Cinque Terre, Liguria

Day 1

• Vernazza

  The most scenic village, with its natural little harbour, the church on the water and the remains of the Doria castle sheer above the sea. Don't miss the view from above arriving on the trail from Monterosso.

• Manarola

  Perhaps the most photographed village: the colourful houses massed on the rocky spur above the sea. The classic view is from the trail towards the cemetery, magical at sunset and the blue hour.

• Sentiero Azzurro

  The famous walk (CAI no. 2) linking the five villages among terraces, vineyards and sea: some stretches are paid with the Cinque Terre Card and sometimes closed by landslides. The most beautiful (and tiring) way to experience the coast.

Day 2

• Via dell'Amore

  The short cliff-edge walkway between Riomaggiore and Manarola, reopened in 2024: walked by timed booking. Romantic and panoramic, but with capped access.

• Monterosso al Mare

  The largest of the five and the only one with real equipped sandy beaches: ideal for combining villages and swimming. Split between the old town and the newer Fegina part.

• Trofie with pesto

  Ligurian cooking at its heart: basil, pine-nut and parmesan pesto was born on this coast, and trofie or trenette with pesto (often with potatoes and green beans) is the first course of every village trattoria.

Day 1

• Corniglia and the Lardarina✦ hidden gem

  The only village perched on the hill and not on the sea: you climb the roughly 380 steps of the Lardarina (or take the shuttle) to reach quiet alleys and a panoramic terrace over the whole coast.

• The hillside sanctuaries (Soviore, Montenero and the others)✦ hidden gem

  Above each village, a half-hour to an hour's climb away, there is a sanctuary: Nostra Signora di Soviore above Monterosso is Liguria's oldest Marian sanctuary, and the Madonna di Montenero looks down over Riomaggiore. Near-empty trails even when the Sentiero Azzurro is at breaking point, and immense views over the coast.

• The Giant of Monterosso✦ hidden gem

  The 14-metre concrete statue of Neptune set into the cliff at the far end of Fegina beach: built in 1910 to hold up a villa's terrace, maimed by wartime bombing and storms, it has become Monterosso's unexpected symbol.

Day 2

• Portovenere by boat✦ hidden gem

  Part of the same UNESCO site as the Cinque Terre yet off the rushed circuits: in summer the boats link it to the villages. The church of San Pietro sheer above the sea, Byron's grotto and the colourful main alley deserve the half day.

• Sciacchetrà and the terrace wines✦ hidden gem

  The Cinque Terre's rare sweet passito comes from dried grapes grown on the sheer terraces, a 'heroic' viticulture done by hand and with rack-railway monorails: taste it in the villages' wine bars alongside the DOC white from the same vineyards.

Day 1

• Trofie with pesto

  Ligurian cooking at its heart: basil, pine-nut and parmesan pesto was born on this coast, and trofie or trenette with pesto (often with potatoes and green beans) is the first course of every village trattoria.

• Monterosso anchovies

  Anchovy fishing is Monterosso's oldest tradition: eat them fried in a paper cone, salted, lemon-marinated or oven-baked with potatoes. Look for 'acciughe di Monterosso' on menus, not plain alici.

Day 2

• Sciacchetrà and the terrace wines✦ hidden gem

  The Cinque Terre's rare sweet passito comes from dried grapes grown on the sheer terraces, a 'heroic' viticulture done by hand and with rack-railway monorails: taste it in the villages' wine bars alongside the DOC white from the same vineyards.

• Focaccia and farinata

  Ligurian street food for the trails: olive-oil focaccia (also the onion version) and freshly baked chickpea farinata are the perfect backpack lunch, bought in the village bakeries at a fraction of the price of the sea-view restaurants.