Spiaggia del Turchino

Spiaggia del Turchino (also called Cala Turchino) is a compact cove of fine white pebbles at San Vito Chietino, tucked beneath the sandstone cliffs that the writer Gabriele D'Annunzio described in his novel Il Trionfo della Morte. It marks one of the starting points of the Costa dei Trabocchi, and its clear, sheltered water and small size give it a quieter, more intimate feel than the wider sandy beaches further along the coast.

San Vito Chietino sits on a low cliff above the Adriatic, and Spiaggia del Turchino is reached by a path or steps down from the town, opening onto a narrow beach of pale, rounded pebbles wedged between rocky outcrops. The name and the surrounding cliffs feature in Gabriele D'Annunzio's writing - he set part of Il Trionfo della Morte in this stretch of coast, and the area still trades on that literary association today.\n\nThe cove's water is notably clear, helped by the pebble seabed rather than sand, and the enclosed shape of the bay keeps it relatively calm even when the open Adriatic further out has some chop. Because it's small, the beach doesn't take huge crowds, and much of its charm comes from the setting - cliffs rising directly behind the pebbles, with a couple of trabocchi visible along the coastline in either direction.\n\nSan Vito Chietino marks the northern end of the Costa dei Trabocchi in most itineraries, and the Sentiero Verde cycling and walking path connects the town to Fossacesia, Rocca San Giovanni and the beaches further south, so it's an easy base for exploring the wider stretch of coast without relying on a car for every stop.

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