The Italian Riviera is nestled between the French Riviera, Monaco and Tuscany on the Ligurian coast. Genoa was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus while Portofino attracts the rich and famous to its beautiful marina. Cinque Terre refers to the five villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso del Mar on the northwest coast of Italy. The five villages, which are connected by a hiking trail, draw 850,000 tourists each year yet are mostly unspoilt, continuing a lifestyle that goes back many generations.