Corniglia's Viewpoint at Belvedere di Santa Maria
Corniglia is the only one of the five villages without direct sea access — it sits 97 metres above the water on a rocky spur, connected to the train station by 377 steep steps (the Lardarina staircase). That mild inconvenience keeps the tour groups away and leaves the village's medieval lanes and its spectacular belvedere almost entirely to those willing to climb.
The Belvedere
The Belvedere di Santa Maria is a small terrace at the northern tip of the village, jutting out over the cliff like the prow of a ship. From here you see both Vernazza to the north and Manarola to the south simultaneously — a perspective impossible to get from any other point on the trail.
There are no cafés, no ticket booths and no crowds. Bring a bottle of local white wine, sit on the low wall and watch the fishing boats trace white lines across the blue below.
The Village Itself
Corniglia's single main street, Via Fieschi, is lined with wine bars and tiny alimentari selling local products. Stop at Enoteca Il Pirun (Via Fieschi 115) for a glass of Cinque Terre DOC Bianco poured from a traditional long-spouted pirun jug — a local ritual.
The 14th-century church of San Pietro at the far end of the street has a Gothic rose window made of Carrara marble that most visitors walk straight past. Pause and look up.
Corniglia's Viewpoint at Belvedere di Santa Maria on video
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