Along a beautifully isolated six-mile stretch of the most seductive corner of the Italian Riviera lie the Cinque Terre — five small, traffic-free towns gently carving a good life out of difficult terrain. On this leg of the Cinque Terre hike, you can descend from ridge-top Corniglia to coastal Manarola.
In these five idyllic port towns sample village life: fishing for anchovies at midnight, savouring the best pesto, picking grapes, and cheering cliff divers. Each pastel town is a delight and in Vernazza Giovanni makes pasta and Granelli sells porcini mushrooms at the tiny street market. You can also see Carrara’s historic quarries where Michelangelo selected his marble.