What to see in Pescara in 2 days: itinerary through beaches, trabocchi and hidden Abruzzo
Guide on what to see in Pescara in 2 days: from D'Annunzio's seafront to trabocchi, from the D'Avalos Pine Forest to the inland Abruzzo villages.
Why Pescara deserves 2 days
Pescara is not just a seaside city: it is the gateway to Abruzzo, Europe's greenest region, where in one hour you can go from the beach to the mountains. The birthplace of Gabriele D'Annunzio offers a lively seafront, an excellent food scene and access to the famous trabocchi along the coast.
Day 1: The city and the seafront
Morning: The centre and D'Annunzio's house
Start at the Gabriele D'Annunzio Birthplace Museum on Corso Manthoné, where the poet-warrior was born in 1863. The house preserves original furnishings and documents recounting the Vate's youth in Pescara.
Continue along Corso Umberto I, the main shopping street, to Piazza della Rinascita (known as Piazza Salotto), the social heart of the city. From here reach the Ponte del Mare, a cable-stayed pedestrian and cycle bridge connecting the two banks of the Pescara river, one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
Afternoon: The seafront and D'Avalos Pine Forest
Walk along the Lungomare Matteotti, a tree-lined boulevard running alongside the beach for kilometres. The Nave di Cascella, a monumental travertine sculpture on the beach, is the city's symbol.
Head towards the Dannunziana Pine Forest Nature Reserve (also called D'Avalos), a green lung of Aleppo pines and holm oaks nestled between the buildings and the sea. The trails through the forest offer shade and silence just steps from the beach.
Hidden gem: the Museum of the Peoples of Abruzzo, housed in the former Bourbon Baths on the river, tells the story and traditions of the region from prehistory to transhumant shepherds.
Evening: Old Pescara
In the evening, explore Pescara Vecchia, the historic quarter between the river and the sea with lively streets full of bars, pubs and restaurants. This is where Pescara's nightlife concentrates, in a convivial and informal atmosphere.
Day 2: The trabocchi and the hinterland
Morning: The Trabocchi Coast
Rent a car or bicycle and ride along the Via Verde of the Trabocchi Coast, a cycle path built on the old railway. The trabocchi, ancient wooden fishing machines suspended over the water, are today largely restaurants where you eat the freshest fish with your feet practically in the sea.
The most evocative trabocchi are found between San Vito Chietino and Fossacesia. Stop for lunch at one for a unique experience.
Afternoon: The hinterland villages
If you prefer mountains, reach Penne (30 minutes), one of Italy's Most Beautiful Villages with the Lake Penne Reserve. Alternatively, Loreto Aprutino offers an intact medieval village with the Ceramics Museum and historic olive mills.
Hidden gem: the church of Santa Maria in Piano in Loreto Aprutino, with a medieval fresco of the Last Judgement of rare beauty.
Recommended walking and cycling routes
- **Urban route** (5 km): D'Annunzio House - Piazza Salotto - Ponte del Mare - Seafront - Nave di Cascella
- **Nature route** (4 km): D'Avalos Pine Forest - southern seafront - Nature Reserve
- **Cycle path** (15 km by bike): Via Verde dei Trabocchi from Ortona to San Vito Chietino
Practical tips
- Pescara has fast trains from Rome (3 hours) and frequent services from Bologna
- Trabocchi restaurants should be booked in advance, especially on summer weekends
- The Via Verde is flat and suitable for everyone, including children
- In summer, free beaches are few: look for those towards the southern mouth of the Pescara river
- Try arrosticini, the typical Abruzzo lamb skewers
- The centre is compact and can be explored entirely on foot in half a day
What not to miss
- Lunch on a trabocco with a sea view
- The Nave di Cascella at sunset
- The Via Verde by bicycle
- The D'Avalos Pine Forest for an hour of natural relaxation
- Arrosticini and a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine
