Hotels near Corniglia to Manarola via Volastra

This is the entry almost every Cinque Terre article gets wrong. The direct coastal path between Manarola and Corniglia, trail 592-2, has been closed since 2012 after landslides, and the ground has stayed unstable ever since. Only about the first 300 m out of Manarola is walkable, there is no reopening date, and both the park and local sources are clear that it will not reopen in the coming years. Anything telling you to stroll the coast between these two villages is repeating pre-2012 information.

The working alternative climbs over the hamlet of Volastra: trail 506 from Manarola up to Volastra, then trail 586 across to Case Pianca and down into Corniglia. That comes to about 5 km, about 2 hours 30 minutes, a maximum altitude of around 400 m and a medium Escursionistico grade. The middle section along the terraced vineyards above Case Pianca is arguably the best walking in the park, with the villages laid out below rather than beside you. Walk it Corniglia to Manarola if you can, because the Manarola side involves roughly 1,200 steps. Trails 506 and 586 are reported to be ungated, so no Cinque Terre Card is checked, though that comes from a reliable secondary source rather than an official park page. Trail 587, Corniglia to Cigoletta, is also open at about 2 hours 20 minutes and an Esperto grade if you want to link up to the ridge.

Pro Tip: Take the ATC bus from Manarola up to Volastra and walk down to Corniglia. It removes the 1,200-step climb outright, puts you straight onto the Case Pianca vineyard balcony, and leaves you at Corniglia station for the train back down the coast.