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The Cinque Terre are criss-crossed by an extensive network of trails connecting the fishing villages with other inland villages and towns nearby, such as Portovenere.
Here, you can enjoy fantastic excursions, surrounded by wild nature and breathtaking views of cliffs overlooking the sea, besides the numerous species of endemic plants.
The Cinque Terre trails can be basically divided into “marine trails”, running close to the sea, “hillside trails” and, finally, “ridge trails”.
You can find a surprising variety of trails and mule tracks in this area:

• The BLUE trail runs along the coastline and connects all the 5 villages.
• Hillside trails connect transversely and vertically the five fishing villages with the legs descending from the Red trail.
• RED trail No. 1 consists of a real Ridge Way connecting Portovenere to Levanto and running above the hills overlooking the Cinque Terre.
• It is a pleasant route, named the “Route of Sanctuaries”, as it links all sanctuaries standing over the 5 villages of the Cinque Terre, a fascinating itinerary to discover the trails used by pilgrims crossing these areas.
• So-called “ring” trails can be used to visit a number of places.

The Blue trail
It unwinds following the coastline, starting from Riomaggiore with the famous “Via dell’Amore” (Love trail), a beautiful and easy walk connecting Riomaggiore to Manarola and offering enchanting views over the Gulf; it then continues through all the other villages, crossing terraces with dry stone walls, ancient stone stairways and alleys amidst a Mediterranean vegetation characterized by an array of colours and fragrances, etc….

The Red trail
This is trail No. 1, running on the ridge and connecting Portovenere to Levanto. It is a trail full of unforgettable wide views, from the Tuscan Archipelago (including the islands of Elba, Gorgona, Capraia), Corsica up to the Ligurian coast limits. This is quite a long walk but you can break it down in different stretches; in fact, at the top of the villages of the Cinque Terre, you can always find some trails descending to the sea, where you can continue by boat or take one of the frequent trains (the La Spezia- Genoa railway looks almost like an open-air surface metro) and come back to the starting point or continue your visit to other villages of the Cinque Terre.
This trail starts from the centre of Portovenere in Piazza Bastreri, along the walls, at the beginning of Via Cappellini; it kicks off with steep stairs and then runs along the castle walls. Here, the trail shows all its scenic splendour, opening to fantastic views over the horizon and surrounding cliffs; the latter form “gaps” perched over the sea, with precipices up to 350 metres deep.
Once you reach a cave where they typical Portoro marble is extracted, the trail departs from the ridge and continues to the right with various ups and downs.
Then it becomes flat, near the “Muzerone” Fort.
The trail continues uphill along the hillside of “Le Rosse” or “Costa Rossa” and the first stretch is literally carved in the rock, crossing a dense forested area with a gentle slope. Soon after, after a pine forest, you can see Campiglia, a fine medieval hamlet with beautiful panoramic views (from Campiglia then, a number of trails depart to explore the surrounding areas).
From Campiglia, the trail climbs up along the ridge, following the coastline.
Once you reach the pass of St. Anthony, you can continue and arrive at Il Telegrafo (516 m), where you walk on the paved road uphill from Biassa; the trail then crosses a hillside path on the same turn, the so-called “Route of Sanctuaries”.
At the pass of St. Anthony, you need to take the road to “Schiara” and, after about half a kilometre, you arrive at “La Croce”, an open area surrounded by pine trees. Here, you can see a large boulder carved in the shape of a pyramid with an iron cross at the top.
Continue along the trail until you reach a crossroad called “Bramapane”; here, you need to keep a north/west direction along the coastline and walk on a flat path along the ridge of the mountains.
On the way, several steep trails descend to the villages of the Cinque Terre.
From here, you can decide to continue to Levanto or opt for a downhill trail leading to your village of choice; finally, once you have finished exploring the village, you can continue along the trail following the coastline or catch a train back to the starting point or to another village of the Cinque Terre.

If you decide to continue along trail No. 1 , in the proximity of Vernazza the trail departs from the coast and descends to the so-called “Foce di Drignana”, where it becomes flat again all the way to “Termine”, where it meets the provincial road coming from the village of Pignone.
From here onwards, the trail becomes a paved road and, once you reach Mt. Soviore, you can visit the Sanctuary bearing its name. From the Sanctuary of Soviore, you can walk downhill towards the sea and reach Monterosso, the last village of the Cinque Terre.

The Route of Sanctuaries

A Sanctuary is built above each village of the Cinque Terre, in dominant position; locals are very pious and regularly pay a visit to their sanctuaries, evidence of the strong and ancient religious roots of this area.
The Route of Sanctuaries is a wonderful and fascinating trail, still largely unknown, to discover the ancient paths linking all places of worship in this beautiful spec of land.
The Route of Sanctuaries is an easy and spectacular walk, offering breathtaking views; you can decide to cover it on foot, horseback or mountain bike.
Trails are marked by white-red signposts.
The trail unwinds on the ridge of the mountains surrounding the five villages of the 5 Terre.
What written about the Red trail is valid also for the Route of Sanctuaries: as you will meet several transversal legs along the way (e.g. 3a, 6d, 7, 7b, 8, 9), you can always decide to split up your itinerary in different stretches and customize it according to your needs, by visiting your places of choice between these Sanctuaries above the sea.
The first Sanctuary on the trail is above the village of Riomaggiore: Our Lady of Montenero.
You can reach it from different points (it depends on where you are):

• One of these start right beyond La Spezia, climbs uphill to the village of Biassa and then continues to the hill of "Il Telegrafo".
• Another starting point is Riomaggiore (the first village of the Cinque Terre), near the parking lot. The trail has a total length of around 3,5 km and can be completed in about one hour. It runs parallel to the stream “Rio Maior” for quite a bit, then it climbs uphill amidst terraces covered by vineyards, up to the Sanctuary.
• An alternative route, always from the village of Riomaggiore, allows reaching the Sanctuary from the provincial road above the village, called “La Litoranea" by the locals, and leading uphill through terraces covered by vineyards, for about 20 minutes.
• The sanctuary can be reached also by a toy train on a monorail, which is used for the work in the vineyards; you can take it from the road to Riomaggiore, just a hundred metres from the Lìmen tunnel.

The Sanctuary is very nice and offers an opportunity to admire many votive objects donated by worshippers over the centuries; a small square in front offers fantastic views over the sea.
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montenero was built in 1335 and is dedicated to the Holy Virgin, whose painting, according to the tradition, was brought from the Far East and made by the Evangelist St. Luke. It was concealed from the residents in order to avoid theft during the domination of the Lombards.
This painting is brought in procession on Whit Monday and on August 14 every year, when it arrives at the village of Riomaggiore after a picturesque night procession.
From the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montenero, you can take the trail to Volastra, to visit the second Sanctuary, located in Manarola: Our Lady of Well-being.
Alternatively, if you start your visit from the village of Manarola, you must follow trail No. 6d, which departs from the parking lot, where the mule track begins, and leads to the start of trail No. 6d. Once you reach the start of trail No. 6d, keep walking uphill along a stream towards Volastra.
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Well-being is characterized by a Romanesque design, dates back to the tenth century and has a 3-nave layout. Particularly significant is the entrance gate on the facade, where you can admire a pointed arch of the fourteenth century.
Here, you can also admire the door and the mullioned window.
The coast of Volastra is lined by amazing terraces covered by vineyards built by men, a unique landscape in the world.

From the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Well-being, you can take trail No. 6d, which proceeds on a light slope. After about 2 km, you reach “Case Pianca”, then take trail No. 7 downhill to the woods until you reach the terraces right above the village of Corniglia; here, leave trail No.7 for trail No. 2 connecting Corniglia to Vernazza. At the hamlet of “Prevo”, a handful of dwellings, you need to keep a right and start trail No. 7b up to a paved road. Continue walking along this road and after around 300m you will see a steep trail heading to the village of San Bernardino, where the third Sanctuary is located; this is Corniglia’s Sanctuary of Nostra Signora delle Grazie.
From the Sanctuary you can enjoy fantastic views over the coast of the Cinque Terre and endless sights on the horizon.
The Sanctuary dates back to the early seventeenth century and underwent restoration and extension work in the eighteenth century, with the construction of the chapel, which was subsequently demolished and then built again in the early 900’s.
The painting representing the Holy Virgin is preserved inside the church and is profoundly worshipped by locals, given a number of alleged miracles related to its restoration.

From the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora delle Grazie, take trail No. 8a heading to the hill of Reggio, where the fourth Sanctuary is located; this is Vernazza’s Sanctuary of the Holy Virgin of Reggio. The Sanctuary is pleasantly shaded by old trees, which surround it and create an almost mystic atmosphere.
The Sanctuary is equally beloved by residents of Vernazza and Pignone, an inland village.
It is worth observing that the Holy Virgin preserved inside the church here is a black one, in fact it is referred by worshippers as the African Holy Virgin.
The Sanctuary features a cross-shaped layout and was built in the fourteenth century. In the escarpment bordering the square of the church, you can admire a fine tomb with a stone shield above it, bearing a representation of the Cross of the Order of the Knights of Malta.
Celebrations and pilgrimages in honour of the Holy Virgin are held on the first Sunday of August.
From the Sanctuary of the Holy Virgin of Reggio, you can take trail No. 8b to Soviore, walking through the woods, where Monterosso’s Sanctuary is located: this is the Sanctuary of Soviore, built 477 metres above sea level, one of the oldest sanctuaries in Liguria.
Alternatively, you can reach it from the village of Monterosso; here, you must take trail No.9, which stretches for about 2,7 km; it can be covered in approximately one hour and 45 minutes.
Trail No. 9 departs from Monterosso, at the end of Via Roma, and climbs uphill through vineyards and olive groves to the former hamlet of “Albereto”; right before the intersection with the coastal road, you can see an iron cross and then a staircase made of stone. Walk past a fountain and you will meet a small chapel, built where the statue of the Holy Virgin was dug out. After about 150m, you will finally reach the Sanctuary of Soviore.

The Sanctuary is built on a a small plateau sloping down towards the village of Monterosso, from where you can enjoy enchanting views of the surrounding coast, extending to the Tuscan Archipelago, including the Island of Elba, Capraia, Gorgona and also Corsica.
The red-coloured Church features a single nave and 4 lateral chapels.
According to the legend, the Sanctuary was created right after the fall of Albereto, where originally the residents used to live. Albereto was destroyed by the Lombards in the early seventeenth century. Locals escaped to the sea and hid the image of the beloved Holy Virgin underground. Afterwards, a white dove showed up and pointed out to a priest a plot of land from where a strange small came. So, the residents removed a large boulder and started to dig; eventually, they found a statue representing the Holy Virgin.
A chapel was therefore erected on the very same place, followed, later on, by the Marian Sanctuary.
According to an historical anecdote, Emperor Otto III made a detour to this Sanctuary while on his way to Rome in 996, and stopped there to pray.
The pleasant square facing the church is the venue of a number of classic concerts every year.
The celebrations of the Holy Virgin of Soviore are held on August 15.
The main festival of the Holy Virgin goes on on the same day.
After the visit to Soviore, it is recommended that you walk downhill to Monterosso and visit the church and the Capuchin convent, where you can admire a “Crucifixion” by Van Dyck and a "San Gerolamo" attributed to Luca Cambiaso.

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Byron cave: In Portovenere, walking uphill from the church square, you will see an opening: this is the Byron cave, which opens to the Cinque Terre. Here, a staircase descends to the seaside, where you can lie in the sun on some large flat rocks or go for a swim. Alternatively, you can dive and explore the surrounding waters, rich in animal species. Here, the coast and seabed are rocky, then, deep down, they become sandy. While diving, you can spot several small caves home to lobsters and conger eels.
The seabed becomes sandy at around 18/20 metres.
If you dive in winter, you will be able to spot several squids, including some large specimens.
Scola tower: a former military watchtower. It is a pentagonal structure located just beyond the north eastern cape of the Palmaria Island. It is an easy dive, near the coast.
In the right season, you can see whole families of mantis shrimps attached to the rocks, belonging to the Scyllarides group. You can also see Actinia Equina (sea tomato), of the sea anemones family, and some Scorpaena scrofa (scorpion fish).

Cala Grande: a large natural rocky cove on the open seaside (the one looking at Corsica) of the Palmaria Island. When you dive you follow the reef that descends steeply to the bottom. In the rocky part, you can spot several Lithophaga lithophaga (sea dates) as well as some Actinia Equina (sea tomato), of the sea anemones family, which feed on small shellfish and crustaceans captured through their tentacles. Other species are a number of gastropods, molluscs of the Flabelindae family, the “Flabellina affinis”. Octopus and eels can be spotted in the cracks between the rocks. Lobsters live in small caves.

Caletta: located next to Cala Grande, on the same seaside (the one looking at Corsica) of the Palmaria Island, it is an easy dive. A marble quarry used to be located in this part of the island and you can still see its signpost underwater.
Here, you can admire some Actinia Equina (sea tomato), of the sea anemones family, which feed on small shellfish and crustaceans captured through their tentacles.
Easy to spot are also several Coris julis (maidens), fishes of the Labridae family, very colourful, as well as some Scorpaena scrofa (scorpion fish) on the seabed, belonging to the Scorpaenidae family. Conger and moray eels can be seen on the rocky seabed too.

Island cape: Note: this is a risky dive that should be undertaken with care as waters dividing the Palmaria Island from the islet of Tino are always crossed by strong currents. It is a shoal located very near, 30/40 metres, Palmaria cape (dividing it from the islet of Tino nearby) on the open seaside (the one looking at Corsica). At a depth of about 12 metres, you can see this shoal, where the surrounding rocks plunge 30 metres down.
It is quite a fascinating dive and you can admire several types of gorgonias on the seabed, such as the Eunicella singularis and Eunicella verrucosa.
The seabed here is covered by several types of corals of the bryozoans family, in particular you can admire some Pentapora fascialis (elk antlers), which play an essential role in preserving the reef and live in colonies of interconnected individuals called zooids. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that each individual in the colony has a crown of tentacles around their “mouth”, which are used to capture micro-organisms transported by the currents.

Tinetto cave: about 18m deep, in the west side of the Tinetto rock (located on the islet of Tino, towards the open sea) there is a cave (marked on the surface by a crack on the rock).
The cave is populated mainly by corals belonging to the Parazoanthidae family and sea sponges of the Petrosiidae group, in an amazing array of colours.
The cave is quite long and ends with a sort of “chimney” connecting to the surface, through which the sunlight comes in.
Diving on a sunny day, the show is ensured, as sunlight comes in through the crack and irradiates on the surface of the cave creating a multitude of amazing colours and patterns.
You can exit the cave through the so-called “Venus eyes”, two openings around 12m deep.
Some Coris julis (maidens) can be admired around the cave as well as fishes belonging to the Labridae family, groups of Diplodus (breams of the Sparidae family) and Sparatus aurata, gilthead breams.

Tinetto shoal: very treacherous for boats, located beyond the Tinetto rock, it is a semi-submerged islet where a signalling statue of the Holy Virgin has been placed. Basically, this is an open sea dive. The site is home to several red gorgonians and groups of Diplodus (breams belonging to the Sparidae family), octopuses vulgaris (octopus) and Conger conger (conger eels).
Around the islet of Tino it is not unusual to spot some Seriola dumerili, known by the name of “Ricciole”, sea predators of the Jackfish family, and also some Lampughje (Coryphaena hippurus), which usually travel together and jump out of the water with their characteristic silver yellow-green liveries. These waters are also crossed by several snappers.

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Above Portovenere, around the hamlet of Muzzerone, there are some great free-climbing walls.
Mt. Muzzerone, with its typical karsts overlooking the sea, represents one of the wildest and most admired natural areas by free-climbers in Europe.
Its rocky walls are characterized by the presence of mighty pillars and white limestone cliffs overlooking the blue sea, while flora consists essentially of marine pines and Mediterranean shrub.
These rocky walls can be tried by expert as well as novice climbers. The extraordinary variety of climbs suits all levels and skills indeed, from single-pitch ascents to resistance cliffs and multi-pitch routes.

Mt. Muzzerone boasts an ideal climate for climbing all year long; the cliffs look westwards and are sheltered from the north winds, while in the summertime you can climb in the morning and enjoy the fresh mistral wind of the afternoon, avoiding the warmest hours.
Muzzerone rocks are mainly limestone dotted by cleats and water drops, so that climbs are smooth and challenging at the same time.
Almost all routes on the mountain have been equipped with steel bolts or resin eyebolts.

1. Garimpo, a beautiful terrace on the sea consisting of a single limestone karst in an isolated zone.

2. Specchio di Atlantide (Atlantis mirror) and Pilastro dell’infinito (Pillar of the Infinite): truly impressive and spectacular wall of smooth limestone overlooking the sea, where some of the most difficult climbs in Italy and Europe are traced, such as "No Siesta", an amazing 8b, one of the most photographed climbs also on specialized American magazines.

Atlantide Bassa (Lower Atlantis) and Solarium; recommended especially in the winter as they are sheltered from the northern and southern winds.

4. Pillars of Neri

5. Middle pillar

6. The carving

7. Central wall, the most famous but also popular climb at Mt. Muzzerone, as it offers easy access and multiple climbing routes, ideal for beginners too.

8. Cave of the rings

9. Wall of marvels; the second most popular climb after the central wall given the high number of routes, suitable to beginners too.

10. the Arsenal; a unique climb in its type, very steep, mainly rod-climbing.

11. Forgotten wall

12. Pillar of the forte

13. Cajenna, featuring short climbing walls surrounded by a beautiful natural landscape.

14. Cajenna pillar

15. Bunker pillar

16. Striped wall; it offers long and possibly the most scenic routes on the Muzzerone; it consists of a steep rocky facade almost 5oom long, 200m above the sea. It includes some of the most scenic routes: 1. the Kimera (on the left of Supernova, marked by very close steel bolts); 2. Tramontana (a clever route to the right of the Bunker pillar; nice climb equipped with bolts); 3. The Supernova

17. the oratory

18. pillar of contention

19. upper mandrachia

20. lower mandrachia

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The Cinque Terre, Portovenere and its islets, Lerici, are renowned and appreciated worldwide for their crystal-clear waters, where you can swim and dive, their flat rocks, the charming coves and beaches, where you can effortlessly abandon yourself to the sun, the great eateries, restaurants, bakeries, etc., where you can taste the local culinary specialties and wines. A holiday in our territory is not just sun and beach, as there are plenty of exciting options and activities for everyone, a real active holiday. You can opt for a swim in the sea or a walk among vineyards overlooking the Gulf; a visit to ancient hamlets and historical alleyways or a boat trip, a pilgrimage to a sanctuary or diving; you can choose to venture and climb dramatic cliffs suspended over the endless blue sea or enjoy a succulent seafood meal, practice mountain bike or windsurf. An extensive network of trails (criss-crossing the whole area and connecting it to the inland valleys) represents a wonderful opportunity to discover this territory on foot, wandering around with your camera, equipped with trekking shoes or, alternatively, a mountain-bike.

• Trekking and excursions
• Diving
• Mountain bike excursions
• Climbing

Mountain bike excursions
Below are a few ideas to plan your mountain-bike excursions.
We always recommend you use the excellent trail maps of the CAI (Italian Alpine Club).

Ring route

Hamlet of Telegrafo (La Spezia) / Mouth of Drignana / Hamlet of Telegrafo
This is a 38km route, which can be covered in about 4/4 and a half hours.
The route offers fantastic views, ranging from upper Portovenere to the coast of Cinque Terre and, if weather is good, the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago.
From La Spezia, take an uphill road to the Cinque Terre, called "Litoranea".
After a few kilometres, in proximity of a tunnel, make a right to the village of Biassa and follow the indications for the "Palestra nel Verde" (Gym in the green). Then continue driving until you reach the hamlet of Telegrafo. There, you can park your car near a large turn (there is a restaurant too).
"Telegrafo" is the departing point of dirt road CAI No. 3/a, located on a slight slope on the left.
At the first junction, you must take the paved road downhill on the left. After a couple of turns downhill, take trail CAI No. 3/a (near a turn) on the left side of the road and leading to the Sanctuary of Montenero
Once you reach the Sanctuary, ride around it and take the trail downhill, partly paved, on the left.
This pleasant descent terminates when you meet the road to La Spezia. Here, continue on the right of the paved road past a tunnel, where you must make a left to Manarola. On the junction the road turns left and you must take the road uphill towards Volastra. When you reach the village of Volastra, you can continue to Drignana.
At Drignana, follow the directions to Pignone, so you must make a right. Then, take trail No. 1 in proximity of the mouth of Drignana, followed by a very steep descent.
The dirt road begins after Case Rossi and is smoother. The trail goes uphill again and you must keep the right side after a turn. Continue along this trail and you will meet again ridge trail No. 1.
Continue riding and you will reach the "Prato di Corvara", where the trail turns into a "single trek", including another steep climb….. !
Once you arrive at the top of the slope, the trail continues along a pleasant false slope downhill until it crosses a paved road. Here continue downhill in single trek on trail No. 1 until you reach the Telegrafo parking lot.

From the Sanctuary of the Holy Virgin of Soviore to Vernazza

This is a totally downhill route. Each one of the five fishing villages of the Cinque Terre has its own Sanctuary, located above them.
This route starts from the Sanctuary of the Holy Virgin of Soviore (47m asl, one of the oldest sanctuaries in Liguria; this is Monterosso’s Sanctuary), which can be reached from the road connecting Levanto to Pignone or Vernazza. It can also be eached from Foce del Bardellone, following the ridge trail for 4,2 km until you meet the provincial road; from here, ride downhill for a few hundred metres.
From the shaded square in front of the Sanctuary, you must reach the provincial road and then make a right towards Termine. Right before the pass, turn right and ride along CAI downhill trail No. 8b.
At first, there is a steep descent, then the trail runs up and down crossing a number of streams until it comes to a steep climb leading to some ruins. From here, keep on the left while you are descending again. At a certain point, the trail goes uphill again and leads you to the paved provincial road.
Take the paved road downhill up to a fork, where you make a right and start CAI trail No. 8.
In proximity of a gate, the trail turns left and arrives at the Sanctuary of the Holy Virgin of Reggio, located above Vernazza.
From the Sanctuary, continue downhill for about 5 kilometres until you see a fountain on the right; from here take a large paved road downhill, which becomes more and more narrow and has a number of turns.
Once it reaches Vernazza’s graveyard, the paved road downhill will lead you to the village of Vernazza with a turn on the right.
Alternative route: the Sanctuary of the Holy Virgin of Soviore is linked to Monterosso via a mule track similar to the ones connecting the Sanctuary of the Holy Virgin to Vernazza or the Sanctuary of the Holy Virgin of Montenero to Riomaggiore. This mule track connecting the Sanctuary of Soviore with Monterosso can be cycled with no troubles, following CAI trail No. 9.

From Telegrafo to "Sella Derbi"

This route starts from "il Telegrafo", which can be reached from La Spezia via the "Litoranea", a paved road uphill leading to the Cinque Terre. After a few kilometres, you will see a tunnel, where you must follow the directions to the village of Biassa, and then to the "Palestra nel Verde" (Gym in the green) until you arrive at the "Telegrafo".
From Telegrafo, take CAI trail No. 1 leading to a wood (careful: do not take the road running alongside here).
The road continues slightly uphill, then downhill to the road to Sant´Antonio, where you can continue uphill always following trail No. 1; then, it becomes flat and downhill again. Initially, the descent is not difficult, but the second stretch is quite steep; here you can meet rocks, so caution must be observed; it is sometimes necessary to continue on foot; it becomes an easy ride again later on until you reach a wall with a gate. Here, you must make a left and ride along a small trail to the village of Campiglia, where you continue along an uphill trail running parallel to a church until you reach the ruins of an old windmill. Ride along the trail in the woods and then turn left downhill until you cross a paved road near a football field. Follow the paved road downhill until you take an old military road on the right. Ride uphill up to a turn, where you leave the paved road and turn left.
From here, the trail becomes a simple mule track and is really hard to ride, winding uphill in the woods and leading to a forest retreat, where you must take another trail on the left, which gradually becomes wider and leads to some granite quarries, where you should continue the descent until you reach a nice and wide paved road. Here, make a right downhill (it then rides up and down) until the trails joins another dirt and large road. Make a left riding downhill through a number of turns. Afterwards, the trail becomes a paved road until you reach a crossroad, where you must turn right to reach Sella Derbi.

Volastra ring route

The route starts from the village of Volastra, located above the hamlet of Manarola,.
Take the paved road uphill departing from the square in Volastra, which turns into a dirt road after about 800/900 metres and then becomes flat again, lined by pines and oaks. At the end of this road, there is a small and steep paved stretch that turns into a dirt flat trail again, leading to the hamlet of "Telegrafo".
At Telegrafo, take the paved road uphill on the left. You will see a crossroad where you must turn right and continue cycling through the woods up to CAI trail No. 1. Here, make a left and ride downhill until you see an intersection at the hamlet of La Croce. Ride downhill on the right and then take the uphill trail slightly on the left, always following CAI trail No. 1.
Continue on CAI trail No. 1 until you reach the "Menhir" and then until the road crosses CAI trail No. 6, where you keep going straight, crossing a pleasant meadow surrounded by pine trees (Prato del Monte) and then uphill to the hamlet of Cigoletta.
Once you reach Cigoletta, take CAI trail No. 7 uphill (careful: do not take trail No. 6 on the right), which then descends to the houses of the village of Fornacchi; after a while, take the road uphill on the left, which will then lead you downhill to Volastra
A variant to this route could be the following: once you reach the Prato del Monte, make a left and take CAI trail No. 7, crossing a canal. Continue following the trail, which then descends and meets the provincial road. Volastra is just 2 km away on the left side.

Volastra-Manarola

The itinerary kicks off from the village of Volastra, from where you take CAI trail No. 6 to Manarola.
The trail is a long stairway climbing uphill amidst olive trees, the first one is an easy stretch but then it becomes quite steep and hard. The stairway ends into the paved provincial road. After a few metres, take another stairway on the right that will lead you downhill towards the sea. This descent starts among houses and alternates dirt and paved road. Another stairway follows, an easy one, which will bring you straight to the village of Manarola.
Warning: these stairways can get really crowded with tourists in the summertime and during festivities!!