in Abruzzo with us

A beautiful park with footpaths, cycle paths, exercise equipment surrounded by greenery and a large playground for children.

Ancient watchtower on the sea dating back to the Kingdom of Naples. Breathtaking views! Guided tours of about 1 hour to discover the Maritime Museum and the secrets of Abruzzo's fishermen.
The golden beach at the foot of the tower is a protected area: the Kentish plover nests there and rare specimens of sea saffron can be seen.

This modern bridge connects Pescara Nord and Pescara Sud and is the longest cycle-pedestrian bridge in Italy. 
We recommend you to cycle to it on the cycle path connecting Montesilvano and Pescara. It has a breathtaking view of the Adriatic Sea and the Gran Sasso d'Italia. Below are examples of 'trabocchi', fishermen's piles used in ancient times for fishing. The view of the port of Pescara with its fishing boats is breathtaking.

A few metres away you can visit the tourist port with private boats and good fish restaurants.

It's a bridge built over the beach for walking and enjoying the view of a beautiful beach and surrounding mountains. Suitable for a walk of a couple of hours with the children also with pram, skates, bicycles. We recommend a homemade ice cream in the nearby TENNIS ice cream parlour, one of the best in town.

This is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, this hilltop town a few kilometres from Montesilvano will amaze you with its views, streets and medieval shops. The cathedral, the cloister, the cistern and the Belvedere, you'll be spoilt for choice for a family or romantic walk.

If you want to take your kids to see the horses and maybe try a ride on them, this is the place to go. There are horses for all ages and a ride costs only 5 euros!

A pebble beach situated on a promontory on a deep blue and transparent sea. I recommend you some plastic shoes so that you don't hurt yourself while walking.

You can park in a public car parking and walk down an 'adventurous' path (not suitable for pushchairs or small children) or you can pay to park in the campsite and walk down comfortably with the children. There are only a few umbrellas for rent, so it's best to bring your own. There is a bar with a self-service restaurant and toilets.

Remember to bring a diving mask to see the fish and a bit of courage to try diving off the rocks!

 

Every year in October-November it is time to harvest the olives in the olive groves of Abruzzo. 
We set off early in the morning with a supply of food for breakfast consisting of peppers and egg sandwiches and set to work. 
Some put up the nets, some rake, some harvester, some pick the beans from the leaves and some carry the sacks. We also have our own land and we go out as a family to harvest. My children love to help out and experience 'the countryside' for once. If you want to take part, even if only to observe, give us a call and you'll be one of us! Abruzzo olive oil is a speciality, you know that, don't you?

The city of Ortona is famous for its commercial port, has always been a place of trade by sea and a fishermen's town.
The Aragonese castle overhanging the sea was a lookout outpost and has suffered several bombings and earthquakes so that the outer walls and a beautiful garden remain.
It is worth visiting for the view of the sea and you can combine the trip to the town of Ortona, a medieval village with a beautiful walk on the belvedere and the Basilica of St. Thomas the Apostle where the relics of the saint are kept.



 

The turquoise, sulphurous waters of the Lavino river create this protected area near Pescara with benches and barbecues equipped for picnics. There are also games for children. The panorama is very scenic because the colour of the water is so bright.

Suitable for a spring or autumn outing with children. 

More than 200 animals: alligators, lemurs, lions, elephants...
It is also close to the Abbey of San Giovanni in Venere, in Romanesque style with a splendid panorama of the Trabocchi coast.

"From the extreme point of the right-hand promontory, above a group of rocks, there was an overflow, a strange fishing machine, all made up of boards and beams, similar to a colossal spider...". 

This is how Gabriele D'annunzio, a poet born in Pescara, described the "Trabocco Turchino" that overlooks the promontory of D'annunzio.

The south coast of Abruzzo is full of these pile dwellings. They were built from 1600 onwards by fishermen in order to fish without risking the open sea. They look like spiders with their large nets attached to wooden poles. 

Today they are tourist attractions, most of them are restaurants where you can eat fish from the Adriatic. Recommended for a trip to the sea and then lunch or for a sunset stroll with a romantic dinner.

Set menu 45-50 euros per person, fish only. 

Salle Castle, built around the 11th century as a fief of the Abbey of San Clemente a Casauria, houses the Bourbon Medieval Museum. Here you will find an exhibition of fabrics, weapons, torture instruments, paintings, maps, sacred vestments, as well as both ancient and modern images of Salle.

"Cantine aperte" (transl. "open wineries) is an event held in May or October where the wineries of Abruzzo open their doors to the public to let them taste their wines at a symbolic price. Guided tours of the cellars, tastings of typical products such as salami and cheese, shows and live music are organised.

Super recommended. Better to leave the kids with their grandparents :)

The Majella is the closest mountain to Montesilvano, you can get there in 50 minutes and enjoy the crazy views while eating a nice sausage sandwich or polenta at the refuge. 

If you can go there in winter with snow, you can ski while looking at the sea. 

It is true that in Abruzzo you can ski and swim in the sea on the same day, usually a spring day. Would you like to try it? 

A medieval village at the foot of the Majella, it is famous for its spa, which is very popular for treating respiratory diseases. There are numerous churches and ancient buildings to visit and restaurants to taste typical products.

Near Pescara is a plateau at 1400 m inside the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. It offers incredible views to adults and children alike: beech woods, firs, poplars, lakes and the Gran Sasso. It is also possible to take part in horseback rides (booking required). 

I recommend a stop in one of the trattorias specialising in arrosticini, (the typical Abruzzo sheep skewers).

When you arrive at the Sanctuary of San Gabriele, whether you are a believer or not, you will be enraptured by the majesty of nature, you can see the Gran Sasso, the highest peak in the Apennines, really close up. In Abruzzo, it is customary to visit the Saint once a year to say one's prayers.

The street stalls selling the best porchetta in Abruzzo are very famous.

A 15-minute drive away, children will enjoy observing a small waterfall formed by the Ruzzo river. 

It is a fairy-tale castle dating back to the year 1000 perched on a rocky spur to control the entire Peligna valley below. It is an ideal place for trips with children aged 3 and over because the stairs make it uncomfortable for pushchairs. The visit can be combined with a trip to Fara San Martino, the "pasta village" that is home to two world-famous Abruzzo pasta factories, "De Cecco" and "Del Verde". Here you will find the river Verde with its crystal-clear waters and the "gorges of Fara San Martino", also known as the "Petra" of Abruzzo": in fact, it conceals the evocative remains of a Benedictine monastery set into the rocky walls.

Near L'Aquila, this 12th-century castle dominates the Navelli plain, famous throughout the world for its saffron crops. only the remains of the walls are still standing.  At the foot of the manor, the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria dell'Assunta and the Oratory of San Pellegrino, a small jewel of medieval Gothic art, are well worth a visit. The latter is known as the "Sistine Chapel of Abruzzo" because it is completely covered in frescoes on the life of Jesus.

A beautiful town in Abruzzo, an ancient commercial port and the leader of the famous "costa dei Trabocchi". In addition to the breathtaking view that can be seen from the belvedere, there are many points of interest such as the Palazzo d'Avalos, the dome, many churches and the Loggia Amblingh. 

It is a must to taste the typical "brodetto alla vastese", a soup with tomatoes and fish from the Adriatic.

At Vasto Marina there is a beautiful playground by the sea where children can enjoy themselves on slides and swings. 

The emerald green Lake of San Domenico is the perfect place for a picnic in spring or summer. It can be reached from the village of Villalago by a 40-minute downhill walk or by car, but it is also possible to visit the San Domenico hermitage, built on a natural cave, at the entrance to the lake.

It is the largest natural lake in Abruzzo and has artificial beaches, kiosks and pedalos for a relaxing trip in spring or summer. 
With its heart shape visible from the Belvedere of Frattura Nuova, it is one of the most instagrammable places in the region. 
The village of Scanno with its medieval architecture and typical 20th century women's costumes has fascinated many artists, and is in fact called the 'city of photographers', including Bresson. 

Let yourself be charmed by the Tibet of Abruzzo, this vast plateau (1800 m above sea level) set in the Gran Sasso massif. Its barren, rugged landscape has been the setting for several Italian films. In addition to majestic nature, it is home to the "Rifugio Mussolini", a now disused hotel and the Abruzzo astronomical observation station. In the summer, I recommend stopping at the "Mucciante" Refuge to buy meat and roast it directly at altitude for a picnic against a breathtaking backdrop...(sun umbrella compulsory!).

A beautiful medieval village at the foot of the Majella with typical stone houses. It is very popular with tourists in summer and at Christmas time. During the festive season it is a stop on the Transiberiana d'Italia, a historic train that crosses our mountains from Sulmona to Isernia. For the occasion, the village is animated by markets with typical products and entertainment for children with workshops and games.

A fantastic beach of fine sand, alternating with pebbles, a 'wild' place that can only be reached on foot with a nice walk down a rocky promontory.  There is no service, so you have to bring everything with you: umbrellas, drinks and food.
If you're the adventurous type, you can bring your children, but I advise you to avoid prams at all costs. 

The sea is clear at the shore and deep blue offshore, a paradise for young people who like to take selfies in a truly breathtaking place.