The most precious jewel
Five charming villages overlooking the sea are the true heart of the Cinque Terre: Monterosso, located on a small natural gulf overlooked by a scenic cliff; Vernazza, clinging to a small promontory rising sheer from the sea; Corniglia, surrounded by luxuriant vineyards and wonderful terraced fields and reachable on foot by an evocative 382-step stairway; Manarola, located in the center of a deep canyon descending towards the sea, protected by two imposing rocky spurs; and Riomaggiore, the easternmost of the Cinque Terre, that gracefully lies in a valley along the torrent of the same name.