While vacationing in Pisa earlier this summer, a roommate of mine at the hostel I was staying in in Rome recommended at I spend a day in Cinque Terre.

Accessible by a quick and cheap train ride from Pisa, Cinque Terre is five Italian picturesque villages along the Mediterranean coast. The towns are all small collections of beautifully colored homes and a few hotels with a plethora of shops, cafes, restaurants and ice cream parlors downstairs.

All the towns are tightly knit around a chain of mountains and facing the ocean. One could - and many do - hike from one town to the next. But there is a train for the less adventures of us [buy a day pass for best price; really cheap].

There is a beach in most of the villages, but the best place from which to swim - as I found out - is to jump directly into the deep from one of the many mini-harbor points.

The water is crystal clear with a diverse oceanic subterranean, many fish can be spotted.

Cinque Terre also boosts its own wine industry. Cinque Terre is simply an amazing place worth spending a great deal of time in.

It’s best I do not state too much detail for this is a place that one should discover by walking around it and not hearing too much about it.

I will just add three more things.

1) Visit the churches, especially the one in Vernazza. View the arches; the architecture is not native from the area but due to the Arab influence. For years, the five villages were subject to attacks from Berber pirates from North Africa. Vernazza is also the best town and where I most the most time.

2) Monterosso al Mare has the best beach for just relaxing and the easiest mountain trail to climb.

3) I would avoid Riomaggiore beyond just a quick visit. Unfortunately some uncultured rich kids from Orange County [presumable] routinely vacation there. How they heard about it I don’t know. But these Valley girls and Frat boys undermine the appeal of Cinque Terre through their loud, drunk behavior. Such Americans are giving Americans and tourism a bad name in Riomaggiore and turning off even young, hip Cinque Terre youth. Cinque Terre is not Vegas and it is a shame that people looking for that type of fun don’t understand that this is not the place for it and that they should look else where. But these idiots whom don’t understand such mannerisms.