Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is best approached with patience. It's not about rushing between the five villages, but enjoying the space between them. The coastal path — when open — moves through terraced vineyards and Mediterranean scrub above a sea that shifts from turquoise to deep blue depending on the hour and the weather. Each village has its own character: Monterosso is the largest and the most beach-oriented; Vernazza is many people's favorite, with its natural harbor and painted facades; Corniglia sits high above the water on a promontory, connected to the sea by a long staircase; Manarola and Riomaggiore share the quieter southern stretch of the coast.

Walk when you can, take the train when needed, and leave time to sit by the water. The simplicity is the point. Cinque Terre doesn't offer museums, formal attractions, or much in the way of nightlife — it offers cliffs, sea, and the particular pleasure of a small Italian fishing village that has not yet entirely lost itself to the tourism that surrounds it. The local Sciacchetrà wine, made from partially dried Bosco and Albarola grapes grown on these steep terraces, is worth seeking out in the village cantinas.

Come in May or September. High summer brings crowds that can make the narrow paths feel uncomfortable, and the trail closures that follow wet weather are more common in autumn. A Cinque Terre Card covers the trains between villages and contributes to path maintenance — worth having. And allow more than a day: the rhythm of the place only becomes apparent once the day-trippers have taken the afternoon train back to La Spezia and the villages return to themselves.