Punta della Penna beach is Abruzzo’s & Vasto’s best kept secret. Framed by rolling vineyards and the panoramic coastal nature reserve of Punto Aderci, this soft sandy Blue Flag beach just north of Vasto is perfect for those that seek something a little more au naturel than the perfectly aligned rows of sun-loungers that some of Abruzzo’s coastal resorts offer in the provinces of Chieti, Teramo & Pescara.
Sand dunes are moulded & encouraged by the deep-rooted Sea Grass and a backdrop palette of delicately perfumed coastal flowers in the Punta Aderci Reserve, including Sea Daffodils, electric blue Sea Holly, pink Campion, yellow Horn-poppies, crimson Sulla, Sea Splurge white & mauve Sea Rocket, Samphire & Myrtle. These coastal blooms all put on their show between May & September which is keenly attended by local insects. These in turn create a bird-watcher’s chirping delight as waders that include both Kentish Plovers & Great Bitterns, as well as Squacco, Stonechat, Crested larks, Great Tits, Marsh Harriers, Kestrel, Kingfishers, Bee-Eaters and Sparrow Hawks, all come to feast respectively.
This beautiful golden corona is framed by a trabocchi to the left & overlooked by Italy’s second highest lighthouse, the only indication that the Porto di Vasto is literally around the corner. If you do get too hot you can jump on the small ferry that will whisk you down to the Tremiti Islands nestled off the Puglia coast.
Like all good things, Vasto’s northerly crown of Punta Penna is free, but that does mean an absence of rental umbrellas, potentially misleading one to just how hot it can get in Abruzzo’s most southerly tip in the Summer. Unless you have access to an umbrella that you can beg, borrow or bring we would advise caution whilst sitting in the summer sun here or it will be burn baby burn.
For those who like a little activity outside the glorious walks offered within Punta Aderci reserve, canoe rental is offered for those that fancy a paddle out to sea (and preferrably back again).
A veritable haven of seclusion & harmony amidst nature’s preserved revelry, a rich host to Abruzzo’s celebrated bio-diversity.
Author: Sam Dunham
Sam is a very lucky midlife 'mamma' to A who is 12 and juggles her work as a self-employed freelance SEO food and travel copywriter and EFL teacher. She is the founder of the Life In Abruzzo Cultural Association, co-founder of Let's Blog Abruzzo. she is the founder of the 'English in the Woods' initiative, teaching English outdoors in a forest style school.
