Sentiero Azzurro from Riomaggiore to Monterosso, Cinque Terre: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour along the Sentiero Azzurro of the Cinque Terre, from Riomaggiore to Monterosso al Mare: 5 stops, about 11.7 km, about 155 minutes of walking plus about 32 minutes of listening. Start in Riomaggiore, the southernmost village, and follow the Via dell’Amore to Manarola. The park lists segment 592-2, Manarola to Corniglia, as closed: while it stays closed, take the regional train, the off-route link, then climb the Lardarina steps to Corniglia on its cliff. Walk on to Vernazza, the only natural harbour of the five, and finish at Monterosso al Mare by Fegina beach. Check the park’s trail status before you set out.
- Stops:
- 5
- Distance:
- about 11.7 km
- Walking:
- about 155 min
- Listening:
- about 32 min
Two ways to do this walk
Cinque Terre with Mappu
Walk Mode, in the free Mappu app
It knows where you are, tells you about everything you pass between the stops, answers your questions and keeps you on the route. Your phone stays in your pocket.
A 2-hour live walk, €4.99.
50 credits from the Starter pack. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Free: the audio guides
Listen to each stop’s audio guide in your browser and find your own way between the stops.
Walking directions in Google MapsSentiero Azzurro from Riomaggiore to Monterosso, Cinque Terre: how long does the walk take?
About 187 minutes in all: about 155 minutes on foot over about 11.7 km, plus about 32 minutes of audio at the 5 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Sentiero Azzurro from Riomaggiore to Monterosso, Cinque Terre: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. The longest stretch between two stops is about 3.7 km, about 49 min on foot.
Official route: Sentiero Azzurro (SVA2, 592)
This walk follows the route Sentiero Azzurro (SVA2, 592) as Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre describes it: here is every official stop, in order. The linked stops have a free Mappu audio guide.
- RiomaggioreStop 1 of this walk
- ManarolaStop 2 of this walk
- CornigliaStop 3 of this walk
- VernazzaStop 4 of this walk
- Monterosso al MareStop 5 of this walk
Trail status on October 25, 2026
- 592-1 Riomaggiore - Manarola (Via dell'Amore): open (Turistico)
- 592-2 Manarola - Corniglia: closed
- 592-3 Corniglia - Vernazza: open (Esperto)
- 592-4 Vernazza - Monterosso: open (Esperto)
- While 592-2 is closed, the regional train between Manarola and Corniglia is the link: it is not part of the trail.
Source: Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre, read on October 25, 2026: Rete sentieristica
Route and map
Indicative route. While you walk, watch where you're going, mind the traffic and follow local signs and rules. The map is an aid, not a safety guide. Terms
Follow Mappu’s map: the route runs along the streets from stop to stop, and the stories keep playing as you walk.
To get to the first stop, or if you’re far from the route, Google Maps has walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
Its tower houses had two doors on different levels, one facing the sea and one upstream, so families could escape if an attack came from the water.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Manarola · about 1.5 km, about 20 min on foot
Stop 2
Its name may come from Manium arula, the altar of the spirits, or from Magna Roea, the great wheel of the mills that once worked along the Groppo stream.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Corniglia · about 3.1 km, about 41 min on foot
Stop 3
The one Cinque Terre village with no harbour sits on a cliff close to a hundred metres above the sea, reached from the station by the Lardarina steps.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Vernazza · about 3.4 km, about 46 min on foot
Stop 4
A legend tells that a wooden box holding the finger bones of Saint Margaret washed up here, and the villagers built her church on the cliff edge by the harbour.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Monterosso al Mare · about 3.7 km, about 49 min on foot
Stop 5
At the western end of the Fegina seafront stands the Giant, a fourteen-metre statue of Neptune whose shell once served as the terrace of a villa.
about 6 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
Planning a trip to Cinque Terre?
Get your plan
Mappu sketches your days free in the chat, no account needed. Then take the full plan with you:
- Weekend trip, €9.99: Your day-by-day plan plus 2 live walks
- Save your trip’s free guides on your phone in the Mappu app: they play with no signal
Already going? The 2-hour live walk in Cinque Terre is €4.99
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
Route checked by Mappu on October 25, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.