Manarola – Cinque Terre
Manarola & The Pesto Experience
You can take a boat taxi to connect to neighboring towns. The ticket booth is built right into the cliff as you make your way to the boat ramp in New Monterosso.
As you stand there waiting for your ride, you can see a bunker that still remains on the cliffs from the Nazi occupation during WWII . Can you see it on the cliff? It is a bit camouflaged.
The boat taxi stops at four of the cinque Terre Villages.
It does not stop in Corniglia because it is built higher up on the cliffs and has no harbor.
The ride is relaxing, and the views are phenomenal.
Light concessions are sold on the bottom floor of the ferry.
Nessun Dorma – Pesto Experience
With reservations in hand for a Pesto Experience: we headed to Nessun Dorma. A restaurant that overlooks the sea. It sits on the cliff with the most beautiful view of the village and harbor. The pesto making class is held outdoors under the shade of umbrella tables.
Our youngest’s favorite pasta sauce is Pesto? So we were really looking forward to this.
To get there from the harbor, you can take a scenic route through a trail up the hill and through the vineyards, but we took the easy way and walked up the paved ramp that takes you directly to the restaurant.
Making the Pesto!
You are served a beverage of choice as you prepare to begin. Waiters pass out the ingredients you will use to create the pesto as you listen to a brief history of the venue and where the ingredients are grown or made. With step-by-step instructions you are guided into making your own sauce. Fresh basil plants & garlic, Parmigiano & Pecorino cheese, pine nuts and olive oil all go into the mix.
The order in which you add each ingredient is very important. There is a challenge involved that motivates you to take the art of making pesto seriously. When your creation is complete it is judged and there is a prize for that challenge! At the end you get to enjoy it with a beautiful board of focaccia, prosciutto and other delights.
There are several cooking classes you can choose from in a few of the villages. Some more intimate & private.
If you are traveling with a younger crowd, I highly recommend the Pesto Experience at Nessun Dorma. The venue accommodates approximately 50-70 people. The setting can’t be beat with those amazing views that overlook the sea. More importantly, it is family friendly but very upbeat, the host makes it super fun and the people at our table were friendly and enthusiastic. We all agreed it was the most fun activity or “experience” we did as a family while in the Cinque Terre. And the feast you get to enjoy at the end was delicious and plentiful.
From Manarola
The Via dell’Amore (Walk of Love) is a paved boardwalk that connects Reggiomaggiore to Manarola. It is an easy stroll along the sea with benches along the way to sit and take in the breathtaking views. You can only take it one way, from Riomaggiore to Manarola. Additionally, a fee and reservations are required, but it is well worth it.
From Manarola, you can hike to Volastra and then on to Corniglia. Hike up the cliff through the vineyards to connect to the main trails. The way to Volstra is very steep. If you want to avoid that, you can take a bus from Manarola to Volastra and continue on a more moderate trail.
You can also connect to the other villages by rail. The train station is a short walk through the village up its main road.
