Isn’t the September sea beautiful? The waves ruffled by the whims of time, sand and pebbles stirred up, a few dry leaves and branches scattered here and there, and the rhythm of the water that washes upon the shore. It’s the perfect stage for a romantic stroll, but also the perfect setting for a solitary walk, with a good book perhaps. And why not? It’s the perfect climate for a group swim with good old friends, before reentering the repetitive rhythm of daily life, of work and study.
So here are five beaches of the Terre dei Trabocchi where we suggest you go for a swim, whether it be the last of the season or the umpteenth of a long summer.
1. San Vito – Rocco Mancini
The open beach Rocco Mancini is found at San Vito Marina between the Portelle beach and the Punta Fornace trabocco. The pebbly beach is lapped by a clear sea, already deep at one meter from the shore. The ideal place to spend relaxing days in the sun. It’s outfitted with garbage cans and showers.
2. Rocca San Giovanni – La Foce
It’s the largest beach in the municipal territory of Rocca San Giovanni. The shore, mostly gravelly, extends for more than six hundred meters between the ancient village of Vallevò and Punta Torre, where there rises its namesake, the trabocco, still used for fishing. The careful maintenance and cleaning, a wide parking lot and services for the disabled have won this beach, in addition to the Bandiera Blu in 2013, also the “4 Vele Guida Blu di Legambiente” (the only beach in Abruzzo to have done so.)
3. Torino di Sangro – Costa Verde
A few kilometers from the coastal Lecceta regional nature reserve of Torino di Sangro, this gravely beach extends with small beachside shops that are spaced throughout the open areas. A beach known for its sea flor ideal for underwater fishing, it’s encircled by hills covered by centuries-old forests that overlook the sea.
4. Vasto – Punta Penna
Punta Penna beach, nearby the port of Vasto, represents one of the few stretches of Abruzzo’s coastline that’s still wild. It extends for several kilometers and is characterized by golden sand, which make splendid formations on the beach. The dunes are covered by rare vegetation and populated by animals, including several different varieties of sea birds. The sea is a beautiful turquoise, crystal clear, with a declining sandy bottom ideal for swimming and for doing various aquatic sports. This beach also claimed the Bandiera Blu in 2013.
5. San Salvo – The Mediterranean Botanical Garden
The Mediterranean Botanical Garden of San Salvo is found on the Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo, in the city’s marina. It’s an area protected by about 60 hectares and is one of the few Italian dunal gardens, and the only one on the whole Adriatic coast. Inside all of the typical environments of the sandy mid-Adriatic coast have been reconstructed, beginning with the dunal vegetation, with the typical structure parallel to the shore.
Translated by Alan Glenn Embree
[Credits: Trignosinelloturismo, Visitabruzzo, Google. Instagram Carmelita Cianci]
