Cinque Terre

The remote coast of the Cinque Terre has not yet fallen prey to a great influx of tourists. As you follow the highway up the coast, it becomes a masterpiece of engineering—bridging deep ravines and tunneling in and out of the cliffs, which rise steeply from the sea. Along the way you pass picturesque small towns snuggled into small coves.Along the Cinque Terre there used to be five completely isolated fishing villages dotted along the coast between La Spezia to the south and Levanto to the north. First only a footpath connected these hamlets, then a train was installed, and now civilization is encroaching, with a road under construction, which will open them up to greater commercialism. Three of these little villages, (Riomaggiore Monterosso and Manarola) are already accessible by road. Still completely cut off from car traffic are the colorful fishing hamlets of Vernazza and Corniglia.If you want to spend the night in one of the villages along the Cinque Terre, Monterosso al Mare offers the best selection of accommodations. To reach the town of Monterosso al Mare, exit the A12 at Carrodano and follow signs to Levanto. From Levanto take the road up the hill at the south end of town, signposted Monterosso al Mare.