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Manarola is perhaps one of the most photographed of the five villages in the Cinque Terre. I’ll admit, the very first photo I saw of the Cinque Terre villages was a vibrant shot of Manarola lit up at night (thanks to Pinterest). When I saw that photo, I knew I would have to visit Manarola someday!
When planning our first trip to Italy, it was no easy feat to try and map out a solid itinerary. Where to go first? Rome? Florence? Umbria? The choices are absolutely endless.
My travel agent had been to Italy many times, and mentioned that her favorite region in Italy is Liguria. Even though I had Manarola on my travel bucket list, I had never heard of Liguria so I did a little research and realized that the Cinque Terre was located in Liguria! I was sold on the idea of making this area our first introduction to the beautiful country of Italy.
I do want to note that Liguria is so much more than just the Cinque Terre – it’s a beautiful part of the Italian Riviera that is known for it’s quaint and colorful seaside fishing villages, amazing seafood, and incredible pesto (in fact, you can read about all the delicious foods we ate in this post). However, traveling to the area, there was no way we could not see some of the villages in the Cinque Terre.
If you’re interested in visiting the Cinque Terre yourself, check out our post on visiting by train, as we think it’s the best way to go!
Lunch in Manarola
We started our Cinque Terre journey in the little village of Riomaggiore and after walking around Riomaggiore for a bit, we worked up quite an appetite! So, our first order of business in Manarola was to find a good lunch spot.
We strolled down the main road in Manarola, scoping out the different eateries. Unfortunately, because we traveled in the off season, there were several places that were closed for the season, so we didn’t have a ton of options to choose from.
We decided on Il Porticciolo and got in just before the lunch rush. I must say, it was the €10 lobster pasta that kind of caught our eye! Compared to the U.S., Italy was so incredibly affordable – at least compared to where we live in California. Pasta is delicious in Italy, and so is the Ligurian seafood, so if you visit the region, be sure to try both. Although, it’s kind of hard to avoid pasta when in Italy…
What to do in Manarola
It’s simple: explore! Manarola is such a picturesque seaside village. You’ll want to have your camera handy to snap photos around every corner. If you are looking for that shot of Manarola, head on over to the path to the right. Though part of the path is closed through to Corniglia, you can still go far enough to get your beautiful shots of Manarola, and some lovely shots of the coast and the sea.
Just look at that beautiful blue water of the Mediterranean Sea! It’s unreal you guys. I can just imagine how refreshing it is to jump in that ocean in those hot summer months.
If you take the stairs up from this little viewpoint, you get some different views of Manarola. There is also a highly rated restaurant with beautiful views called Nessun Dorma up there.
You’ll also want to make sure you head the opposite way of the water up through Manarola. Those village streets are not to be missed!
Tell us about your visit to Manarola! We love hearing about the adventures of fellow travelers. Any recommendations for us on our next visit there or things that we missed?
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