Cinque Terre is a collection of five Italian cites along the northwestern coast. South to North, they are: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. Each city varying slightly from each other. Monterosso having that only sand beach of the five, Corniglia has an ungodly 382 steps from the train station to the town, and Vernazza has a beautiful harbor that is engulfed by the town.
All five cities are (or used to be) connected by walkable trails that guide you through vineyards and are serviced a train line that becomes easier to ride without a ticket as winter approaches. There is a majesty to the coastline and its basalt columns and rocky shores that recall the rough beauty of Iceland. Each town is very much centered around fishing and serviced by boats. It’s easy to catch workers cutting up the catch of the day and order it an hour later at a small restaurant.
