celebrated bar and kitchen above the harbour in Manarola, for focaccia, pesto and the view

02

Gambero Rosso — a seafood restaurant in Vernazza’s old town, for fresh catch and trofie al pesto

03

Cappun Magru — a refined restaurant in Monterosso for traditional Ligurian cooking, book ahead

04

A Cantina da Mananan — a beloved trattoria in Corniglia for local cooking and Sciacchetrà wine

05

Rio Maggiore — a harbour-side kitchen in Riomaggiore for fried anchovies and focaccia

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

01

Hotel Porto Roca — a hotel on the cliffs above Monterosso with a pool and sea views

02

La Torretta — a charming guesthouse above the harbour in Manarola, with a terrace

03

Hotel Gianni Franzi — simple rooms above a restaurant in Vernazza’s old town, with harbour views

04

A Cà du Sciensa — a small guesthouse in Riomaggiore, good value for a village stay

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NEARBY DESTINATIONS

Continue the journey

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Portofino

Liguria

Portovenere

Portovenere

Liguria

Genoa

Genoa

Liguria

INTERESTS

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PART OF

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