Once thought to sit on top of buried treasure (a myth that has been disproved), Lanyon Quoit was actually designed as an ancient burial chamber or mausoleum. The stones were first erected in the Neolithic period (3500-2500BC), although their formation would have been slightly different – in 1815, they collapsed and were later repositioned lower to the ground, with a broken stone missing.
At the Madron/Heamoor roundabout, take the B3312 for Madron and stay on it until you see the quoit on your right. There is no designated parking, so you’ll need to find a pulling-in point along the road.
References:Manarola is a small town, a frazione of the comune of Riomaggiore. It is the second-smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists, with a population of 353.
Manarola may be the oldest of the towns in the Cinque Terre, with the cornerstone of the church, San Lorenzo, dating from 1338. The local dialect is Manarolese, which is marginally different from the dialects in the nearby area. The name 'Manarola' is probably a dialectical evolution of the Latin, 'magna rota'. In the Manarolese dialect this was changed to 'magna roea' which means 'large wheel', in reference to the mill wheel in the town.
Manarola's primary industries have traditionally been fishing and wine-making. The local wine, called Sciacchetrà, is especially renowned; references from Roman writings mention the high quality of the wine produced in the region.