Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre — "the Five Lands" — is an Italian gem on the Ligurian Riviera, south of the port city of Genoa: five ancient villages clinging to cliffs above the Ligurian Sea — Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The magic here is in the colourful houses stacked up the hillsides, the steep lanes, the footpaths that link one village to the next high above the water, and a rhythm with no cars in it. And that's exactly the secret: forget the car. The five villages are joined by a wonderfully convenient, precise train line that stops in the heart of each one, with La Spezia serving as the region's official gateway and frequent departures. An even lovelier way to discover them is from the sea — ferries connect most of the villages and reveal the cascade of colour from the water, especially arriving from Portovenere or La Spezia. And if you plan to hop around a lot by train and trail, the Cinque Terre Card gives you free travel between the villages and access to the famous walking paths — saving time and plenty of queueing. This is a place you come to not to "do" but to drift between five little worlds, a glass of local white wine in hand, while the Ligurian Sea shifts through its colours at the foot of the cliffs.

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