Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore takes its name from the Rio Maggiore, the stream that once ran through the valley and now flows hidden beneath the main street. Legend tells of Greek refugees founding it in the 8th century; the village we know gathered by the shore after the year 1000, under Genoa's protection.

Tall, brightly painted houses climb the ravine beneath a 13th-century castle. From here the Via dell'Amore — the Path of Love, carved into the cliffs in the 1930s — leads along the sea toward Manarola. At dusk, Riomaggiore turns to gold.