Our recent week in Italy’s famous Tuscany region was a study in contrasts: From renting an entire 11-story, 12th-century tower to a small town B&B; from upscale dining to simple picnicking; from a popular tourist town to a tiny, quiet medieval village. Despite the wide range of experiences, there were common threads: Immersion into the history and the authentic lifestyle of the people who live in this magical and storied country; doing it all in an affordable way while steering clear of tourist crowds; and of course, eating and drinking very well.

We love traveling to Europe in the winter; it's an especially good time to visit tourist hot-spots. The five towns of the Cinque Terre on Italy’s northwest coast are beautiful, iconic, and intolerably crowded in the high season; for this reason, we chose to visit the Cinque Terre in the off-season, in search of its true face. 

We love staying at a remote lighthouse, just steps from the sea. Here are seven of our favorites. 

Are You Blowing Your Budget On Italy Vacation Cliches?  5 Reasons to Hire an Itinerary Service and Ditch The Tourist Traps.