Corniglia is the quietest of the five Cinque Terre villages, and the only one that doesn't sit directly on the sea. It perches 100 metres above the water on a rocky promontory between Vernazza and Manarola, reached from the train station by a long staircase of 382 steps — or a shuttle bus for the less energetic.
The village rewards the climb. There are no beaches and no ferry landing, which keeps the tour-group crowds thinner than in its neighbours. Instead you get narrow medieval lanes, terraced vineyards producing the local Sciacchetrà wine, and views up and down the coast that are among the best in the Cinque Terre.