Cinque Terre

The most photographed village in Cinque Terre, Vernazza wraps around a small natural harbor backed by a medieval tower and a cluster of orange, pink, and yellow houses. The harbor is small enough to swim across but big enough for fishing boats to dock. Climb the Doria Tower (€1.50) for a panoramic view over the rooftops and coast, or simply sit at a harbor-side table with a Sciacchetrà and let the scene settle over you.

Perched on the cliffs above Manarola's colorful harbor, the terrace bar Nessun Dorma has become one of the most iconic sunset vantage points in all of Italy. Order a spritz or a glass of Cinque Terre DOC white and watch the light turn the stacked buildings gold and amber. Arrive 30–40 minutes before sunset and be prepared to share the terrace. Trattoria Dal Billy is another excellent option nearby for a full dinner with the same panorama.

The only village in Cinque Terre not directly on the water, Corniglia sits 100 meters above the sea atop a promontory reached by a steep 382-step staircase (the Lardarina) from the train station below. It is the quietest of the five and the least visited — which makes it exactly the right place to escape the midday crowds. From the belvedere at the edge of the village, you can see both Vernazza to the north and Manarola to the south.

The largest and most developed of the five villages, Monterosso is divided by a sea tunnel into the Old Town (Paese Vecchio), a medieval tangle of lanes around the church of San Giovanni Battista, and the New Town (Fegina), home to the only proper sandy beach in the Cinque Terre. The enormous carved rock figure known as Il Gigante (the Statue of Neptune) stands at the boundary between the two halves — a giant Atlas figure that once supported a terrace washed away in a 1910 storm. The anchovy fishing tradition here is centuries old; buy them preserved in salt or oil.

The southernmost village and the first stop from La Spezia, Riomaggiore tumbles down a narrow gorge to a tiny harbor surrounded by multi-colored buildings stacked like building blocks above the water. Despite heavy foot traffic, the harbor retains a working character — local fishermen still haul boats up the concrete ramp by hand. The village is also the start of the famous Via dell'Amore, whose reopening status should be checked before your trip.

The famous Blue Trail (Sentiero Azzurro / Trail 2) is the low coastal path linking all five villages, hugging the cliffsides with views over the sea. It has been partially or fully closed for years due to landslide damage — notably the catastrophic 2011 floods that killed 13 people in Vernazza and Monterosso. Segments reopen and close with the seasons. Always check current trail status at park offices or cinqueterre.it before planning routes. When sections are open, the Corniglia–Vernazza stretch is particularly spectacular.

A 16th-century sanctuary perched on the hillside above Riomaggiore at 341 meters, reached by a scenic but steep 45-minute hike through vineyards and olive groves. The interior is richly decorated with votive offerings from sailors and fishermen. The real reward is the view from the terrace: the entire southern Cinque Terre coast spread below, the Gulf of La Spezia beyond, and on clear days, the Apuan Alps to the south. Far fewer visitors make the climb compared to the waterfront.