After the Pescara Marathon: The Trabocchi Coast

The Route: Pescara Porta Nuova → San Vito-Lanciano → the coast at San Vito Chietino → Pescara Logistics: A regional train of about 25 minutes, with infrequent services, so plan the return carefully. A hire car makes the day easier. Marathon Month: September Duration: Day trip

Pescara Porta Nuova ──(train, about 25 mins)──> San Vito-Lanciano
                                                       │
                                  (short walk, bus or taxi to the shore)

South of Pescara the Adriatic coast turns rocky, and fishermen have built wooden platforms called trabocchi out over the water. Each is a timber frame on stilts, with long arms that hold a net over the sea and a hut at the shore end. Some are still used for fishing, and some are restaurants. The old railway line along this coast has been turned into a flat cycle and walking route. The trip is a good way to recover from a marathon on level ground by the sea.

September in the Trabocchi coast: the sea is warm enough to swim in, the days are sunny, and weekends can be busy. A Monday is quieter, though some restaurants close for the day.

Getting there

The train from Pescara Porta Nuova to San Vito-Lanciano takes about 25 minutes, but only runs about every four hours according to the information available. Check the current timetable at the operator's site and note the last train back. The station is a short distance from the shore, so allow time for a walk, a bus or a taxi.

On the coast

San Vito Chietino is a small hill village above the shore, and the best-known trabocco in the area, the Trabocco Turchino, is on the shore below it; check the distance on a map. The old railway line is now a flat path, the Via Verde, with the sea on one side and olive terraces on the other. Walk a section of it and stop at a trabocco. Do not walk out onto a platform unless it is open to visitors.

Lunch

A trabocco restaurant serves fish caught the same day, often as a fixed menu of several small courses. Book ahead, and check that it is open on the day, because many shut in autumn.

Getting back

Return to Pescara by the same train. The service is infrequent, so check the last departure when you arrive and do not miss it. A taxi back is possible but long and costly.