Abruzzo is split into four provinces: L’Aquila, Teramo, Pescara, and Chieti. The Apennine mountain range rises to the west, and a long coastline of beaches and famous fishing villages lies to the east. In between lie olive groves, vineyards, and pretty villages where bustling market days, fun-filled village feasts, and the harvest still set the calendar.
Three national parks and a regional park protect much of the landscape, including the limestone peaks of the Gran Sasso and Maiella mountains. Abruzzo still offers less-saturated spots than some of Italy’s more crowded headline destinations, leaving plenty of room to enjoy the piazzas like a local and take unhurried café breaks. For anyone considering a home here, that is the draw. Mountain trails and sandy Adriatic shores are a morning’s drive apart, and offer very different ways to spend a day.
Each season has its own character, from winter snow on the peaks to the olive and grape harvests in autumn. Local producers, family-run trattorias and neighborhood bakeries give endless opportunities to get to know the community with every visit. Pescara’s international airport offers direct connections to the UK and Europe, while Rome is a few hours’ drive away. It’s the kind of place where a second visit feels like coming home, and not just visiting again.
With wild and unspoiled landscapes, the Maiella National Park, Gran Sasso, Monti della Laga National Park, and Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park offer hiking and cycling. Winter brings skiing in the Alto Sangro ski area around Roccaraso, the largest in central and southern Italy. On the Maiella’s eastern flank, the narrow gorge at Fara San Martino opens between towering rock walls, with the ruins of the Benedictine abbey of San Martino in Valle just beyond. Farther north, the sweeping Campo Imperatore plateau unfolds beneath the Gran Sasso peaks.
The villages reward unhurried wanders. Casoli, recognized as one of Italy’s most beautiful villages (I Borghi più Belli d’Italia), rises above the Aventino Valley, its historic center gathered around Castello Masciantonio, where the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio once stayed. Here, Palazzo Ricci places prospective fractional owners within an established hilltop community, with countryside and coast to explore on future stays. Elsewhere, Chieti’s elevated setting offers views toward the Maiella, and a beautiful historic center to discover.
Imagine returning often enough to find your favorite bakery, recognize the landscape on a familiar walk, and plan supper around the local seasons. Spring visits might center on countryside excursions; summer brings seaside days, while autumn invites longer lunches and time among growers and producers. Walking through town, shopping locally, and getting to know the people who live here year-round can become as much a part of the visit as any landmark.
Head to Costa dei Trabocchi along the coast between Ortona and Vasto, where you will find the famous trabocchi— wooden pier-like structures that grace many an Instagram feed, standing proudly over the sea on slender timber supports. Walk or cycle sections of the Via Verde, which follows the former coastal railway line, and pause for lunch at one of the trabocchi converted into seafood restaurants, with the waves below.
From late summer into autumn, lively village sagre (food festivals) fill the calendar and celebrate local flavors, making your visit a delicious immersion into Abruzzo’s rich culinary traditions.
Abruzzo’s food reflects the traditions of its shepherds, farmers, and fishing communities: generous, simple, and full of flavor, with local chili adding a gentle warmth to many signature dishes.
A signature dish of Abruzzese cuisine is arrosticini: small skewers of lamb or mutton grilled over charcoal. Maccheroni alla chitarra, a lunch classic served with meat ragù or, in the Teramo tradition, tiny meatballs known as pallottine.
Pallotte cacio e uova—savory cheese, egg, and bread dumplings simmered in rich tomato sauce—show how modest ingredients become a memorable meal. Along the coast, salt cod is a staple favorite. Be sure to order brodetto, the regional fish stew, or fresh anchovies from Vasto for a true taste of the simple, rustic, and delicious coastal cuisine.
The land is abundant, too: extra virgin olive oil, fine wine grapes, almonds from the Peligna Valley, aromatic saffron, hearty pulses, and licorice all thrive here, with colorful local markets that follow the seasons. Look for delicate lentils from Santo Stefano di Sessanio, chickpeas from Navelli, Sulmona’s famous red garlic, sharp Pecorino d’Abruzzo, and fragrant olive oil cold-pressed in the surrounding hills.
Abruzzo’s vineyards produce internationally acclaimed wines. Taste the region through its Montepulciano d’Abruzzo reds, cherry-red Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo rosés, and whites made from Pecorino and Trebbiano grapes. For a sweet treat after a walk or hike, try pizzelle, patterned sweet wafers, or confetti, the sugar-coated almonds from Sulmona.
The beauty of returning to the same destination is that a favorite wine or a recipe learned locally becomes a familiar pleasure. Buying from passionate local artisans and producers supports the local community sustainably, and each season offers another chance to discover and taste local-grown produce that changes with the seasons.
Download a property brochure
