Regioni Italy Family Hotels Abruzzo Abruzzo |
Many places along the southern coast from Ortona to San Salvoare indented by cliffs and small coves with beaches and gravelly inlets, where it’s wonderful to dive with a mask to watch the lively seabed enriched with life in the clear sea. The wide Gulf of Venere and Gulf of Vasto offer broad sandy beaches.Hundreds of accommodation facilities all along the coast are full of excitement from June to September to meet all the holiday needs of those tourists who choose Abruzzo. Accommodations are also enriched with sports facilities, farm holiday centres, riding grounds and aquaparks, such as Aqualand in Incoronata in the Province of Vasto (the largest aquapark in central-southern Italy) and Acquapark Ondablu in Tortoredo Lido (Province of Teramo). Coastal Giulianova in the Province of Teramo is a favourite family tourist location.The city consists of a first part on the seashore, Giulianova Lido, and a second part, Giulianova Alta, which envelopes the old town centre built on top of the hill in the 14th century. Giulianova (one of the seven sister beaches along the coast) boasts Europe’s Blue Flag for its clear clean waters.
Martinsicuro (in the Province of Teramo) is a well-known seaside resort for tourists whose origins are quite old as attested by several archaeological excavations, which have permitted identifying a large protohistoric village dating back to sometime between the Bronze Age and the early Iron Age (1000-800 BC). It appears to be a modern seaside commercial and tourist resort, however it pays special attention to green and nature, as shown among other things by the presence of two biotopes in Martinsicuro and Villa Rosa. This is one of the first examples of the reconstruction of a dunal environment in Abruzzo. Its clear waters have been awarded a Blue Flag for seven years now, a true mark of quality of this resort’s tourist amenities. Its beautiful sandy beaches, clear water, wide bicycle paths and sea front enhanced by local street markets and adventure playgrounds make Martinsicuro-Villa Rosa the ideal holiday place for relaxation and entertainment. Historic-cultural places of interest worth visiting especially include the Torrione di Carlo V (Tower of Charles V) dating back to 1547 and built on the will of Martin de Secura (sent by Peter of Toledo). Despite its strong vocation for seaside tourism, the local coast in Teramo is also ideal for those looking to get in touch with nature. Nature enthusiasts can visit the wild uncontaminated stretch of beach between Giulianova and Roseto degli Abruzzi, or the Pineto stretch, dominated by the presence of majestic wild Mediterranean pines. This uncontaminated nature is where bears and wolves, eagles and chamois, and otters and lynxes populate dense beech groves or climb up and fly over the precipices of the Majella and Gran Sasso ridges, of the mountains in the National Park of Abruzzo and over those of the Laga, Velino and Sirente mountains. Vasto – a sea town but also a city of art and culture – is located in southern Abruzzo on the Trabocchi Gulf. Numerous archaeological excavations have brought many traces of ancient past to light, such as the magnificent thermal baths decorated with marvellous mosaics dating back to the 2nd-3rd centuries AD. The old town centre also has traces of a Roman amphitheatre and the ruins of the cistern of St. Clare. The Caldoresco Castle is among the most significant buildings from the medieval period, and over the years has been enhanced by two cylindrical towers and three corner bastions. D’Avalos Palace is also of interest; it is the old residence of the d’Avalos family and one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Abruzzo.
The deep and narrow Valley of San Martino is one of the longest in Italy. This is a true canyon (14 kilometres long) whose very narrow gorge and vertical walls lead to the summit of Mount Amaro, in the heart of the Majella Massif. It is easy to reach from the small town of Fara San Martino (town of Lombard origin on the eastern slopes of the Majella Massif, now considered one of the international capitals of pasta as it is home to several of the most prestigious and internationally-acclaimed Italian pasta factories).
The country and pastoral roots of Abruzzi cuisine consist of Mediterranean ingredients and aromas while offering a variety of unique dishes and flavours. First courses include well-knownmaccheroni alla chitarra pasta and scrippelle ‘mbusse (thin crepes sprinkled with pecorino cheese and cinnamon and served in a broth). Meat-based second courses include extremely common arrosticini (very thin mutton kebabs cooked over charcoal) trippette di agnello (lamb tripe) and matassine or torcinelli (made from lamb plucks), while fish prevails on the Abruzzi coast. However, brodetto (fish soup) is typical in the region.
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