Corniglia is the smallest and least visited of the five main villages of the Cinque Terre. Just 150 or so permanent residents live in a cluster of colourful houses on a cliff more than 100 metres above the sea and the railway line, making it also the highest village on the Cinque Terre coast.
This also makes it the only one of the 5 famous villages that does not have a harbour and direct access to the sea.
The village has an agricultural tradition with terraced fields of vegetables and especially vines.
Sights and viewpoints
The main and only important monument of Corniglia is the parish church of San Pietro from 1334, which is one of the best preserved examples of Ligurian Gothic architecture.
From the centre of the village, the streets lead to a kind of public balcony on the edge of the cliff, from which you can enjoy the most beautiful views of the Ligurian Sea from the entire Cinque Terre coast.
For the best view of the colourful houses of Corniglia, follow the main road westwards for about 350 metres into the vineyard area.
Accommodation
If you love the smallest villages, where life dies down to a necessary minimum of a few restaurants in the evening after the tourists have left, then stay in Corniglia.
Thanks to the lower number of visitors, you can get the cheapest accommodation here, which even in high season can start at around 55 eur per night, such as this nice guesthouse Punto Zero right in the centre of the village. One of the best-rated is this great family-run guesthouse Sandra Villa Rooms.
How to get there?
The main railway line passes through Corniglia too, but unlike other villages, the station is located deep in the centre of the village, separated from it by 377 steps and a distance of 1km.
However, there is a regular minibus service from the station to Corniglia, about 1-2 times an hour. The ticket costs 3 eur. The first service runs around 7:00 am, the last after 11:00 pm. For the exact timetable of all lines in the Cinque Terre region (including Corniglia), go to atcesercizio.it/en, click on "ATC Timetable".
Corniglia station is served by Trenitalia trains, you can find connections and buy tickets online at trenitalia.com or on the Trenitalia mobile app (Google Play / App Store). For regional trains that only stop at Corniglia, just buy tickets from the ticket machine at the station.
There are hourly trains through Corniglia on the La Spezia - Sestri Levante route, and they also stop in all the other villages on the Cinque Terre. You can pay for tickets to the surrounding villages from 2,10 eur to 2,40 eur (from March to November 10 eur).
What to see around
Discover all the places to see in Cinque Terre.
