Vineyard on the sea of Cinque Terre

From the center of the colorful village of Manarola, we will climb to the churchyard of the ancient Church of San Lorenzo.
We will admire the terraced slopes – famous during the Christmas season thanks to its inimitable luminous Nativity – where the bright green of the vineyard combines with the bright blue of the sea.

We will continue along the Rio Groppo valley until the beginning of the ancient mule track. Here the path climbs with a long and comfortable staircase.
At our side will be the ancient terraces, supported by dry stone walls, once cultivated with vines and olive trees, are now occupied by the golden yellow flowers of broom, from those of white heather and those lilac cicerchia.

After climbing to 335 meters above sea level, we will visit Volastra.
A small village originally built by the Romans, it was anciently called Vicus Oleaster (village of olive trees).
From the churchyard of the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora della Salute we will start the path which passes in the middle of the vineyards, a sort of footbridge surrounded by these secular plants.

Our gaze never leaves the sea and we will witness the huge effort that has always characterized the work of those who live and cultivate these areas.
We will meet an infinite number of panoramic viewpoints above the villages of the Cinque Terre; we may also be lucky enough to cross one of the famous rack and pinion trains: they cross the vineyards perpendicularly and they are used to transport grapes during the grape harvest.

After entering areas occupied by cool mixed woods, the steep descent will begin.
Surrounded by scents and colors of the Mediterranean scrub, we will face it calmly, until we reach the small village of Corniglia, a pearl perched on the rocky promontory 100 meters above the sea.
After a short visit to the center, to its narrow “Caruggi” and its panoramic terraces, we will descend through the “Lardarina” the long zig-zag staircase of red bricks and almost 400 steps that will take us comfortably to the train station.