You will drive along roads suspended between the sky and the sea, past medieval fishing villages, tenaciously clinging to the rocky cliffs. Admire the charm of the pastel colored houses from the sea, the belfries and olive trees that lean out from the terraced hillsides, until you discover the magical village celebrated by Byron and Shelley at the extreme end of the curving coastline.

Driving down the motorway along the Tyrrhenian coast, you will catch sight of the dazzling white marble quarries of the Apuan Alps, after which you enter the Ligurian territory and drive into Riomaggiore, one of the beautiful villages of the Cinque Terre, with its medieval colored tower-houses, stairways, alleys and small squares, surrounded by verdant rock-strewn hillsides.

From here, one can stroll along the romantic "Via dell’Amore", a level walk along the cliffs leading to Manarola, another small village of the Cinque Terre nestled in a gorge on a rocky promontory surrounded by vines, olive trees and fragrant Mediterranean brushwood.

We continue towards Vernazza, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, a jewel perched on a stony outcrop, stretching out towards the sea with a small port surrounded by green, steeply declining, man-made terraces.

Admire the houses, from the beach, with their pastel colored walls, tarnished by the salty sea air, plunge into the lanes, lined by dozens of shops and let yourself be tempted by the seafood cuisine in a typical restaurant.

You can admire the beauty of these unique places from the sea by taking a short excursion by boat along the coast between Vernazza and Portovenere: about an hour of navigation across the curving bay of this beautiful rugged coast, that encompasses the picturesque villages you have just visited.

Portovenere expects you, justifying its ancient promise of exquisite beauty, the most distinguishing quality of the Goddess Venus (Venere), to whom the town owes its name.

A historical jewel surrounded by the unique splendor of a naturally magnificent landscape.

Take a walk along the seaside, stop by the shops selling typical products and local handicrafts and climb up to the Gothic church of San Pietro (1198) with its typical white and black bands, perched on top of the promontory and built on the remains of a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Venus.

The medieval sculptures in the Collegiate of San Lorenzo (1130) and the arresting grey stone Doria Castle, in its commanding position above the village are not to be missed.