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Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre are five villages stitched together along a stretch of Ligurian coastline too steep for much else, each one stacked in pastel-colored buildings between the cliffs and the sea. Vernazza, the most photogenic of the five, anchors the visit — its tiny harbor glows gold at sunset, sailboats drift past, and the bell tower of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia rises just above the rooftops, visible from the castle terrace bar where a glass of wine comes with a view over the whole cove. A cliffside path connects Riomaggiore's overlooks to the rest of the villages, while Manarola's terraced vineyards produce Buranco, a local DOP wine, alongside a Ligurian dinner under the olive trees. Monterosso al Mare offers the trail's most conventional beach — striped umbrellas lined up beside a lone sea stack — and Corniglia, perched highest above the water, has the best sweeping views back down the coast toward Manarola. Every village shares the same rhythm: laundry lines and geraniums in terracotta pots, boats bobbing below cliffside piazzas, and, at the end of the day, the same golden light settling back over Vernazza's harbor.

Golden hour light over the harbor in Vernazza — Golden hour in the harbor, Vernazza

A small dinghy adrift in the water at Vernazza — A dinghy adrift, Vernazza

The bell tower of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia rising above Vernazza — The bell tower of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia, Vernazza

Umbrellas shading tables in the piazza at Vernazza — Umbrellas in the piazza, Vernazza

The cliffside path above the water at Riomaggiore — The cliffside path, Riomaggiore

A view over the village of Riomaggiore — Village overlook, Riomaggiore

A terrace bar beside the castle in Vernazza — The castle terrace bar, Vernazza

A view down over the harbor at Vernazza — Harbor overlook, Vernazza

The Vernazza bell tower framed through vines — The bell tower through the vines, Vernazza

Rows of beach umbrellas beside a sea stack at Monterosso al Mare — Beach umbrellas and the sea stack, Monterosso al Mare

Terraced vineyards on the hillside above Manarola — Terraced vineyards, Manarola

A bottle of Buranco DOP wine from Manarola — A bottle of Buranco DOP, Manarola

The entrance gate of the Buranco winery in Manarola — Gate at Buranco winery, Manarola

A street scene below the castle in Monterosso al Mare — Street scene below the castle, Monterosso al Mare

Sunset over the bay at Vernazza — Sunset over the bay, Vernazza

A gull flying over Vernazza — A gull overhead, Vernazza

Sailboats along the coastline near Vernazza — Sailboats along the coast, Vernazza

A cliffside view over the village of Corniglia — Cliffside village overlook, Corniglia

The coastline stretching from Corniglia toward Manarola — The coastline toward Manarola, Corniglia

A view over the village square in Corniglia — Village square overlook, Corniglia

Geraniums growing in terracotta pots in Vernazza — Geraniums in terracotta, Vernazza

A table set for dinner under olive trees in Manarola — Terrace dining under the olive trees, Manarola

A flag flying over the village of Vernazza — The flag over Vernazza

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