Rick Steves Says This Dazzling Town Is The 'Jewel' Of Italy's Iconic Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is immediately recognizable: tightly packed pastel buildings built onto the side of a rocky cliff overlooking the brilliant blue Italian Riviera. As its name implies, Cinque Terre is not one place but five. All of its villages are charming, picturesque, and intriguing in their own way, and you can definitely visit them all in one trip if you want to, but if you have to pick just one, or you're trying to decide which one you should spend the night in after a day of exploring, travel expert and popular TV host Rick Steves would probably tell you to pick Vernazza.

On his website, Steves explained that Vernazza is his absolute favorite, not just out of the Cinque Terre villages, but of all the little seafaring villages on the Mediterranean. "If you ask me [Vernazza] is the jewel of the Cinque Terre," he wrote. Whether you're looking to walk along rocky beaches, enjoy a glass of wine, or seek out authentic places to eat in Italy, this bustling village has it all. This old fishing village may be all about tourism today, but when you walk through its narrow winding streets, looking up at the ruins of the imposing tower called Doria Castle, you'll feel like you are a part of history.

There's only one main street in Vernazza, but that doesn't mean that you won't have plenty to explore in this little village. While it may not be the white sand beaches of Sardinia, you can spend a beautiful afternoon sunning yourself on the rocks along the harbor at Vernazza and taking a dip in the beautiful blue water. As Rick Steves described in an episode of his TV show "Rick Steves' Europe," as you admire this busy village, you'll hear the ringing of church bells and the sound of the waves. Don't let this laid back atmosphere fool you, however. This village gets crowded in peak season, so unless you find the extra crowds invigorating, you're going to want to plan your vacation to Italy at the best time to avoid peak tourist season.

You'll find plenty of places to stop, eat, have a coffee, and try the local wine, but as Steves noted on his show, the most exciting place to snack, shop, and communicate with locals in Vernazza comes every Tuesday morning: the street market. Usually, there aren't any cars in bustling Vernazza, which makes walking its crowded streets very safe, but on Tuesday mornings, suppliers drive in to sell their wares. There, you can buy fresh produce, clothes, or cut flowers for your sweetheart while enjoying the sea air.

Surrounding the pastel painted Vernazza you'll find a landscape that's just as picturesque. The hills here grow the grapes that become the white wine this area is known for. In the fall, the landscape is alive with workers harvesting their crop. While you can't pick your own olives, if you're looking for an adventure and want to explore everything the five villages of Cinque Terre have to offer, there are incredible hiking trails that begin in Vernazza that will show you staggering cliffside views. 

The best way to experience the region is by hiking the Blue Trail. If you're staying in Vernazza, you're already at the perfect starting point, because from there you can hike all the way to the neighboring villages of Monterosso and Corniglia. If you don't want to make the entire journey, you can use the hiking trails as a starting point to wander around the outskirts of Vernazza and admire the incredible landscape.