Manarola Cinque Terre hiking, sea kayaking

Cinque Terre is a premier location to find fantastic outdoor adventures. However, it’s well known that the five towns of Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera experience an overwhelming rush of visitors, especially in the prime vacation times. Tour groups following their leaders’ flags choke the main streets and trains.  The more hardy hikers spill over the narrow main trail between Monterrosso and Vernazza. They squeeze by slower walkers like they are in the passing lane of the Autostrada.

However, we found ways to enjoy the natural beauty of Cinque Terre without being part of the horde.

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Stay Local for Cinque Terre Outdoor Adventures 

By overnighting in Manarola for our four-day stay we enjoyed the peaceful mornings when the town was just waking up. Watching the fishermen launch their boats or visiting the shopkeepers pulling their displays out before the crowds descended made us feel as if we were part of the life of a small village.

Based in Manarola, we could take a morning dip in the Mediterranean before the young boys started jumping off the rocks sending tidal waves to disturb our quiet float.  The aqua blue pool for swimming right in front of the town landing in Manarola gets busy mid-day. Continue on the now-closed coastal trail toward Corniglia and there is a more secluded beach just before the trail closure barrier.   

Manarola Harbor

From my experience, the tour groups and other tourists arrive very promptly at 10 am. They are dropped off from buses above the town or start to fill the trains early.  You can check the La Spezia cruise schedule to find out if a mob will arrive that day.

Where to Stay in Manarola, Cinque Terre for Outdoor Adventures

The best places to stay in Manarola will have a view of the harbor with a nightly show of the sun setting over the Ligurian Sea. We enjoyed watching the village life from the balcony of our accommodation.

Manarola sunset

Affittacamere Nuova Vandiris has a fantastic view of the coastline and sunsets. This charming guest house has a garden and is a short walk to the village.

Olimpo Affittacamere has a historic charm and is close to great restaurants. The patio overlooking the colorful houses of Manarola and the harbor is superb.

For a more luxurious stay in the heart of Manarola, choose Arpaiu. The views from the rooftop terrace are otherworldly. This hotel is a relaxing oasis after exploring Cinque Terre’s off-the-beaten-path outdoor adventures.

You can also stay in rent-by-owner accommodations in Cinque Terre.

Get an Early Start on the Trails 

And take the trail less traveled.  My early morning hike from Manarola to Corniglia was a mix of coastline scenery and local vineyard culture.  I actually started in Volastra to get a jump on the hike (and avoid the arduous stairs up the hill) by taking a morning bus to the top.  This made for early easy-going walking starting at the requisite Ligurian church and meandering through vineyards and chestnut forests.  Wide panoramas of the sea and the towns of Cinque Terre came into view at each turn. I watched the careful hand harvesting of the grapes and the mechanical monorails that moved the grapes to the winery. Definitely worth getting out of bed. 

Harvesting grapes
White wine seeds

At the end of my hike, other hikers complained their way up the steep trail out of Corniglia. At the same time, I enjoyed the downhill switchbacks into town, dreaming of new flavors of gelato.  

Corniglia of Cinque Terre
Corniglia

Go Sea Kayaking in Cinque Terre

Sea kayaking from Riomaggiore

And make sure you “go the other way”—that is, kayak from Riomaggiore toward Portovenere.  So while visiting some of the five towns from the sea is tempting, the deserted beaches and sea caves on the rocky coast south of Riomaggiore were our own private playground. Right on the Riomaggiore waterfront, you can rent single or double sit-upon kayaks.  The kayak company adds a sturdy dry bag and snorkel gear to the rental package of the boat, PFD, and paddle. They give great tips on sights to see on the kayak trip. 

Related Post -> Best Sea Kayak Trip on Kefalonia Island in Greece

If you aren’t confident with your sea kayaking skills, join a tour to see the incredible scenery from the water. Click on the link to book with free cancellation if plans change.

Sea Caves of Cinque Terre

After a short paddle, we had a sunny stretch of cobble beach all to ourselves.  Snorkeling off the beach yielded a few colorful fish. Although it wasn’t the Caribbean, there was plenty to see in the turquoise water.  The highlights of the day were the sea caves.  Arrgh, I fancied myself a pirate as I visited these briny hideouts with their liquid rock formations. I carefully considered the tide and surf before venturing inside as one rogue wave can crack your noggin on the cave ceiling.  In addition, the oil on your hands can destroy the natural deposition of dissolved minerals that make the cave formations. So don’t touch! 

sea cave of Cinque Terre
View from inside a sea cave

Related post -> Sea Kayaking to the Benagil Cave in the Algarve

Sea cave of Cinque Terre
Emerging from the sea cave

We could kayak forever along the gorgeous coast. Eventually, we turned back after exploring another beach with a freshwater river entering the Liguria Sea through a natural tunnel festive in emerald green.  We found more sea caves to explore on the return. I marveled at the torturous, folded rock of the cliffs and the vineyards draped on the hills.  The endless short walls built to reinforce the sleep hills are said to equal the Great Wall of China in total length.

Hillside vineyards of Cinque Terre

Related post -> Best Sea Kayaking on the Mani Peninsula

Wrap Up of Off the Beaten Track Outdoor Adventures in Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is a true gem of the Italian coast. However, it can also be a crowded place teeming with day visitors. The secret to finding pockets of outdoor adventures beyond the crowds is to follow the ideas I’ve outlined here.

For more tips on paddling in Cinque Terre, check out this guide to kayaking in Cinque Terre.

Being able to see the natural areas of Cinque Terre without a thousand new friends is possible with a little advanced planning, an ability to go against the flow, and a good alarm clock.

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Looking for more off-the-beaten-track ideas in the US? Check these in Vermont.

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25 Comments

sue tippett · November 21, 2019 at 10:31 pm

wonderful article . I look forward to seeing more posts.

kwCC · November 23, 2019 at 10:25 pm

Thanks Sue. I’m working on writing up the rest of that trip.

    Linn Clark · November 27, 2019 at 11:40 pm

    Love this adventure!

      kwCC · November 28, 2019 at 8:18 am

      Thanks for following along Linn. You would love Cinque Terre.

    Anda · December 3, 2019 at 1:29 am

    Loved the article. I haven’t been to Cinque Terre yet, I’ll keep this in mind when planning my trip there.

      kwCC · December 3, 2019 at 9:15 pm

      Hi Anda,
      Cinque Terre is such a unique place especially when you find some of the hidden gems. Have a lovely trip there.

Travel Addicted Unicorn · December 7, 2019 at 3:59 pm

I went to Cinque Terre a few years ago but both the boats and trains were on strike so we only stayed in the first village. The idea of kayaking is awesome! The wine we had there was really good too.

    kwCC · December 7, 2019 at 4:19 pm

    That’s too bad about the transportation problems. That would make it hard. Yes, the wine is really good. And the Limoncello too!

Jeanette Malone · January 11, 2020 at 9:44 pm

Love these Karen! Keep them coming!!

    Karen · January 12, 2020 at 4:39 pm

    Jeanette, I’m having fun reliving my experiences outdoors here. Thanks for following along. More coming as soon as I can.

Cierra · January 25, 2020 at 9:37 am

Awesome detailed article! I absolutely love the idea of sea kayaking! Thanks for sharing!

    Karen · January 25, 2020 at 9:49 pm

    Thanks for reading. With so much to do at Cinque Terre, sea kayaking was our favorite day.

Rob + Ann @TravelLatte · March 2, 2020 at 9:28 pm

Gorgeous!! We’ve avoided Cinque Terre just because of the hordes of tourists, biding our time until we can take a week or two to stay there in the shoulder season. Your trip sounds ideal! Pinning this one for a little later. 🙂

    Karen · March 4, 2020 at 1:50 pm

    I was wary of the crowds too but with good timing–early morning and evening, it’s very nice. Mid day is very crowd so I headed off the beaten path then and saw some beautiful parts of Cinque Terre. Have a lovely trip there.

Denise Macuk · January 6, 2021 at 7:47 pm

They didn’t have kayaking years ago when I was there. I need to go back! Your photos are gorgeous!

    Karen · January 10, 2021 at 12:13 am

    We really enjoyed sea kayaking. I think it’s becoming more popular there now.

Josy A · January 14, 2021 at 12:05 am

Ha! I love that you managed to get some sea kayaking in, even when you’re in Europe! I never considered kayaking along this coastline, but those caves make it look fantastic.

Cinque Terre does look stunning but I thought it might be just a bit too busy for us. It is good to see it’s possible to have a more local experience so close to the main tourist hot spots!!

gloria li · February 25, 2021 at 1:09 pm

Excellent tips on visiting Cinq Terre and gorgeous photos. I really want to go but have never been. its on my bucket list

Travel A-Broads · January 10, 2024 at 4:33 pm

We just visited the Cinque Terre last year and absolutely loved it! We tried some of the hiking trails and agree that it’s best to start early in the day before it gets too hot and crowded. I’d love to go back and stay for longer and to try some swimming and kayaking. Xx Sara

Sue · January 10, 2024 at 6:44 pm

Great info! I can’t wait to visit there this summer and these tips are very helpful!

Sharyn · January 10, 2024 at 7:16 pm

I only had a couple of days in Cinque Terre but now I will need to go back as you have inspired me to explore the area more.

Jenn Record · January 11, 2024 at 3:24 pm

No way am I driving on those roads! But kayaking on the water sounds lovely.. such beautiful beaches and water!

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