Corniglia: a terrace on the sea

Corniglia is the only village of the Cinque Terre not facing the sea directly, as it was built on a rock spur 100 meters above sea level, which allows you to enjoy a breathtaking view on one of the most famous and well-known coastlines of the Bel Paese (Italy).

Its origins are lost in the night of the times, as the place name Cornelia appears already on some wine amphorae found during the archaeological excavations of Pompei.

To reach the country from the train station, without using the shuttle bus service of the National Park, included in the Cinque Terre Card, one must face the Lardarina: a staircase with 33 ramps and 377 stairs that help to protect the village from the invasion of tourists , which often reach the Spiaggione (a long strip of beach running towards Manarola) directly from the train station.

Arriving at the top of the Lardarina, taking a left you will reach the bus stop that splits the village into two distinct areas: on the right the carriage leading to the Church of San Pietro dating back to the 12th century, built in Gothic style with blocks of local sandstone and with a beautiful rosette in white marble of Carrara, which dominates the facade. To the left is the driveway that leads to the Largo Teragio, the main square of the village full of bars and restaurants where you can taste local products under their pleasant colorful sun- umbrellas,  protected by the reassuring silhouette of the Oratory of the Disciplined that dominates the square from the high.

At the back of the building, going up the steep staircase, is the highest part of the village, with two terraces on two different levels, from which you can enjoy a beautiful view over Manarola and the Spiaggione.

The most characteristic and fascinating part of the village is however the terrace of Santa Maria, placed at the end of the main carriageway which crosses the Teragio and joins the typical colored houses attached to each other, offering the tourist a natural stage on all the Cinque Terre, from the tip of Riomaggiore to that of Monterosso and where it is not uncommon to see families of dolphins jumping in the crystal clear waters of the Protected Marine Area of ​​the Cinque Terre National Park.

From Santa Maria, looking at the mountain, you can admire the small inhabited village of San Bernardino, which with its medieval sanctuary dedicated to San Bernardo da Siena, from above overlooks the underlying bay of Guvano, with the two famous beaches in past frequented by lovers of naturism.