The hills are very much alive with the adventurous—and the curious—in Italy’s Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre, perched on the rocky Mediterranean coast between Pisa and Genova. Cinque Terre (literally “five lands”) is a short strand of five village pearls strung along hiking trails just north of the industrial port town of La Spezia.

Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore all have their individual charms. None is large, but Monterosso comes closer to town status than its four sisters villages. It is blessed with a decent-sized sandy beach in lieu of the pebbly-to-downright-rocky beaches typical of the area. For the most part, it’s a slow-paced family-friendly beach with play areas, and cafes nearby. Visitors in search of a different beach adventure can seek out the semi-secret, clothing-optional private beach near Corniglia. Those who want to brave the churning blue waters can join the locals clambering over—and diving from—the rocks at the several tiny harbors.

While crowds fill the village streets and clog the coastal paths during the day, the locals tend to re-emerge in force in the evenings. At 5 p.m. along the steep and narrow main street of Riomaggiore, villagers come out onto their balconies and front steps to gossip, admire babies, call out Ciao to passing neighbors, and simply catch their breath after the pedestrian tourist crush wanes.

The worlds of the locals and the overnight visitors reconnect at the areas restaurants, bars, and osterias (wine bar/restaurants). The lure of the waterfront sends many diners to establishments overlooking the water, nestled next to tiny harbors. Local seafood plays an important, almost exclusive role here (that, and wine, of course). As testament to the “local” in local seafood, a waitress explained the lack of some menu items one Monday night. The reason? Many of the region’s fishermen don’t fish on Sunday and Monday.

Some guidebooks claim that Cinque Terra operates as a mostly cash economy, with few ATMs and many places that did not accept credit cards. Not true: there was an ATM just steps from our B&B in Riomaggiore and while small lodging establishments accept only cash, most shops and virtually all restaurants in the area welcome major credit cards.

All this praise could easily be dismissed as tourism hype. But Cinque Terre’s worthiness earned the stamp of approval from UNESCO when that international body named the area as a World Heritage Site in 1997. That designation puts Cinque Terre into some lofty cultural company in Europe including the Versailles Palace, the Acropolis and the Tower of London. Trivial, but relevant fact: Italy boasts more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any of its European neighbors and more than any other place in the world.

Access is good for visitors who want to strap on a daypack and hike the area’s rigorous trail system. For those who aren’t aspiring mountain climbers, Cinque Terre is equally accessible using several pedestrian, nearly level pathways. Frequent train service connects the five villages of Cinque Terre to one other, and to the rest of Italy. Automobiles are less than useless in Cinque Terre, but if arriving by car, consider parking in Riomaggiore (and paying dearly for the privilege). The Cinque Terra Card, which covers the area’s local trains, toll hiking trails and village buses, is a transportation must.

But it is hiking that attracts many visitors and Cinque Terre rewards them with a web of challenging trails. The coastal trails are busy with casual trekers—some of whom are undoubtedly caught short of breath by the steep and narrow “easy” paths. The distance between the five villages may be short as the crow flies, but the crow doesn’t have to negotiate the up-and-downs of the coastal trail. Pay attention to estimated walk times, not distance, in planning an excursion here. Access to the coastal paths is controlled, and tolls are charged, but the park also boasts a network of free trails that wander inland, through the terraced vineyards. Need we mention that these inland paths are steeper still?

The Cinque Terre national park covers more than just the “terre.” A portion of the offshore underwater environment is protected as well. While the adventurer may want to don mask, snorkel and fins for some of the coast’s premier underwater sightseeing. The stay-dry visitor can climb aboard a passenger ferry and shuttle between all but one Cinque Terre town.

All this easy access comes with a price: substantial crowds in the peak tourism season. But anyone in search of postcard-perfect, hill-hugging, vineyard-surrounded, Italian villages lapped by the azure blue Mediterranean should brave the crowds and explore these five lands.