Marina e scalo di Palaedo con paranco

Manarola's small stone harbour and the Palaedo landing preserve a distinctive relationship between the village and the sea. Fishing boats are hauled from the water with the local paranco winch, while the inlet, headland and stacked houses form a compact maritime landscape.

Why it matters

Unlike sandy seaside towns, Manarola has no beach; its port is a working cove shaped around the launching and recovery of boats. The paranco is a hand-operated winch used by the fishing community, a practical piece of maritime heritage that remains a visible part of the village's life. Beyond Punta Bonfiglio, the Palaedo landing occupies the far side of the headland.

What to notice

The stream that once ran openly through Manarola was progressively covered between 1863 and 1978. In the 1950s, eleven small stone bridges still crossed it on the way down to the marina; the lowest survive near the water. Boats have traditionally been drawn up beside the porticciolo on trolleys beneath the winch. Around the cove, houses climb the ravine behind the harbour and Punta Bonfiglio closes the bay. A white concrete pyramid near the headland's crest serves as a trigonometric marker for sailors.

Context and history

Manarola developed as a settlement connected to Volastra and Genoa, with wine and oil from its terraced slopes moving along the coast. The village's maritime heritage is expressed in the winch, the marina and the Palaedo landing. On 10 August, the feast of San Lorenzo includes a procession in which the saint's effigy is carried by boat from Palaedo around to the marina before the celebrations continue in the village.