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**This post is the 4th of a 6-post series discussing what to see in Cinque Terre (You can check out the other parts in the list below, separated by each specific village (just click the village name to see the blog post. Everything is also summarized in another post here.**

• Riomaggiore (Blog Post: A Journey through the towns of Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore)

• Manarola (Blog Post: A Journey through the towns of Cinque Terre: Manarola)

• Corniglia (Blog Post: A Journey through the towns of Cinque Terre: Corniglia)

• Vernazza (Blog Post: A Journey through the towns of Cinque Terre: Vernazza)

• Monterosso al Mare (Blog Post: A Journey through the towns of Cinque Terre: Monterosso al Mare)

• Cinque Terre (Summary) (Blog Post: A Guide to the Villages of Cinque Terre)

The 2nd Northernmost town of Cinque Terre is Vernazza. The town was built around 1080 by the Obertenghi family from Genoa. The town served as a crucial naval base on the Ligurian coast, fortified for protection and used as a launching off point to repel frequent Saracen pirate attacks.

Today, Vernazza is one of the more popular towns in Cinque Terre and perhaps one of the most authentic as the centuries-old traditions of fishing, wine, and olive oil production still continue.

If you like some of my photos that you have come across, just know that I have many prints showcasing a variety of landscapes, including Italy, available for purchase below! (Sold as Posters, Canvas, or in Metal-Frames).

SIDEBAR: I remember shortly after returning from this Cinque Terre trip and while watching TV, seeing previews for the Pixar animated film “Luca”. What was really cool was how similar the fictional town of “Portorosso” in the movie resembled that of Vernazza. Come to find out that the Pixar animators actually visited Vernazza, and did a pretty bang up job of recruiting it in the movie.

We decided to stay in Vernazza during our entire stay in Cinque Terre and could not be more satisfied. The town is incredibly easy to navigate as it is just one main road that goes from the water up through town to where our accommodation was at La Perla della 5 Terre. If we had to do the trip over again, I firmly believe we still would have made our home base in Vernazza again. It was a great town that wasn’t too busy, wasn’t too calm, plenty of places to see, and just a very comfortable and cozy atmosphere.

Now, first thing’s first. Set out to find the best viewpoints in the city to get those sweeping views that Cinque Terre is known for. There are two such notable places in Vernazza:

1. Along the trail head that leads towards Monterosso. After just a 100 meters or so, there will be an opening in the fence where you can drop down to a ledge around, offering a great nearly aerial view of Vernazza. Other people will probably be here as well. Need a card 

2. At the end of the dock where the boulders are situated, looking back up towards the city.

Doria Castle is a place that you can see from the water, but it took us some time to actually try to figure out how to get there. The thing about Vernazza, and the towns of Cinque Terre in general, are that there are a myriad of small alleyways that will take you to hidden gems and in this case, a castle. You can use Google maps to get to the castle, but just by taking random alleys in its direction, you can manage to find your way there after some staircases up.

The castle has some of the best views of Vernazza. This medieval fortress was erected in during the 11th century by the Obertenghi family. The main cylinder-shaped portion of the tower is the oldest as other additions were made over time by prominent ruling families.

As I mentioned before, the tower was a lookout post to protect the coast from pirates. In terms of battle, it was used in 1284 during the Battle of Meloria, ultimately won by the Genoese. The fortress was also used an anti-aircraft battery by the Germans in World War II.

One of my favorite parts of the Vernazza ‘skyline’ has to be the Church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia. Established in 1318, this church sits in the Piazza Marconi, the main square of Vernazza and is unique for its east-facing entryway and octagonal bell tower rising from the apse area. What a treat it was to swim in the harbor below with this bell tower and other colorful antique homes facing you.

The 5 towns of Cinque Terre are not only accessible by boat and train, but also by on foot. The Blue Trail connects all 5 towns so you have the option of walking your way from one to the other. The National Park of Cinque Terre has also concentrated trail and hiking information into a convenient app, available on the Apple Store and Google Play.

The four shortest trails between all the villages cost money to hike on, which is about 5-7 euros per person. Perhaps your best bet with regards to hiking combined with train transport is to opt for the 3 day Cinque Terre Card (otherwise called the Cinque Terre Train Card). This costs 41 euros a person for three days and if you plan on being active all three days, saves you money in the long run. This card can be purchased at any station in Cinque Terre (perfect for not having to wait in any lines while the train is at the station).

• The trail that leads from Vernazza to Corniglia is about 3.2 km (2 miles) long. It is rated as ‘Easy’ and takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete.

• The trail that leads from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare is 3.3 km (2.1 miles) long. It is rated as ‘Easy’ and takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete.

(These are the shortest distance trails, there are other longer ones that exist but they are usually more difficult, however they do not cost any money to hike like the short ones do)

Lastly, as pretty as Vernazza is during the day, I really enjoyed it at night as well. The cool ocean breeze gave us excellent respite from the scorching daytime sun and the way the town lit up in the moonlight was pretty cool. It is common for people to buy a bottle of wine and some snacks and sit outside on the rocks, better than any restaurant experience you could have.

Hopefully, after seeing this town, you will easily understand why it’s my own personal favorite of Cinque Terre.

Check out my other blog posts on the other villages that make up Cinque Terre! You can find the links at the beginning of this blog post!

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