Wonders of the Trabocchi Coast

My Trabocchi Coast Itinerary

…in which we reflect on a dark period in Abruzzo’s history but then experience the lightness of being with a refreshing swim and lunch, restore body and soul at one of the region’s most stunning sacred sites, and end up at a nudist beach, but with our costumes and modesty intact. Here is our typical itinerary, highlighting five wonders of the Trabocchi Coast.

Moro River Canadian War Cemetery

Yes, I know the Canadian War Cemetery is not right on the coast. Neither is it a typical highlight on a day trip to the seaside. But our road from the north brings us here and there are many reasons for stopping.  

It is a lovely green place where no phones ring, no music thumps or whines, no traffic roars. You don’t have to be a tombstone tourist to gain something from spending time in contemplation and silence wandering over the perfect lawn among the white headstones.

From the information at the front gate we are enriched by what we learn of Abruzzo’s not-too-distant past, about the German retreat in 1944 with the allies hot on their heels and the brutal house-to-house fighting in the Battle of Ortona, in which most of the current inhabitants of the cemetery lost their lives. The historical facts are sobering but they add depth to our appreciation of the area.

The cemetery is about halfway between Ortona and San Vito Chietino on the SS 16 Adriatica.

San Vito Chietino

The difference between the peaceful cemetery and bustling San Vito Marina could hardly be more stark. By mid-morning in summer the beach is a hub of happy chatter and activity. The easily accessible free beach is devoid of glamour and equally free of privacy but anyone seeking a little comfort and reserve can easily retreat to one of the adjacent lidos.

The swimming here is safe, the water generally clean and calm. Children and adults can scare themselves silly by jumping off the pier into the deep. There is little not to like.

San Vito Marina is where we get our first sight of the romantic, fantastical trabocchi, for there are two here on the pier itself. Though from the ground they look fragile and rickety, one has been converted into a restaurant. A sneaky peak at the top of the ladder reveals a tiny space which would be challenging for even the skinniest waiter.

Le Frit c’est Chic

When it’s time for lunch we go elsewhere to eat where we don’t need to book. The main street of San Vito Marina is lined by a series of bustling eating places, which never fail to produce a range of perfectly-cooked seafood dishes (though one or two rebels cater to the carnivorous among us). 

The word restaurant doesn’t really describe these places, most of which are self-service, and offer plastic plates and cutlery and bench seating. Street food is more what it’s all about. But who’s quibbling when the food is tasty, the ambience cheerful and friendly and the prices are right. And if it’s closing day for one, there are always others to choose from.

We finish our meal with a gelato chosen from a wide range of flavours in the glamorous bar at the bottom of the road.

San Giovanni in Venere

It’s time for a siesta and what better place than in the grounds of this majestic 13^th century abbey and monastery, in its commanding position 107 metres above sea level, overlooking the dazzling Adriatic. The abbey is dedicated to St. John the Baptist and is built on the site of a pagan temple in honour of Venus. This part of the coast is in fact known as the Gulf of Venus.

The abbey has a rough stone exterior and is bare and solemn within. But despite its austerity, and the narrow windows high up, it is flooded with radiant light.

There is a cloister and a crypt to visit, and beautifully restored gothic sculptures to be admired around the door, the marble Portale della Luna.

Even better, there is a bar opposite with a large area out front where we can enjoy the views of the abbey, and while away the afternoon in the cool shade offered by the pine trees

Just north of Fossacesia on the SS16

Punta Le Morge

It seems to be a rule in Abruzzo that some of the most beautiful beaches are tricky to access. Or is it because they are tricky to access that we find them more beautiful?

The sharp turn off to Punta Le Morge is easy to miss, and miss it we do. The carpark is no great shakes either – it’s cramped and we feel lucky to find a space. Biking is better, as the Adriatic Bike Path runs along the back of the beach.

It’s supremely worth it, for we are rewarded with kilometres of free beach to the north and south. And one of the best preserved trabocchi on the coast. The Trabocco Punta Le Morge rests partly on Lo Scoglione, the Big Rock.

Here, apart from the trabocco, the beach is as God made it.  There are no private lidos and we left the only bar behind us in the carpark. There are smooth white stones underfoot though these give way at the water’s edge to a sandy seafloor. And just because not everyone feels comfortable on a stony beach without basic comforts or lifeguards, there is plenty of space. Those that come here are lovers of nature and…..naturists.

It is only after several visits that we learn that the section to the north is a nudist beach. Having never been surprised by nudes, we are taken by surprise by the news.

Now, though, forewarned is forearmed and preferring to keep our costumes intact, we head south of the trabocco.

On the SS 16 Adriatica. From the north, after Borgata Marina, take a sharp turn left at the sign for Ristoro Punta Le Morge.