MONTEROSSO al Mare is situated in the middle of a small natural bay protected by a low artificial reef, east of Punta Mesco on the Riviera in the province of La Spezia. It is the most western of the Cinque Terre.

On the west side of the village there is the neighbourhood called Fegina which represents the more recent settlement with a typical touristic seaside character; the ancient centre of the village can be reached walking through a short tunnel , beyond the hill of the Cappuccini friars. In Fegina there is the railway station and beaches which are quite wide with respect to the other villages.

is the second village of the Cinque Terre and is situated in a bay between the districts of Monterosso and Riomaggiore; its territory includes the following village, Corniglia.

Corniglia is right in the middle of the Cinque Terre, east of Monterosso and Vernazza (to which it is connected by a panoramic footpath running between the peak and the sea) and west of Manarola and Riomaggiore. It differs from the other villages of the Cinque Terre because it is not situated near the seashore but on top of a promontory about 90 metres above the sea level, surrounded by vineyards cultivated on the typical terraces overlooking the sea. It is possible to reach the centre of the village from the railway station by a long stairway, called Lardarina, consisting of 33 flights with 382 steps altogether or by a crooked street.

Riomaggiore, like the other Cinque Terre, is situated between the Ligurian Sea and the steep mountain chain which stretches from the Apennines , near Mount Zatta, towards the South-East thus dividing the Vara Valley from the coast. The historical centre, the original nucleus of which dates back to the 13th century, is situated the valley of the small river called Rio Maggiore, the ancient Rivus Major after which the village is named. The village consists of various parallel series of typical Genoese tower houses along the riverbank.

Manarola is characterized by a series of typical colourful Genoese tower houses, built one next to the other on the main street, called Via Discovolo, and obtained by covering a river. The village developed climbing up the rocky promontory overlooking the sea thus creating a web of narrow alleys running parallel on various levels connected by uneven slate stairs. Manarola lies east of Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia and west of Riomanggiore and is the smallest village after Corniglia.