Abruzzo Bike to Coast: the Abruzzo Coast Cycle Path

Discover the Beauty of Abruzzo: From Mountains to the Sea

Abruzzo is a region rich with places to explore, from mountains to the sea. The Abruzzo coast stretches for 131 km, from the border with Marche to the southern border with Molise. We offer you an itinerary to discover the Abruzzo coast by following the Abruzzo Bike to Coast project. 

Our tour includes the section of the Abruzzo coast that runs from Francavilla al Mare to Vasto, the most fascinating stretch thanks to the famous Trabocchi. Cycling for 42 km along the bike path during the Bike to Coast allows you to explore a variety of landscapes, seaside villages, and hills, making the cycling experience in Abruzzo truly unique. The walking path runs close to the coast, creating the illusion of walking on water as you move from one trabocco to another. You'll be able to observe the changing landscape from sandy areas to more rocky regions. At the beginning of the coast, you can see a sandy panorama, but as you move forward, you'll notice the transformation of the landscape, with the appearance of rocky coves and inlets overlooking the sea, accompanied by varied vegetation.

Walking towards Ortona, looking up, you can admire the beautiful Aragonese Castle. From this point, you start the journey known as the Via Verde along the famous Trabocchi coast, passing through the Acquabella Nature Reserve. The first trabocchi are already visible, once used for fishing. The oldest one we'll see, which will surprise you as it did the famous poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, is called Trabocco Turchino. Behind the promontory, surrounded by orange groves and yellow broom, stands Villa Italia, the refuge where Gabriele D'Annunzio spent long periods, attracted by the beauty of the area.

Continuing along the bike path, you will be accompanied by the trabocchi as you pass through Rocca San Giovanni and Fossacesia. A few kilometers away is Casalbordino, a charming medieval town characterized by a wide sandy beach. Before continuing to Vasto, we recommend visiting the Punta Aderci Regional Nature Reserve, followed by Punta Penna, both known for some of the most breathtaking stretches of the Abruzzo coast, featuring both sandy beaches and natural cliffs. Punta Penna stands out as the area of greatest naturalistic interest, characterized by a marine amphitheater that hosts a variety of native plant species. Meanwhile, Punta Aderci offers a panoramic view of the entire reserve. Here, you can find 'Halymenia floresia, considered the most exquisite red algae of the Mediterranean. From here, turning your back, you can observe the landscape stretching to the national parks of Maiella, Gran Sasso - Laga, and Sibillini, and at sunset, under clear conditions, you can see the Conero Regional Park in the distance.

If you wish, you can return by train.

What is a trabocco?

A Trabocco is an old structure used for fishing, built with Aleppo pine wood, a very resistant type of wood commonly found along this coastal area. The structure, to which a net is attached, allowed fishermen to lower the net into the water and then pull up the catch. Trabocchi enabled fishing without the need to sail out to sea on a boat, and for some fishermen, they also served as a home. In Gabriele D'Annunzio's work "The Triumph of Death," trabocchi are described as "machines that seemed to have a life of their own," and today they have become a symbol of Abruzzo. Most of them have been converted into small restaurants that preserve the local tradition.

Typical Spring/Summer Food & Wine along the Itinerary:

If you decide to stop here to enjoy excellent food while suspended over the sea in the suggestive atmosphere of sunset, you are in the perfect place. Most of these ancient coastal structures are now charming restaurants where you can taste the typical dishes of Abruzzo and fresh fish. For example, there are octopus salads, sagnette with pelosi, fried anchovies and calamari, mussels with pepper, stuffed mussels, and fried mixed fish. To end on a sweet note, you can taste Cilli fritti, traditional sweets filled with grape must. 

To fully experience the tour, don't miss our video on YouTube!