The 'Southern Jewel' Of Italy's Cinque Terre Is An Effortlessly Breathtaking Coastal Village

Like five little sunsets painted along the rocky cliffs of the Ligurian coast, the villages of the Cinque Terre are sublime bursts of color, and Riomaggiore might just be the prettiest of them all. Like much of the Italian Riviera, Riomaggiore is at its most attractive when viewed from the water. From there, the town's harbor forms a delightful little V-shape as it tumbles towards the sea, framing a small jetty, with houses painted in tones of orange, yellow, and red, scaling a hill lush with greenery, and speckled with historic castles and churches.

The local food is, as you might expect, often taken directly from the sea. A highlight is the simple little cones of fried fish served from windows and fast food restaurants. It's essentially the same "fritto misto" you'd get at a restaurant, but conveniently wrapped up in paper to better flavor a brisk walk through the Cinque Terre's wonderful little villages. Expect things like mussels, fish and chips, and vegetables cooked in a light batter, covered with salt, and served with a refreshing slice of lemon. Wine lovers are well-served too, with vineyards renowned for the local sciacchetrà dessert wine.

Since it's the southernmost Cinque Terre village, Riomaggiore is often nicknamed the "Southern Jewel of the Cinque Terre." It also makes a great base for exploring the five villages and other Ligurian destinations like the fishing village turned resort town of Santa Margherita Ligure, via walking paths, ferry, or train. If you're hoping to embark on a scenic Italian road trip, then take the view-laden roads winding along the coastline or the escape the crowds by exploring the romantic town of La Spezia, also known as the "Gulf of Poets".

Climb towards the top of Riomaggiore's cobbled old town and you'll eventually find the 13th-century Castello di Riomaggiore, with swoon-inducing views of the sea. Today, it's more of a wedding and events venue, and there's little to see apart from the castle itself, but it's worth a trip for the views. Not too far from here, the Church of San Giovanni Battista has an attractive Neo-Gothic façade and an impressive 14th-century rose window. After exploring the upper town's sights, stop by Riomaggiore's Tutti Fritti, which serves decadent cones of fried seafood, an ideal accompaniment to a jaunt to the pebbly beach to watch the dreamy Cinque Terre sunset.

Hikers will find a lot to love in the Cinque Terre, with one of Italy's best walking routes, the Sentiero Azzurro, linking the five charming villages. The first stretch (if you're walking south to north) of the Sentiero Azzurro, or the Blue Trail, begins in Riomaggiore. You'll follow a route from the train station to what is arguably one of the prettiest and most renowned sections of the trail: the Via dell'Amore path. It's a flat 0.6 miles (1 km) stretch overlooking the sea, boasting languorous sunset views and a cinematic landscape of crashing surf against jagged cliffs. It gets its evocative name from an anonymous graffiti artist who scrawled Via dell'Amore on the wall along the route. The entire Sentiero Azzurro is 7.5 miles and ends in Monterosso, in the north.

Another route to Manarola is via the Beccara Trail, a more challenging hike that takes walkers high into the hills. It's generally a bit quieter than the Via dell'Amore but, thanks to the elevation, has incredible views of the Riviera waters and the languid vineyards that punctuate the countryside. Afterwards, spend the afternoon exploring colorful Manarola, one of the oldest and most colorful towns in the Cinque Terre.

The closest major airport to Riomaggiore is Pisa Airport, which is 43 miles away. From there, you can take the train to Pisa Centrale and then a train to La Spezia, and finally, change to the Riomaggiore-bound train, which takes around one hour and 48 minutes in total. The drive is a little quicker at one hour and 10 minutes and provides plenty of eye candy with a route along the pleasant Tuscan and Ligurian coasts.

Once in Riomaggiore, you'll find it makes an excellent base from which to explore the other Cinque Terre villages. You can of course walk, take the train, or drive to each of the villages, but there's another option too: the ferry. The ferry operates from spring to autumn and connects Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, and Monterosso to La Spezia, Levanto, and Portovenere. It's possible to use the services as a kind of DIY hop-on, hop-off ferry with the one-day round-trip ticket. One point of note is that Corniglia is inaccessible by ferry, but you can take a direct train from Riomaggiore in as little as five minutes.

Away from the Cinque Terre, other highlights on the Ligurian coastline are within easy reach. A favorite is the beautiful Santa Margherita Ligure and its length of idyllic beach. And from there, a one-hour and 20-minute walk along the coast will take you to the glitzy little village of Portofino, which Rick Steves recommends for its striking scenery and glamorous shopping. If you're short on time, you can connect by bus from Santa Margarita Ligure to Portofino in about 15 minutes.