Cinque Terre is one of those places that looks exactly like the photographs — and still manages to surprise you when you actually arrive. Five ancient fishing villages built directly into the cliffs above the Ligurian sea, each one with its own character, its own harbour and its own particular shade of coloured plaster. Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso — five names that have become synonymous with the Italian coastline at its most dramatic.

The day begins in Portovenere — a UNESCO-listed medieval village at the southern tip of the Cinque Terre coast, just 35 minutes from La Spezia. Walk the medieval borgo, climb to the Church of San Pietro on its rocky promontory above the turquoise water, and take in one of the finest views on the Ligurian coast before boarding the ferry north. From Portovenere, the ferryboat sails past all five villages — the perspective from the sea is the one that makes the Cinque Terre legendary, impossible to get any other way.

You can disembark at any village and explore on foot — Manarola for the iconic clifftop view, Vernazza for the medieval harbour and castle promontory, Monterosso for the beach and a seafood lunch. Between villages, the Cinque Terre Express train connects them all in minutes. Two or three villages done properly is worth more than five rushed — your driver will help you plan the sequence that makes the most sense for the day.

For those who want something completely off the tourist route, Portovenere offers an optional water taxi crossing to the Isola di Palmaria — a car-free island with crystal-clear water, hidden coves and a handful of waterfront restaurants. It takes time, but it is one of those experiences that stays with you precisely because nobody else is doing it.

Your driver collects you from your hotel or any address in Tuscany — Florence, Lucca, Forte dei Marmi, Viareggio, Montecatini or wherever you are staying — and returns you to the same address at the end of the day. The hourly rate covers everything from the moment you step in the car to the moment you are dropped back. Ferry and train tickets are paid separately on board.