Via Gaetano Semenza

Drop anchor off Levanto, a laid-back Ligurian town that sits just outside the Cinque Terre national park — giving you much of the charm with far fewer crowds. From here you can easily walk up to the medieval Castle of Levanto or wander the old town's striped-marble church and arched caruggi lanes. It's a genuinely unhurried corner of the Riviera, with good beaches and rail connections that let you day-trip into the Cinque Terre villages without the hassle of navigating their waters.