Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre's easternmost village, Riomaggiore is the largest of the five and acts as its unofficial headquarters. Its peeling pastel buildings march down a steep ravine to a tiny harbor – the region's favorite postcard view – and glow romantically at sunset, which is best appreciated from the sea. A botanical garden and bird watching center sits on a rocky promontory up the hill from the pebbly Fossola Beach.

Bequeathed with more grapevines than any other Cinque Terre village, Manarola is famous for its sweet Sciacchetrà wine. It's also awash with priceless medieval relics, supporting claims that it is the oldest village of the five. The bustling main street and waterfront promenade are still lined with fishing boats and other such reminders of everyday village life.

Corniglia is the "quiet" middle village that sits atop a 330ft-high rocky promontory surrounded by vineyards. It is the only Cinque Terre settlement with no direct sea access, although steep steps lead down to a rocky cove. Narrow alleys and colorfully painted four-story houses characterize the ancient core, a timeless streetscape that was namechecked in Boccaccio's Decameron.

Vernazza's small harbor – the only secure landing point on the Cinque Terre coast – guards what is perhaps the quaintest, and steepest, of the five villages. Lined with little cafes, a main cobbled street (Via Roma) links seaside Piazza Marconi with the train station. Side streets lead to the village's trademark Genoa-style caruggi (narrow streets), where sea views pop at every turn.

The only Cinque Terre settlement to sport a proper stretch of beach, the westernmost village of Monterosso is the least quintessential of the quintet. The village, known for its lemon trees and anchovies, is delightful. Split in two, its new and old halves are linked by an underground tunnel burrowed beneath the blustery San Cristoforo promontory.