Riomaggiore

The starting point for the popular Blue Walking Trail, also known as the Sentiero Azzurro, Riomaggiore, is the largest of the five villages that are fondly known as the Cinque Terre. With a dozen miniscule fishing boats roughly strewn on the calm turquoise waters flowing below, the uneven houses in a multitude of pastel tints rise like tiny giants perhaps owing to the fact that they are perched atop several crags. Watching the red-orange sunset is akin to being in a dream-like state. If you walk down to one of Riomaggiore’s secluded beaches, you can find people reading books while sipping on multiple cups of coffee or polishing off a gelato or two. Renting an apartment for a few days isn’t a bad idea if you find the thought of being in the middle of nowhere fascinating.

Getting there: A Cinque Terre Card can be bought at the La Spezia train station for about 12 Euros. It provides you free rides on trains connecting five villages right up to the pretty town of Levanto. If you do not get a chance to walk along the Blue Trail, Riomaggiore is the first stop from La Spezia and the journey is short, some 10 minutes long. If you do not have a card, tickets can be bought at La Spezia for around 1.5 Euros and need to be validated. While the train mostly crosses tunnels, you do get transient views of the sea.