Cinque Terre

Set amid some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on the planet, these five ingeniously constructed fishing villages can bolster the most jaded of spirits. A Unesco World Heritage Site since 1997, Cinque Terre isn't the undiscovered Eden it once was but, frankly, who cares? Sinuous paths traverse seemingly impregnable cliff sides, while a 19th-century railway line cut through a series of coastal tunnels ferries the footsore from village to village. Thankfully cars were banned over a decade ago.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Fossola Beach
Riomaggiore
This small pebbly beach is immediately southeast of Riomaggiore marina. Take the short trail that leads just past the harbour to get here. The shore is…
Vernazza Harbour
Vernazza
Cinque Terre’s only natural harbour has breathtaking views out over the water, and provides the best open-air amusement in Vernazza. Here you can bask on…
Punta Bonfiglio
Manarola
Manarola's prized viewpoint is on a rocky promontory just above the village. A rest area, including a kids' playground, has been constructed here and…
Belvedere di Santa Maria
Corniglia
Enjoy dazzling 180-degree sea views at this heart-stopping lookout in hilltop Corniglia. To find it, follow Via Fieschi through the village until you…
Castello Doria
Vernazza
This castle, the oldest surviving fortification in the Cinque Terre, commands superb views. Dating to around 1000, it's now largely a ruin except for the…
Chiesa di Santa Margherita d'Antiochia
Vernazza
The waterfront is framed by this small Ligurian-Gothic church, built on a small seafront promontory in 1318 on the site of an 11th-century Romanesque…
Convento dei Cappuccini
Monterosso
Monterosso's most interesting church and convent complex is set on the hill that divides the old town from the newer Fegina quarter. The striped church,…
Guvano Beach
Corniglia
This lovely, hard-to-reach beach was once a famous nudist spot from the 1960s to the 1990s, when it was accessed by walking through an abandoned railway…