Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore is the southernmost village of the Cinque Terre, a tightly packed cluster of colorful stone houses cascading down a narrow valley to a small harbor on the Ligurian coast. The classic shot is from the elevated path above the harbor, where you can compress the layers of yellow, orange, and terracotta facades against the deep blue sea using a telephoto lens in the 70-200mm range. For wider environmental shots, work your way down to the harbor walls and shoot back toward the village with the fishing boats in the foreground. Sunrise is ideal, giving you warm directional light on the facades with far fewer crowds than midday; the golden hour glow reflecting off the water adds depth to almost any composition. The village is accessible by train from La Spezia, and most of the best vantage points require short climbs up steep stone stairways, so wear comfortable shoes. (Riomaggiore, Liguria, Italy)
