Cinque Terre, Italy Complete Tour, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore

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We're traveling along the coast of Italy on the Mediterranean shores to Cinque Terre, visiting all five towns in this complete travel video:
Monterosso 01:17
Vernazza 7:38
Corneglia 17:09
Manarola 19:14
Riomaggiore 22:20
MONTEROSSO: Were starting out and Monterosso and then we're going to show you all five of these little villages visiting one of the most scenic parts of Italy, Cinque Terre, the five villages that run along the coastline of the Italian Riviera. Monterosso on the north end of the chain is largest of the five hamlets and makes a good home base because it has 20 hotels, the only sandy beach, excellent restaurants, and the start of the hiking trail. It is also the only one in which long-distance trains stop, so it is easy to reach by rail service from throughout Europe.
VERNAZZA: The next destination down the coast is Vernazza, which you could reach in 5 minutes by train, 10 minutes by boat, or 90 minutes walking. We take the boat. Vernazza may be the most beautiful of all, set perfectly in a tiny valley on the edge of the sea, with colorful homes built one on top of the next and framed by a couple of churches and towers. It’s a little bigger than Corniglia and Manarola, and yet it is still very, very small - so small that you could walk from one end to the other in about 10 minutes, but you’ll want to slow down and get into the local pace. There’s no rush here. Locals are just hanging out. They are enjoying life as much as the visitors do. The buildings have been standing for many centuries and they’re not going anywhere, so take your time, explore the little side alleys, and yes, there are going to be staircases. After all, these are hill-towns, so there are hardly any flat, level surfaces here, but it’s easy enough. We show one special viewpoint you reach with a short walk up the steps that makes the entire journey worthwhile, as you stand on a ledge looking straight down into the pastel-colored village wrapped around its tiny harbor.
CORNIGLIA: Corniglia is unique among these five villages because it's up on the hill. It has no direct access to the water, so this is a hilltop village, one of the oldest, perhaps the oldest of all of them. You can arrive by train in 5 minutes from Vernazza, then walk up the stairs to reach the village. This little speck of a town is worth seeing becaumse it is the smallest and most isolated, and perhaps the oldest. Yes, there are going to be more stairs -- but just a little bit of climbing will get you around. The main “street” is only a few feet wide. And it seems there are more locals than tourists out and about. You will soon come to the tiny main square of Corniglia, which is about 10 yards by 20 yards in dimension but big enough to hold some tables and host picnic lunches for intrepid hikers. From this lofty perch you can see down the coast to the next destination, Manarola.
MANAROLA: Arriving by boat, we see how Manarola spills down the hill to the waterfront, its houses packed solidly together in the typical pattern of the region, with terraced hillsides for the grapes up above. They don’t have a beach but there is a boat ramp carved into the stone, the most popular spot around for it functions like a beach, packed with sunbathers. The ramp leads to a cove with good swimming, further protected by a stone jetty, and ladders to help people get in and out of the water. There’s no room to put the boats in the water so they are stored up on dry land, on a ramp and along the main street as well. There are quite a few local residents who like to hang out, sit on the bench, chat with their friends and do some people-watching. Tourists love to look at the locals, and locals equally enjoy looking back at the tourists. You could pick up picnic supplies or sit in one of the many terrace restaurants here. It’s a small place but there is a nice selection of pizzerias and take-out food or of course, the ever-present pasta.
RIOMAGGIORE Regular ferry service connects each of the villages, and from Manarola it is just a 10-minute cruise to Riomaggiore, the last of the five. It’s a nice ride with splendid views of the coastal cliffs and hills above, and the blue sea all around. Enchanting, charming Riomaggiore is the grand climax to our survey of Cinque Terre. Here too you see that familiar pattern -- the houses tumbling down the cliffs to the water’s edge and a main pedestrian street rising up from the tiny cove, surrounded by terraced homes covering the hillside, rising high. It’s a surprising mix of urban high density in the midst of a tranquil, rural setting. It is very quiet when you walk down the little side streets, especially in the off-season, which is highly recommended. Cinque Terre, Italy, Manarollo, Monterosso, Riomaggiore, Vernazza, Corniglia, Italian Riviera.