Vernazza really is a jewel among the Cinque Terre villages. It is teeming with tourists but well worth any hassles you may have to deal with. It has a very "local" feel to it. It offers great food (especially for picnicking), lively small shops, plenty gelato opportunities, a nice harbor and great ocean views. After inquiring about a walk from Vernazza to Corniglia, we were told it was a one-hour stroll. Well, it was anything but a stroll, and took us nearly four hours. The "stroll" is mostly uphill with hundreds of steps then a steep walk down. After finally reaching Cornigila and realizing we needed to take the train back to Vernazza, we had to walk down at least another couple hundred zig-zagging steps to reach the train station. The adventure created several numerous memories for us, and the upside is, along the way, we had fabulous views of Vernazza looking back and spectacular views of Corniglia and Manarola looking forward. While in Vernazza, we stayed at Gianni Franzi. It took 100 steep steps to reach our rooms, but the views we had from the terraces, right on the water, was well worth the walk. Vernazza is one Italian village I would love to revisit!
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