The Via dell’Amore

How it works in 2026

The entrance is in Riomaggiore, on the left as you leave the station. You book a date and a half-hour slot, show your ticket and an ID at the gate (cards are named) and walk the path in one direction only, to Manarola. A guide waits just past the gate, free of charge.

Tickets are sold on the official Via dell’Amore website, on the Park’s card website or at the Park Info Points, from La Spezia to Levanto. Once you have chosen a slot you cannot change the date: if something goes wrong you can usually enter in the first free slot, if places are available. Refunds are given only when a yellow, orange or red weather alert is issued.

The walk

The path runs above the sea, cut into the cliff, with paving and protection along the whole sea side. There are no demanding climbs: it is the easiest walk in the Cinque Terre. Along the way are five installations by the artist Gino Covili, turning the path into a sort of open-air museum. On the short Batternara stretch the Via dell’Amore runs over the railway tunnel.

At the exit you are close to Manarola station and the village’s main street. The ticket with the Trekking Card also includes Riomaggiore Castle (no booking needed, on the days the card is valid): it is open 10am–1pm and 2pm–5pm from 1 October to 31 May, 10am–1pm and 2pm–7pm from 1 June to 30 September.

A little history

The Via dell’Amore was not made for lovers. It was cut into the rock between 1926 and 1928, using the paths of the quarrymen who had built the La Spezia–Genoa railway, and people from the two villages used it instead of the steep mule track. The name is said to come from an anonymous inscription that appeared at both ends of the path, which later became a meeting place and the home of love padlocks.

A landslide closed it in 2012. The restoration, completed in summer 2024, reopened it to residents in late July and to everyone from 9 August 2024; in October 2024 falling rocks closed it again. After more safety works (a steel net and rockfall barriers) it reopened on 14 February 2025, and since 15 February access is by reservation and ticket only.

Practical tips

• Book ahead from May to September and at weekends: places per slot are limited.
• Arrive a few minutes early and bring an ID.
• Choose late afternoon in summer: you reach Manarola in the best light.
• With children it is perfect: short, flat and protected.
• Trains: on 14-15 November and 19-20 December 2026, and 9-10 January and 6-7 February 2027, trains are suspended for 48 hours between Corniglia and La Spezia, so Riomaggiore and Manarola cannot be reached by train (notice on the Park’s card site): check the train times and Trenitalia before travelling.
• Combine the day: morning in Riomaggiore, Via dell’Amore, afternoon in Manarola; for a bed see where to stay in Manarola. For a full day with trains and stops, see the Cinque Terre in 1 day.

Alternative: the Via Beccara

Between the two villages runs the old mule track, the Via Beccara (trail 531), used before the Via dell’Amore existed. According to the Park it is 1.47 km long, with 202 m of climb and about an hour of walking. It is rated for experienced hikers: it is steep, with a long staircase, and not a comfortable option if you are short of time. You can walk it in both directions and it starts from Riomaggiore station. Check on the Park’s website whether you need the Trekking Card. For more trails, see the Sentiero Azzurro and the Cinque Terre map; trail status is on the Cinque Terre trails page (the Corniglia–Vernazza–Monterosso section has been closed since 10 September 2026). In December the Via Beccara is also a place to see the Manarola nativity scene: bring a torch, the path is not lit.