Hidden Secret Spots of The Cinque Terre.

Cinque Terre has five villages, but most visitors see roughly the same thirty metres of each one. The crowds concentrate on the harbour fronts, the main promenades, and wherever the trail markers point. Move twenty minutes in any direction and the numbers drop sharply. These are two of the spots worth seeking out — and what you need to know before you go.

The Via dell’Amore: Back Open After 12 Years

The Via dell’Amore — the Path of Love — is the 1.2-kilometre coastal path blasted into the cliffs between Riomaggiore and Manarola. It closed in 2012 after a rockslide, and after a €23 million restoration it reopened to the public in August 2024. This is no longer a hidden spot, but it is worth mentioning because most people still think it is closed.

Access is now timed and ticketed. You book a slot in advance at the national park portal (card.parconazionale5terre.it), pay €10, and walk one-way from Riomaggiore to Manarola. Maximum capacity is 400 people per hour. It takes 20–25 minutes. From March 2026 the fee is included in the Cinque Terre Card.

The path itself is straightforward — flat, paved, exposed — with unobstructed views of the coast and no shade. Go early in the morning before 10am for better light and fewer people at the scenic points. Summer midday slots sell out and the heat on the exposed cliff sections is significant.

Guvano Beach: What Has Changed

Guvano is the secluded pebble beach between Corniglia and Vernazza that developed a reputation as Cinque Terre’s naturist beach. For years, the access route was through an old disused railway tunnel — a kilometre of darkness beneath the hillside, with a small charge at the entrance. That access is gone.

The tunnel has been permanently closed since 2016, sealed by the municipality of Vernazza on safety grounds. The coastal trail from the Sentiero Azzurro direction is also in poor condition. As of 2026, there is no safe pedestrian route to Guvano from land.

The beach is still there. The only way to reach it is by sea. Local water taxis operate between the Cinque Terre villages and can drop you at Guvano — ask at the harbours in Vernazza or Corniglia, or arrange through one of the boat tour operators based in La Spezia. Kayak rental from Monterosso or Vernazza is another option for those comfortable paddling along the coast.

Visiting La Spezia or the Cinque Terre?
Escape the crowds with our truffle hunt & gourmet truffle lunch & tasting in Lunigiana — a perfect shore excursion from La Spezia.

A Third Option: Volastra

Volastra is a small village sitting 300 metres above Manarola, reached by a 40-minute uphill walk or a local shuttle bus. Most visitors to Manarola never look up. Volastra sits at the heart of the Cinque Terre terraced vineyards — the same vineyards that produce Sciacchetrà, the local dessert wine — with panoramic views across the coast that are entirely absent from the harbour-level tourist circuit. The walk up through the vine terraces is the same trail used for the annual harvest. There are no entry fees, no queues, and on a weekday morning often almost no other visitors.