VACATION IDEAS: ITALY

Photos: 13 Travel-Inspiring Scenes from Italy's Cinque Terre

By Kaeli Conforti, Sunday, Jan 1, 2012, 11:00 PM | Subscribe to the magazine

A view of the Mediterranean from the top of a scenic hillside in Riomaggiore.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
A rebuilt Vernazza shines in the Italian sunlight.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
A mural in Vernazza depicting the flood and mudslide damage from the storm on October 25, 2011.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
The town of Manarola, one of the most picturesque points of the Cinque Terre.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
The Cinque Terre Train Card includes unlimited rides between the five towns, as well as to and from Levanto to the north, and La Spezia to the south.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
The view from the Via dell'Amore, a scenic paved path that connects the towns of Riomaggiore and Manarola.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
Amorous graffiti along the Via dell'Amore path.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
You can walk up the 400 steps to the top of the hillside in Corniglia, or just hop on the free shuttles from the train station to the top of the hill—included with your Cinque Terre Card or Cinque Terre Train Card.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
The charming Italian town of Corniglia, at the top of the hill.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
The breakfast room at La Rosa dei Venti B&B in Levanto, Italy.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
La Loggia restaurant in Levanto, Italy.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
Walking through Riomaggiore, the southernmost town of the Cinque Terre.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)
Vernazza's Belforte Castle in the sunlight.
(Courtesy Kaeli Conforti)