44.10° N · 9.73° E · Cinque Terre
The walk cut into the cliff between Riomaggiore and Manarola has reopened with controlled access. It is done in one direction only, from Riomaggiore to Manarola, in about 30 minutes, and you must reserve a time slot with the Cinque Terre Card.
Part of Cinque Terre
Step by step
At card.parconazionale5terre.it, at viadellamore.info or at the park's information points. You need a Cinque Terre Card with access to the Via dell'Amore; the Trekking Card and the Treno Card already include it, but you also have to reserve the slot.
From La Spezia, on the Cinque Terre line train.
Access is at Riomaggiore. Arrive a few minutes before your time and have the reservation to hand for the check.
A path carved into the rock halfway up the cliff, with the sea below, to Manarola. On the way you will see Gino Covili's works.
Go down to the little harbour or up the main street. The train back to Riomaggiore takes a couple of minutes.
It is the easiest and shortest stretch of the coast, and that is why it has a quota. Without a reservation and a card you cannot enter, and walking back is allowed only for certain groups, such as residents.
The Via dell'Amore is 900 metres of path cut into the cliff between Riomaggiore and Manarola, the two southernmost villages of the Cinque Terre. For decades it was the park's most famous walk, until a rockfall closed it. It has reopened after twelve years of safety and improvement works, with controlled access and in one direction only.
What makes it special is that it is flat and always above the sea: there are no climbs, the surface is firm and every few metres you have an open view of the coast. Along the route there are five works by the artist Gino Covili. It is the only stretch of the Cinque Terre coast that almost anyone can do.
Families with children of any age, anyone who does not want to or cannot do the area's mountain trails and anyone who has only one day and wants to see two villages. Children aged 0 to 3 do not pay, nor do people with disabilities, who must show proof at the check.
It does not suit anyone looking for a hike: it is over in half an hour. If you want to walk properly, combine it with one of the coastal trails, which are paid for with the same card.
By train. Riomaggiore is the first stop on the Cinque Terre line from La Spezia, a few minutes away. From the station, access to the Via dell'Amore is very close. By car it makes no sense: the villages have restricted traffic and very little parking, so leave the car in La Spezia or Levanto and continue by train.
Beware of announced train suspensions for works: 14 and 15 November and 19 and 20 December 2026, and 9 and 10 January and 6 and 7 February 2027. Between Corniglia and La Spezia the interruption lasts 48 hours.
Access costs from €10. There are three ways to pay for it. The single Via dell'Amore ticket, if you are only going to do this walk. The Trekking Card, which adds the park's trails, the village buses, guided visits and services. And the Train Card, which also gives unlimited trains on the line. With both cards you still have to reserve the slot for the walk, with the voucher the portal gives.
If you are going to travel by train between several villages in the day, the Train Card is usually the most convenient option: a single ticket for everything.
The hours change with the season. From 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027 it opens from 9:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30. In the spring and summer season, from late March to late October, it opens from 9:00 to 21:00, with last entry at 20:30.
In summer and on long weekends, the mid-morning slots sell out first. The first ones in the morning and, from April to October, the evening ones, are quieter and have the best light over Manarola.
In a storm at sea, check the park's notices before setting out. If the walk is closed, take the chance to explore Manarola and Riomaggiore on foot or continue by train to Vernazza or Monterosso.
Who it's for
What to bring
Map
What you have around the starting point.
More to do
Itineraries
Tips
With the Treno Card you have the line's train and the Via dell'Amore in the same ticket.
Until 21:00 from April to October: at sunset the light over Manarola is something else.
Before booking, make sure your day does not coincide with a suspension of the line.
You come out directly in the village, with time to go down to the harbour before the train.
Questions
Yes. Places are limited and you enter in a reserved time slot.
No. You enter at Riomaggiore and leave at Manarola. The return is only allowed for authorised categories.
From 26 October 2026 to 28 March 2027, from 9:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30. In high season, until 21:00.
Yes. It is a short half-hour walk, the easiest on the coast. Up to age 3 they do not pay.
From €10. It is also included in the Trekking Card and the Train Card, with slot reservation.
900 metres, almost flat, between Riomaggiore and Manarola.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/liguria/cinque-terre/things-to-do/via-dell-amore
