Vernazza, there and back

A pearl just a stone's throw away (traffic permitting). A magnificent little village in the Cinque Terre, huddled in a semicircle around the small harbour. Worth a visit are the church of S. Margherita d'Antiochia, overlooking the little harbour, and Belforte castle, which dominates the rocky promontory with its distinctive cylindrical tower. For the rest, it also proves to be an interesting food-and-wine stop, with picturesque open-air trattorias (Gianni Franzi in the little square is an institution) and numerous wine bars serving glasses (or bottles, depending on your thirst) of the famous sciacchetrà and other excellent Ligurian wines. A modest dinner at restaurant Piva (note: the kitchen, to the dismay of many tourists, closed at 21.10). TIPS: 1.

To get to Vernazza I found the train from Levanto station very convenient: it reaches Vernazza in 10 minutes (1.10 Euro + 6 Euro for 24-hour parking). The train runs roughly every 40/50 minutes and the last service is around half past midnight. 2. Coming from the north, on busy days the Cisa route is probably smoother.