If you'd rather trade the crowds of the Sentiero Azzurro for vineyards, olive groves and a village most visitors never see, the trail from Manarola to Corniglia via Volastra is one of the best-kept alternatives in the whole park, and it's completely free, no Cinque Terre Card required for the walk itself.
Walking time: around 1 hour from Volastra to Corniglia
Trail markers: white-red, connecting to the CAI network above Manarola
Good footwear essential
Getting to the start: the bus to Volastra
Most people begin in Manarola. From the Info Point at the train station, you can catch the small local "Green Bus" up to Volastra, a short ride of around 10 minutes. A one-way ticket costs roughly €1.50 bought in advance at the Info Point or a local tobacconist, more if bought on board, and it's free if you're holding a Cinque Terre Card. Seats are limited, so it's worth arriving at the stop with a little time to spare.
Volastra itself is worth lingering in for a moment: a tiny village perched among vineyards, olive groves and sea views, built around the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Salute, a Romanesque church dating between the 10th and 11th century. The trail towards Corniglia starts right below it, and the views begin immediately
The trail
The first stretch winds through near-vertical vineyards, the kind of landscape that slows your pace on its own, one turn after another opening a slightly different view over the terraces and the sea below.
These vineyards are the reason this coastline looks the way it does. Centuries ago, the forest here was cleared and replaced with terraces, held up by miles of hand-built dry stone walls made from local sandstone. It's not only what makes wine possible on cliffs this steep, it's also what keeps the whole hillside from sliding into the sea, a kind of hydrogeological engineering as much as agriculture, and one that depends on people continuing to work the land to stay intact.
The Ligurian writer Vittorio G. Rossi put it well in Il cane abbaia alla luna, suggesting that this coast deserves to be remembered less for Columbus or for Paganini's violin, and more for whoever first coaxed a vine to grow from these rocks.
After roughly half an hour of walking, the trail reaches the hamlet of Porciano, where the vineyards give way to pine, oak and Mediterranean scrub, with one last look back at Manarola before the landscape changes character entirely. Walking among old, partly abandoned terraces slowly being reclaimed by the forest brings a different scent to the air, a quieter, wilder half of the walk.
Where the forest thickens, the path descends via a long, impressive stretch of dry stone steps down towards Case Pianca. From here it's downhill the rest of the way, on paving that has been walked for centuries, arriving in Corniglia just behind the Church of San Pietro.
Once there, a stop for gelato and a wander down the narrow Via Fieschi to the Santa Maria viewpoint is the natural way to end the walk.
Good to know
The hike itself doesn't require the Cinque Terre Card, only the bus ride up to Volastra does, unless you already have one. For everything else about when you do and don't need it, see our guide to the Cinque Terre Card. And for what to bring, our packing guide covers exactly what a hike like this calls for.
Further reading:
The ultimate guide to the Cinque Terre Card: https://www.oasihotel.eu/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-cinque-terre-card
What to pack for Cinque Terre: https://www.oasihotel.eu/blog/what-to-pack-for-cinque-terre
FAQ
Do I need the Cinque Terre Card for this hike?
No, the trail itself is free. The only thing that costs money is the local bus up to Volastra, unless you're already holding a Cinque Terre Card, in which case the bus is included.
How do I get to the start of the trail?
From Manarola, take the local Green Bus to Volastra, around 10 minutes, from the stop near the Info Point at the train station.
How long does the walk take?
Around an hour from Volastra to Corniglia, plus roughly 30 minutes through the vineyards before reaching Porciano, so allow closer to 1.5 hours in total at a relaxed pace.
Is this trail less crowded than the Sentiero Azzurro?
Yes, noticeably. It's one of the quieter alternatives connecting the villages, and a good option if you've already walked the coastal path and want a different perspective on the same landscape.
