One down, four to go

Even if you thoroughly wander Manarola's towering, twisting topography, you'll have only explored a fifth of this spectacular region. Consisting of Manarola and four other villages on Italy's northwest coast, Cinque Terre ("Five Lands") is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that's visited by more than 2 million people a year. Precariously terraced and sloping straight to the Ligurian Sea shore, the cluster of villages is only accessible by train, boat or trail. Who said paradise would be easy to reach?