Explore the Via dell’Amore Path in Cinque Terre, Italy

It’s a sunny Saturday morning on the Via dell’Amore. Lapping at the rocks, 30 meters below, is the bright jade Ligurian Sea. Cicadas are humming in the trees—wild olive and pine—sticking out from the cliffs. A gentle breeze is providing respite from the Mediterranean sun.

Since 1931, this has been one of Italy’s most beautiful footpaths: 980 meters (3215 feet) of walkway etched into the cliffside of the Cinque Terre, the five remote seaside villages in the south of the Liguria region. Originally built to connect the villages of Riomaggiore and Manarola, over the past few decades, it has attracted millions of tourists to walk between the two, cantilevered high above the sea.

It became the highlight of the Sentiero Azzurro—the 12 km (7.5 mile) network of coastal footpaths connecting the Cinque Terre villages. (The Sentiero Azzurro is a mere fraction of the paths in the area, however—there are 130 km of walking trails in the Cinque Terre National Park.)

Such edge-of-the-world beauty carries real risks, however, and the Via dell’Amore was closed in 2012 after a rockfall injured a group of Australian tourists. Now, after 12 years, €23 million and 26,000 square meters of steel netting to prevent rockfall, the path has reopened.

Triumphant Return

The Via dell’Amore reopened to all visitors on August 9, 2024. Access is via a one-way system, entering at Riomaggiore and finishing at Manarola.

So what’s it like—and is it worth it? I was one of the first on the Via dell’Amore the day it opened, and it’s a big YES. The path is breathtakingly beautiful; every step tells you about the unique landscape, geology, and history of the Cinque Terre, and the engineering surely makes this a wonder of the modern world.

The path starts on the cliffside above Riomaggiore’s train station, next to one of the area’s loveliest bars. The renovation work is immediately visible. The path is paved terrazzo-style, while the railings have been painted cream so they don’t flash in the sun when visible from the sea. Even the steel netting that covers the eight hectares of rock face is relatively matte.

What You’ll See

The views out to sea, and backwards to Riomaggiore, are spectacular: you see the castle that tops the village, the entrance to Riomaggiore’s sliver of a harbor, and the Santuario di Nostra Signora di Montenero, the blazing-white church up on high. Below you are the cliffs—layer upon layer of rock, laid one on top of the next like a lasagne. Lapping quietly at them (in summer) is the sea: limpid, Maldives-clear and a bright, rich jade in the sun.

Halfway along the path, you’ll encounter a tunnel, which bids farewell to Riomaggiore as it winds round the cliff, passing benches built into the stone and patches of newly planted prickly pear and rosemary bushes, and twists around again. Now, the rest of the Cinque Terre comes into view: there’s a glimpse of the colorful houses of Manarola on the next promontory, clifftop Corniglia beyond, and Monterosso’s wide bay at the end of the landscape. Squint hard enough, and you might see Vernazza’s ancient lookout tower, too.

From here, the path winds upwards and into an open-sided ‘tunnel’ dug through the rocks. This, the midway point between the two villages, is the most fragile part of the cliff face—it’s where the 2012 rockfall happened. The engineers have taken no chances this time, blasting through the rock to extend the tunnel. The curving lines of the ceiling echo the cliff layers, which here arc up like waves. Inside the tunnel are panels relating the history of the path, and outside is a kind of botanical garden, suspended over the sea.

Learn the History

Staff are stationed along the route to make sure visitors don’t graffiti the rock face or affix ‘love’ padlocks to the railings, as they did in the past. They are also there to tell you about the history of the Via dell’Amore. This first part of the path was built in the 1920s by workers extending the local railway line. When they left, villagers decided to extend the path themselves. They chiseled a footpath along the cliffside, using dynamite to blast through difficult rock. It was extremely intensive, dangerous work—but they did it to decrease their isolation. Until the railway was built in 1874, the only way to get between Riomaggiore and Manarola was to scale 600 steps over the cliffs.

What they achieved was a feat of engineering, even though they were working in their spare time. These modern consolidation works highlight what the villagers were up against. This time, specialist rock-climber teams had to drive nine-meter (30 ft) anchoring studs into the rock face. Materials were brought in with helicopters. Geologists had to perform weekly checks, such were the “truly frightening conditions,” according to the director of the works.

The reopening is, therefore, not just beautiful for tourists but significant for locals. The path is a route filled with memories and has been an important aspect of the community’s heritage.

What to Expect

How will it be with 100 people every 15 minutes? Busy, for sure. But there are so many places to sit and vantage points that there aren’t any obvious pinch points at this stage.

Pro tip: If you want to experience it more peacefully, visitors who stay in Riomaggiore or Manarola during the day will be allowed to return to the Via dell’Amore after closing time, alongside locals. That means you can see the magical sunsets with fewer people, or have dinner in one village and walk back to the other. The gates close at 1 am and reopen at 7:30 am for another hour of peace before the ticketed entry starts.

While locals may have mixed feelings about the gated access, the Via dell’Amore undoubtedly stands as one of the most beautiful walkways in Europe. Taking your time to enjoy the history will greatly enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the stunning Cinque Terre region.

This article was last updated on August 9, 2024.