What are must-see cities in the Cinque Terre? Any cheap hotel or delicious restaurant recommendations?

I understand there are 5 ( cinque) town/villages in the CT.Try this web-site - www.5TERRE.COM We are staying at the Ca Dei Duxi in Riomaggiore - got it off the web. Also try www.mareterra.it or google.com and Cinque Terre - there are some good comments on it from people

The "Must see" would be hiking the old walking trails between the cities. There are of course gorgeous views of the coast and the seas, and you will also sea groves of olives, citrus and vineyards on steep hillsides that plunge dramatically into the sea. We hiked 4/5 cities(it got dark), from Rio Maggiore to Vernazza, had dinner in Vernazza, then took the train back to Rio Maggiore where our apartment was. It took about 4-5 hours hiking at a good pace, but then making a lot of stops at little places on our path. Right on the sea in Rio Maggiore there is a little restaurant. We read about the wonderful seafood gnocchi, so I tried it and it was.

Hi Michelle. In my opinion, the most picturesque of the five Cinque Terre villages is Vernazza, the second town from the north. It has a wonderful piazza right on the harbor and a nice breakwater where you can hang out. We also liked the middle town, Corniglia, which has a nice little piazza and a spectacular view from a outlook (unlike Vernazza, Corniglia is perched high above the water.) And we liked Manarola -- the second town from the south -- as well, especially for it's great little park, just a bit north of the town. <BR><BR>I agree with SloPlugs that a &quot;must-see&quot; (or &quot;must-do&quot is hiking the trail that connects all five villages. I'd also recommend taking a boat round-trip to Portovenere, not one of the CT villages, but very picturesque and well worth a visit. <BR><BR>Two restaurants we ate at in Vernazza -- which came highly recommended and which we both enjoyed -- were Trattoria Gianni Franzi (on the south side of the piazza), and Ristorante Belforte (in the stone fort which stands guard above the breakwater.) In Corniglia, there's a take-out pizza place close to the piazza which was very popular, with a line out the door. Once we had a slice, we could understand why. <BR><BR>

<BR><BR>A friendly observation: The hiking, though not overly strenuous in good weather, is more than just a stroll in the park. There are several steep sections, and the trail can be somewhat narrow at times. Also, if it's been raining, the trail can get very muddy and slippery.<BR>But the views are awesome!

Jack's observation is a very good one. Put this into perspective -- since thousands of tourists hike the CT without incident -- but, when we were there last April, an Italian woman somehow fell to her death from the section between Vernazza and Corniglia, so you do need to watch your step in certain spots. They closed the trail for a few days after that and may have added warning signs, or something else, since then.