Five villages on a wild stretch of Ligurian coast, best seen the slow way, one stop at a time.
May 2026 · 1 min read
The cars stay at the top. To reach the five villages of the Cinque Terre you take the little train that threads the cliffs, surfacing between tunnels just long enough to catch the sea. It is the most beautiful five-minute ride in Italy.
One village at a time
Resist the urge to do all five in a day. Pick two: Vernazza for its harbour, Manarola for the evening light on the houses. Walk the coastal path between them if it is open, and let the rest wait for tomorrow.
Eat where the boats come in: anchovies from Monterosso, pesto the way Liguria invented it, a glass of cold Vermentino. Then catch the last train back with salt still on your skin.
