Aside from swimming and soaking in the atmosphere of unspoiled fishing villages, the most popular activity in the Cinque Terre is hiking from one village to the next along centuries-old goat paths. Trails plunge through vineyards and groves of olive and lemon trees and hug seaside cliffs, affording heart-stopping views of the coast and the romantic little villages looming ahead in the distance. The well-signposted walks from village to village range in difficulty and length, but as a loose rule they get longer and steeper -- and more rewarding -- the farther north you go. Depending on your pace and how long you stop in each village for a fortifying glass of sciacchetrà, the local sweet wine, you can make the trip between Monterosso, at the northern end of the Cinque Terre, to Riomaggiore, at the southern end, in about 5 hours. You should decide whether you want to walk north to south or south to north. Walking south means tackling the worst trail first, which you may prefer since you'll get it out of the way and things will get easier as the day goes on and you start to tire. Heading north, the trail gets progressively harder between each town, so perhaps you might like this if you want to walk just until you get tired and then hop the train.
The walk from Monterosso to Vernazza is the most arduous and takes 1 1/2 hours, on a trail that makes several steep ascents and descents (on the portion outside Monterosso, you'll pass beneath funicular-like cars that transport grapes down the steep hillsides). The leg from Vernazza to Corniglia is also demanding and takes another 1 1/2 hours, plunging into some dense forests and involving some lengthy ascents, but is among the prettiest and most rewarding stretches. Part of the path between Corniglia and Manarola, about 45 minutes apart, follows a level grade above a long stretch of beach, tempting you to break stride and take a dip. From Manarola to Riomaggiore it's easy going for about half an hour along a partially paved path known as the Via dell'Amore, so named for its romantic vistas (great to do at sunset).
Since all the villages are linked by rail, you can hike as many portions of the itinerary as you wish and take the train to your next destination. Trails also cut through the forested, hilly terrain inland from the coast, much of which is protected as a nature preserve; the tourist office in Monterosso can provide maps.
Beaches
The only sandy beach in the Cinque Terre is the crowded strand in Monterosso, on much of which you will be asked to pay about 5€ ($6.50) per day for a chair, or 10€ to 15€ ($13-$20) per day for two chairs and an umbrella.
Guvano Beach is a long, isolated pebbly strand that stretches just north of Corniglia and is popular with nudists (almost entirely men, many of whom are happy it's almost entirely men). You can clamber down to it from the Vernazza-Corniglia path, but the drop is steep and treacherous. A weird alternative route takes you through an unused train tunnel that you enter near the north end of Corniglia's train station. You must ring the bell at the gated entrance and wait for a custodian to arrive to unburden you of 2.50€ ($3.25), good for passage through the dank, dimly lit 1.6km-long (1-mile) gallery that emerges onto the beach at the far end.
There's also a long, rocky beach to the south of Corniglia, and it is easily accessible by some quick downhill scrambles from the Corniglia to Manrola path. Riomaggiore has a tiny crescent-shaped pebble beach reached by a series of stone steps on the south side of the harbor. Everywhere else, you'll be swimming off piers or rocks.
