Cinque Terre Adventures: Corniglia

Next on our list of Cinque Terre villages was Corniglia.

Corniglia is the smallest and perhaps the least visited of the five villages. It is perched on top of a hill that requires you to climb a historic staircase called Scalinata Lardarina. This is a winding staircase that consists of 382 steps so it's definitely not for those who have bad knees. Alternatively, you can take the minibus/van but even during the off-season, it was packed with a long queue to get on.

View from the top of Scalinata Lardarina

Admittedly, Corniglia doesn't offer a plethora of attractions. In contrast to the other villages, it lacks a harbor and an official beach (though there are spots where you can take a dip in the sea). Nevertheless, the town is brimming with charming, vibrant alleyways.

One of the beautiful alleyways in Corniglia

We didn't stay very long in Corniglia because it was our last day in the region and we still needed to see Manarola and Riomaggiore. In my opinion, if you're pressed for time, I recommend skipping Corniglia.

Another pretty alleyway in Corniglia

However, if you do visit Corniglia, one of the most panoramic views of the Cinque Terre coastline is from the terrace of Belvedere di Santa Maria (Santa Maria Belvedere).

Beautiful view of the coast from the Belvedere di Santa Maria terrace

That's all from Corniglia. In my next post, I'll detail our adventures in Manarola!

With gratitude,

Amin