Corniglia

Corniglia is a lovely town in the Cinque Terre. Higher up above the water, this quiet village is more intent upon wine and caters to a quieter crowd than the more "party atmosphere" of Vernazza or Monterosso.

Though we have not stayed overnight in Corniglia, we did hike through it a couple times while enjoying the national park trail that connects all five villages. The lovely town square provides a shady respite from the heat, there are a handful of shops and eateries that looked worth exploring, and the cats & dogs hanging out in this town were especially spunky and entertaining! (See my blog post w/photos on them http://findthefound.org/2010/07/26/meow-with-an-accent/).
The best tip for Corniglia, though, is to take advantage of the high views overlooking the Mediterranean and watch the vineyard workers riding up and down the steep terraced hillside in the rickety-looking rail carts, and then hike down the steep steps to Corniglia's little alcoved swimming area. There is a small dock and large flat rocks for sun bathing. We laid and listened to the rustling sound of smooth pebbles being pushed back and forth by the waves on our own nearly private beach!
Ah, la dolce far niente!