The Destination Dear To Rick Steves Where You Can View Every Cinque Terre Town At The Same Time

Travelers go to great lengths to find the best views in the Cinque Terre, the famously photogenic string of five villages along Italy's Ligurian coast. Some say the best panoramas are visible from the Sentiero Azzurro hiking trail leading west from Vernazza to Monterosso. Others say that a quaint café on the trail to Corniglia is the choicest spot for a cappuccino with a view. Still others stand by the idea that you have to get on a boat — public ferries serve four of the five towns — to properly appreciate postcard-like vistas of pastel bungalows on the cliffs and fishing boats bobbing in village harbors, the manmade structures dwarfed by dramatic natural scenery. 

But, as Rick Steves wrote on his website, the loveliest lookout point in the region may well be in an unexpected place: a cemetery. Of course, it's not just any cemetery. From the hilltop burial ground just outside the village of Vernazza, you can see the ocean, the sky, and the rolling green landscapes between. Not to mention all four of the other villages up and down the coastline — a rare sight in the Cinque Terre. 

Steves makes no secret of his love for Vernazza. In fact, he considers it to be the "jewel" of the Cinque Terre.

As Rick Steves points out, Vernazza's gravesite is not unique in the area. All of the Cinque Terre's villages, in fact, have cemeteries with views. So what's the reasoning behind it? Why is such prime real estate reserved as a final resting place? It's a matter of public health. "Ever since the early 1800s, when it was decreed that cemeteries were health risks," Steves wrote, "the burial spots of Riviera towns have been located outside of town. The result: The dearly departed generally get first-class sea views." 

The Cimitero di Vernazza, or Vernazza Cemetery, is easy to access. It's located on a road that zig-zags up into the hills from Vernazza's train station (a two minute drive or a 13 minute hike). From the center of the village, it's a bit further, about a four minute drive or a 28 minute walk. Of course, these distances are easy to cover if you're hiking the trails between the villages — the hike from Vernazza to the neighboring village of Monterosso takes between one and a half and two hours, and is moderately difficult with several steep sections. 

To find the scenic cemeteries in any of the Cinque Terre villages, search for "cimitero" (cemetery) on Google Maps. From downtown Monterosso al Mare, for example, it's a 20 minute hike or a six minute drive to the village cemetery; from the main piazza in Riomaggiore, it's a three minute drive or a 17 minute hike, and so on. Generally speaking, you're better off on foot in the Cinque Terre — one of the main activities is walking and hiking — and the villages are well-served by trains. The closest transportation hub to the Cinque Terre is La Spezia, just an eight minute train ride from the first of the five villages. From there, you can catch a train to Rome (four hours), Florence (90 minutes), or Milan (three and a half hours). 

All five of the Cinque Terre villages have a good selection of accommodations and restaurants. If you're planning to stay in Vernazza, consider Il Sorriso di Vernazza (rooms from $199 per night) or the centrally located Hotel Gianni Franzi (rooms from $173 per night) — make sure to check with the hotel before traveling, as rates can fluctuate depending on when you book. For a meal with a view, try Ristorante La Torre or Il Pirata Delle Cinque Terre.

If you're heading to the Cinque Terre, you'll want to make sure you're dressed appropriately. The area has an oddly strict clothing rule that some tourists learn about the hard way. For more of Rick Steves' suggestions in the area, check out these crowd-free activities he recommends in Italy's Cinque Terre.