Tourist town, Cliff, Hiking trail, Fortress

With 1,700 inhabitants, Riomaggiore is the largest and easternmost municipality of the Cinque Terre, the first on the road from La Spezia. Of the five Cinque Terre villages, it probably has the most urban character and the greatest degree of authenticity. In fact, the locals almost always outnumber the tourists. [btn "Book a hotel in Riomaggiore" https://www.booking.com/city/it/riomaggiore.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-cinqueterre-riomaggiore]…

Tourist town, Lookout, Castle

The third largest town on the Cinque Terre, Vernazza is considered by many travellers to be one of the most beautiful towns on the coast. Nestled in a narrow valley, the town drops gently along one main street from the vine-covered hills to a small rocky peninsula. On it, an 11th-century castle rises among pastel-coloured houses with a beautiful view of the sea. Vernazza's beauty and popularity comes with its downsides - in high season and at…

Resort, Pebble beach, Church, Monastery

Monterosso al Mare is the westernmost and largest town in the Cinque Terre region. It is very different from the others at first sight. It has two main parts separated by a rocky cliff, but most of the town, unlike its Cinqueterre contemporaries, lies more or less on the plain, or at the bottom of a valley surrounded by hills. So you don't have to worry about missing out on the beautiful scenery of the rugged coastline, it's just that the town…

Tourist town, Lookout, Hiking trail

Manarola is the second smallest village on the Cinque Terre, but together with Vernazza it competes for the unwritten title of the most beautiful town on the coast. More precisely, in many rankings Manarola is ranked as the most beautiful village in Europe and the world. [btn "Book a hotel in Manarola" https://www.booking.com/city/it/manarola.en-gb.html?aid=2380460;label=p-cinqueterre-manarola] A dense cluster of pastel-coloured houses on a 30…

Village, Cliff

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…

Tourist town, Church, Cliff, Castle, Island

Although Portovenere (sometimes also Porto Venere) is no longer located directly in the Cinque Terre National Park and is not officially counted among the "5 famous towns", it is listed together with Cinque Terre and the nearby islet of Palmaria on the UNESCO list for its cultural and scenic landscape. Paradoxically, Portovenere may be one of the most beautiful towns in the Cinque Terre, even though it is not actually officially in it. The…